10 Foods That Fight Prostate Cancer

Cruciferous Vegetables
Eating three or more servings of cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, kale,
mustard greens, and Brussels sprouts per week may reduce the risk of prostate cancer by
almost half.
Pomegranate Juice
Research shows that pomegranate juice slows the growth of prostate cancer in mice.
Turmeric
Studies show that turmeric may prevent prostate cancer and slow its progress, especially
when eaten with cauliflower.
Flaxseeds
Studies in mice indicate that flaxseeds may prevent and slow the spread of prostate cancer.
Green Tea
In several studies, green tea has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of developing
prostate cancer.
Brazil Nuts
Brazil nuts are one of the best natural sources of selenium, a mineral that is strongly
preventative against prostate cancer. Experts say that taking an extra 200mcg of selenium
per day will reduce the risk of prostate cancer by 50 percent. Just a handful of Brazil nuts
per day will meet this requirement.
Garlic Garlic has been shown in several studies to cut the risk of prostate cancer by as
much as 53 percent. Garlic also contains a good amount of selenium.
Scallions
One study showed that eating just 1/10 an ounce of scallions per day cut men's risk of
prostate cancer by as much as 70 percent.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are one of the best sources of lycopene, a powerful antioxidant which has been
shown in several studies to have a protective effect against prostate cancer. Though one
recent study has created some doubt about the protective effect lycopene has against
prostate cancer, the National Prostate Cancer Foundation says the earlier studies are still
valid and continues to recommend that men eat plenty of foods containing lycopene.

Making healthy food choices can promote your prostate health and reduce the risk of
prostate problems.
About the Prostate
The prostate is a small gland -- part of the male reproductive system. It's similar in size to a
walnut. Located under the bladder and in front of the rectum, its main function is to produce
protective fluid for sperm. The prostate contains the urethra -- the tube that carries both urine and
semen from the body. While the prostate isn't essential for survival, it's important for
reproduction.
Foods to Eat
Follow a healthy diet with lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish and healthy oils,
such as olive and canola. Fish contains omega-3 fatty acids that protect against
prostate cancer. Eat fresh vegetables and cooked tomatoes, which are rich in lycopene
-- a plant pigment that promotes prostate health. Insufficient vegetable intake, especially
of cruciferous vegetables, is linked to higher risk of aggressive prostate cancer,
according to Prostate Cancer Foundation. Eating healthy oils and nuts increases blood
antioxidants, which protect your body's cells. It also reduces insulin and inflammation,
which may discourage prostate cancer progression, according to Erin L. Richman,
Sc.D., of the University of California, San Francisco Department of Epidemiology and
Biostatistics.

Is There a Prostate Cancer Diet?

WebMD expert and urologist Sheldon Marks, MD,
shares his thought on how men can help prevent
prostate cancer through nutrition.
WebMD Commentary
Reviewed by Paul O'Neill, MD
WebMD Archive
When you're being treated for cancer, it's more important than ever to eat right and get
adequate nutrition -- but it can also be more difficult than ever to adhere to a
balanced cancer diet. Your body is working overtime to fight the cancer, while it's also
doing extra duty to repair healthy cells that may have been damaged as a side effect of
treatments like chemotherapy and radiation. At the same time, manycancer treatments

-- especially chemotherapy -- come with side effects that drain your strength and sap
your appetite. So how can you make sure you're getting all the
essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals you need to keep a balanced cancer diet?
1.
2.

Participate in regular exercise. Walking is best.

Limit your calorie intake. Excess calories are bad for cancer growth. Eat what
you need to get to the next meal, not the usual American style of eating all you can as if
you are never going to eat again.

3.

Get sunshine daily. Darker-skinned people need more sunshine.

4.

Don't follow these or any guidelines to excess. Moderation is the key.

5.

Heart healthy is prostate healthy. Heart disease is still the No. 1 killer, even in
men with prostate cancer.

6.

Variety in the foods you eat is important. Increase the diversity.

7.

Remember supplements are supplements. They are not intended to replace

an intelligent diet; their purpose is to supplement an intelligent diet. Supplements are a
poor alternative to eating foods that are high in the desired nutrients.

8.

See a doctor regularly for early detection and preventative care. Be

proactive rather than reactive.
Assess Your Risk for Prostate Cancer and 4 Other Common Cancers

Nutritional Recommendations
The two diets known to be associated with longevity and reduced risks for prostate
cancer are the traditional Japanese diet and a SouthernMediterranean diet. The
Japanese diet is high in green tea, soy, vegetables, and fish, as well as low in calories
and fat. TheMediterranean diet is high is fresh fruits and vegetables, garlic, tomatoes,
red wine, olive oil, and fish. Both are low in red meat.
Specifically, you should incorporate these principles when reevaluating your daily diet:

1.

Reduce animal fat in your diet. Studies show that excess fat, primarily red meat
and high-fat dairy, stimulates prostate cancer to grow.

2.

Avoid trans fatty acids, which are known to promote cancer growth. These are
high in margarines, and fried and baked foods.

3.

Increase your fresh fish intake, which is high in the very beneficial alpha omega-3
fatty acids. Ideally eat cold-water fish such as salmon, sardines, mackerel, and trout, at
least two to three times a week. The fish should be poached, baked, or grilled (not
burned or charred). Avoid fried fish.

4.

Significantly increase your fresh fruit, herb, and vegetable consumption daily.
Powerful anticancer nutrients are being discovered regularly in colorful fruits and
vegetables, fresh herbs, leafy green vegetables, nuts, berries, and seeds.

5.

Avoid high-calcium diets, which have been shown to stimulate prostate cancer
growth.

6.

Take a multivitamin with B complex and folic acid daily.

7.

Avoid high-dose zinc supplements.

8.

Increase your natural vitamin C consumption -- this includes citrus, berries,

spinach, cantaloupe, sweet peppers, and mango.

9.

Drink green tea several times each week.

10.

Avoid excess preserved, pickled, or salted foods.

11.

Eat red grapes, drink red grape juice, or red wine regularly.

12.

Eat leafy dark-green vegetables frequently.

13.

Cruciferous vegetables are cancer protective. These include cabbage, broccoli,

and cauliflower.

14.

Tomatoes and especially tomato products are very high in lycopene, a powerful
anticancer substance. This includes pizza sauce, tomato paste, and ketchup.

15.

Avoid flax seed oil. This can stimulate prostate cancer to grow. You can obtain
the very healthy alpha omega-3 fatty acids you need through fresh fish and nuts.

16.

Use olive oil, which is very healthy and rich in vitamin E andantioxidants.
Avocado oil is also good. Avoid oils high in polyunsaturated fats such as corn, canola, or
soybean.

17.

Take vitamin E, 50 to 100 IU of gamma and d-alpha, only with the approval of
your doctor. Some recent studies have raised concerns over serious risks with vitamin E
intake. Natural sources include nuts, seeds, olive oil, avocado oil, wheat germ, peas,
and nonfat milk.

18.

Selenium is a very powerful antioxidant and the backbone molecule of your

body's immune system. Most studies support a daily selenium supplement of 200
micrograms a day. The benefits appear to be only for those who have low selenium
levels, which is difficult and expensive to measure. Since it only costs about 7 cents a
day and is not toxic at these levels, it is reasonable for all men to take selenium. Natural
sources include Brazil nuts, fresh fish, grains, mushrooms, wheat germ, bran, wholewheat bread, oats, and brown rice.
Reviewed on December 01, 2006
2004 WebMD, Inc. All rights Reserved.

Prostate cancer prevention: Ways to reduce your

risk
There's no proven prostate cancer prevention strategy. But you may reduce your
risk of prostate cancer by making healthy choices, such as exercising and eating
a healthy diet.
By Mayo Clinic Staf

If you're concerned about your risk of prostate cancer, you may be interested in prostate
cancer prevention.
There's no sure way to prevent prostate cancer. Study results often conflict with each
other and most studies aren't designed to definitively prove whether something prevents
prostate cancer. As a result, no clear ways to prevent prostate cancer have emerged.

In general, doctors recommend that men with an average risk of prostate cancer make
choices that benefit their overall health if they're interested in prostate cancer
prevention.

Choose a healthy diet

There is some evidence that choosing a healthy diet that's low in fat and full of fruits and
vegetables may contribute to a lower risk of prostate cancer, though this hasn't been
proved concretely.
If you want to reduce your risk of prostate cancer, consider trying to:

Choose a low-fat diet. Foods that contain fats include meats, nuts, oils and
dairy products, such as milk and cheese.
In some studies, men who ate the highest amount of fat each day had an increased
risk of prostate cancer. While this association doesn't prove that excess fat causes
prostate cancer, reducing the amount of fat you eat each day has other proven
benefits, such as helping you control your weight and helping your heart.
To reduce the amount of fat you eat each day, limit fatty foods or choose low-fat
varieties. For instance, reduce the amount of fat you add to foods when cooking,
select leaner cuts of meat, and choose low-fat or reduced-fat dairy products.

Eat more fat from plants than from animals. In studies that looked at fat
consumption and prostate cancer risk, fats from animals were most likely to be
associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer. Animal products that contain fats
include meat, lard and butter.
You might consider using plant-based fats instead of animal fats. For instance, cook
with olive oil rather than butter. Sprinkle nuts or seeds on your salad rather than
cheese.

Increase the amount of fruits and vegetables you eat each day. Fruits and
vegetables are full of vitamins and nutrients that are thought to reduce the risk of
prostate cancer, though research hasn't proved that any particular nutrient is
guaranteed to reduce your risk.
Eating more fruits and vegetables also tends to make you have less room for other
foods, such as high-fat foods.

You might consider increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables you eat each day
by adding an additional serving of a fruit or vegetable to each meal. Consider eating
fruits and vegetables for snacks.

Eat fish. Fatty fish such as salmon, tuna and herring contain omega-3 fatty
acids, a type of fatty acid that has been linked to a reduced risk of prostate cancer. If
you don't currently eat fish, you might consider adding it to your diet.
Another way to add omega-3s to your diet is by eating flaxseed.

Reduce the amount of dairy products you eat each day. In studies, men who
ate the most dairy products such as milk, cheese and yogurt each day had the
highest risk of prostate cancer. But study results have been mixed, and the risk
associated with dairy products is thought to be small.

Maintain a healthy weight

Men who are obese a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher may have an
increased risk of prostate cancer. If you are overweight or obese, work on losing weight.
You can do this by reducing the number of calories you eat each day and increasing the
amount of exercise you do.
If you have a healthy weight, work to maintain it by exercising most days of the week
and choosing a healthy diet that's rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

The individual elements in the headings above will provide specific details on why
these measures which may help prostate cancer and how to change the diet
accordingly. The following table provided a general overview which may act as an aid
memoir.
FOOD

ADV

Increase fibre

Cereals, linseeds, fresh or dried fruit, vegetables, all types

Reduce saturated fats

Avoid processed fatty foods, cream, fried foods. Check se

Reduce meat intake

Use meat for its taste preferably not >once a day. Excess
fried to further reduce the fat content and avoid burning. I
rather than animal fat.

Increase healthy fats and all fish intake

All fresh fish and omega 3 containing fruit such as avocad

sardines are good but may increase mercury toxin if taken
soya, sunflower). Nuts walnuts, almonds, brazil, peanut
pumpkin, sunflower and linseeds. Leafy green vegetables

Reduce exposure to potential carcinogens

Try to avoid heavily processed foods, which often contain

Avoid excessive processed salt and sugar; Apple juice or
adding salt when cooking vegetables. Reducing the amou
flavour. Wash salads and vegetables thoroughly to avoid p
on them. Organic foods reduce the pesticide exposure fur
levels of aromatic hydrocarbons and acrylamides such as
cooking processes such as deep fried foods, crisps, chips

Increase dietary selenium

Brazil nuts, Sardines, Prawns. 60-75mcg/day. No more th

Avoid excessive calcium and Zinc

Unless prescribed for other reasons avoid supplements wh

per day.

Increase dietary vitamins

Fresh fruit, raw and calciferous vegetables, grains, oily fis

increase the amount of ripe fruit you eat each day, ideally
are recommended.

Polyphenols

Onions, leeks, broccoli, blueberries, red wine, tea, apricot

ripe fruits. pomegranates, goji berries parsley, celery, tom

Phytoestrogens

Soybeans, other legumes, including peas, lentils, pinto (ba

Non-oestrogenic polyphenols

Skin of colourful foods pomegranets, cherries, strawberri

cranberries, red grapes, white button mushrooms

Lignans & Stilbens

Flaxseed, linseeds, nuts, grains

Increase carotenoids (lycopene)

Tomatoes, tomato source, chilli, carrots, green vegetables