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You are what you eat: Nutrition and prostate Cancer
By: Todd Brandt, M.D.
You are what you eat. Have you heard that before? Do you believe it? We know that age, race, and family history have a critical impact on the development of prostate cancer, but what you eat may also affect your risk of getting this disease.
Before we give you the list of what to eat, remember this: There is no magic food. You cannot overcome years of bad behavior in a single meal. Furthermore, people have diabetes, high blood pressure or cholesterol, cancer, and other diseases despite adherence to a strict diet. The same holds true for prostate cancer; some men will have this disease despite a very healthy lifestyle. You should eat well anyway.
Without further adieu, here are some suggestions:
Eat more Tomatoes: Tomatoes contain an enzyme called lycopene. Lycopene inhibits cancer development. Cook your tomatoes, though, because lycopene is released in the cooking process. Other foods that contain lycopene as well include watermelon, pink grapefruit, papaya and guava.
Substitute Soy products when possible and drink Green Tea: Polyphenols and isoflavones found in soy products and green tea seem to have cancer-fighting properties. Nobody knows how much of these foods you need, and it might be possible to get too much. Start with small substitutions. Try soymilk instead of dairy on your whole-grain cereal in the morning, or sip green tea at work instead of coffee.
Eat Broccoli: cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussel sprouts) may have cancer fighting properties as well. Eat a serving or two daily.
Fruit is Berry Good: Berries like blueberries are becoming popular, and they are good for you. Pomegranates have also merited some recent hype. Along with adding more vegetables to your diet you should also add fruit. The lesson here is to have a variety. The old saying about an apple a day may hold some truth after all.
Eat Less Fat: Not only does a diet high in fat potentially cause obesity or raise your cholesterol, but nations where high-fat diets predominate tend to have more prostate cancer. Specifically, the fats found in dairy products and red meat seem to increase the risk of prostate cancer the most, so substitute fish and non-fat dairy products instead. Figure out how to calculate the percentage of your daily calories that come from fat and aim to eat 15-30% of your daily calories as fat, unless further restriction is advised by a physician.
Supplement Carefully: Be careful when taking vitamin and mineral supplements. Many patients are over-supplemented, and there are reports of patients having severe interactions of supplements with other medication they may be taking. Start (and for most of us it'll be enough) with a well-balanced multi-vitamin to make sure you are getting at least the daily recommended allowance of most vitamins and minerals. Having given the warnings, some doctors believe that B-carotene, selenium, and vitamin E all may help to prevent prostate cancer. B-carotene is made into vitamin A, an antioxidant vitamin. Vitamin E is also an antioxidant. Selenium supplementation may also be helpful. Studies trying to determine the appropriate doses of supplements are underway. Ask your doctor about any supplements you are taking and be sure to mention them when asked about medications.
You are what you do. Be active: We realize that this is technically not a diet change, but it will help complement all of the changes you are making in your diet. Exercise and maintain a healthy weight. Find something you enjoy. Do it. You will feel better about yourself and have more energy. Your risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, and cholesterol problems will decrease and some studies suggest you may also decrease your risk of developing prostate cancer.
Eating better takes daily effort. Don't give up. Eating a balanced diet and controlling portion size will pay big dividends on your health. Make the effort to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and low fat meats and dairy. Make small changes in your diet that you will be able to maintain. Find healthy foods that you like so eating doesn't become work. Enjoy your healthier life.
Links
www.crab.org/select/ (Prostate Cancer prevention trial with Vit E and Selenium)www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/prostate (National Cancer Institute)
www.cancer.org (American Cancer Society)
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