Foods That Help Fight Prostate Cancer
If you are looking for information about the best foods to fight prostate cancer, you’ve come to the right place. This section of HealWithFood.org’s Guide to Preventing Prostate Cancer presents 15 awesome prostate cancer fighting foods that may help reduce your risk of developing this dangerous disease which affects millions of men around the world .
The Importance Of Healthy Eating After A Prostate Cancer Diagnosis
If youve been diagnosed with prostate cancer, the doctors at Regional Cancer Care Associates will take charge of your treatment plan, which usually involves medications, therapies, and surgeries. But there is one part of treatment that you can take charge of: your diet.
While changing your diet wont cure cancer, it may help in other ways. Be sure to talk to your doctor about specific foods and supplements you should be taking to help boost your health. In the meantime, here are some of the top recommended foods and foods to avoid for patients with prostate cancer.
Recommended Foods for Patients with Prostate Cancer
Research suggests that eating a lot of red meat and saturated fat may increase a mans risk of developing prostate cancer. Some doctors believe that continuing to eat these foods after diagnosis might cause the cancer to progress faster. As such, many medical experts recommend a plant-based diet, and findings from various studies support this notion. A plant-based diet may slow the cancers growth and progression, which can improve the patients outcome.
What does a plant-based diet look like for men with prostate cancer? In general, it consists of more vegetables, fruit, and soy. Therefore, Regional Cancer Care Associates suggests eating more:
We also urge patients with prostate cancer to eat less:
- Red meat and processed meats
- Foods high in animal fat, including dairy products
- Fried and baked foods
Additional Diet Tips
Adding Exercises To Your Daily Routine
Find physical activities you enjoy. This will make it more likely that you will do them regularly. Remember that any small increases in activity will help. Set small goals and gradually work your way up.
Exercise can be broken up into 2 or 3 sessions. For example, if you dont have 1 whole hour to exercise, try walking for 30 minutes twice a day. Try the following ideas for exercise:
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
- Get off the bus or subway 1 stop early and walk the rest of the way.
- Walk to work, class, or the store or walk your pets.
- Take a 2-mile brisk walk in 30 minutes.
- Increase your time spent on household tasks, such as vacuuming, mopping, dusting, and washing dishes .
- Take activity breaks at work.
- Swim laps for 20 minutes.
- Take a 4-mile bike ride in 15 minutes.
- Play volleyball for 45 minutes.
- Play basketball for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Dance for 30 minutes.
- Poultry
For protein, you can also substitute plant proteins, such as beans.
Your meal might not always look exactly like the plate shown here. You could have a cup of lentil and vegetable soup and a small apple, and youd be getting a similar kind of meal and proportions. Also, you might get more vegetables at lunch and dinner than at breakfast. Just keep in mind the ideas of mostly plant-based and portion controlled for all meals.
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How To Add More Green Tea To Your Diet
If you like the taste of green tea, start by drinking a cup each morning in place of your regular coffee.
If you prefer to skip caffeine, try a decaffeinated version. If you dont like warm tea, try cooling it in your refrigerator and adding ice for a refreshing beverage.
If you arent a fan of the taste, try using cooled green tea as the liquid in homemade smoothies, or adding green tea powder.
Summary
Eating Guidelines For After A Prostate Cancer Diagnosis
Making healthy food and lifestyle choices after a prostate cancer diagnosis may help to improve your health and protect against other health problems such as heart disease, diabetes and other types of cancer. Studies suggest that a healthy diet that includes a variety of foods may help prevent prostate cancer from getting worse or returning. More research is needed before we know for sure.
This handout provides general information to help you plan a healthy diet. It also highlights those foods that studies indicate may increase or decrease prostate cancer growth.
If you are having problems eating, have had unplanned weight loss, or having side effects from chemotherapy or radiation treatments, the information in this handout may not be the best for you right now. Speak with a registered dietitian to develop a food plan that meets your needs.
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Exercise And Lose Weight
Exercising and losing weight are some of the best things you can do to promote prostate health. Many studies show that moderate or vigorous exercise reduces risk of BPH and urinary tract symptoms and helps with prostatitis as well. Exercise also benefits your cardiovascular health and can help prevent other health and sexual problems such as erectile dysfunction.
If you are overweight, losing weight is one of the most important natural changes you can make in improving your prostate health, whether your concerns are cancer, BPH or prostatitis. A study published in the Journal of Urology found that overweight men, especially men with a high amount of abdominal fat, have an increased risk of BPH. If you are looking to shrink the prostate, losing weight can help you reduce your prostate size and help relieve annoying and frustrating urinary symptoms. On top of that, weight loss can reduce your risk for prostate cancer and help relieve prostatitis, too.
Maintaining Good Nutrition During And After Treatment
Maintaining a healthy diet can help you prepare for and recover after cancer treatment. It may also help to prevent the prostate cancer from coming back.Watching your weight may also reduce your risk of dying from prostate cancer. Recent studies have indicated that the risk of dying from prostate cancer is more than double in obese men diagnosed with the disease compared with men of normal weight at the time of diagnosis. Obese men with local or regional disease have been shown to have nearly four times the risk of their cancer spreading beyond the prostate or metastasizing.
Prostate cancer treatment may affect your appetite, eating habits, and weight, but it is important for you to maintain a healthy weight, get essential nutrients, and remain as physically active as possible.If you have difficulty eating due to side effects from treatment, there are ways to make eating more comfortable. Working with a registered dietitian/nutritionist can help make sure you are getting the nutrition you need.
Unfortunately it is possible for the side effects of surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy to cause you to lose your appetite, eat less and lose weight. On the other hand, some treatments, such as androgen deprivation therapy may cause weight gain for some men.
, Prostate Cancer and Nutrition featuring Margaret Martin, RD, MS, LDN, a nutrition educator from PearlPoint Nutrition Services.
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Superfoods For A Healthy Prostate
A balanced diet may reduce your risk for prostate problems.
The prostate, which is part of the male reproductive system, is a gland that surrounds the bladder and urethra. It is about the size of a walnut and grows throughout a mans life. As you age, its important to maintain a healthy prostate. The gland can become enlarged, and prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in men.
Theres no definitive evidence that good nutrition can prevent prostate problems, but eating a healthy balanced diet may reduce your risk. Building a meal and snack around veggies and fruit is a smart idea for health in general, and particularly a healthy prostate, says Chris Mohr, PhD, RD, nutrition expert for New York Times bestseller LL Cool Js Platinum Workout and advisory board member for Mens Fitness magazine.
Here are six foods you can eat to boost your prostate health.
Can Certain Foods Kill Prostate Cancer
There is no particular food or recipe that can directly kill prostate cancer cells. Research is underway to discover the foods that may help prevent prostate cancer and aid the complete recovery of prostate cancer patients. It must be noted that the scientifically proven therapies for prostate cancer are crucial for treatment and should not be replaced by other means, including dietary supplements. Some of the foods that are suggested by studies to help in recovery or prevent prostate cancer relapse include
A balanced diet that includes these foods may promote an overall sense of well-being and help limit prostate cancer. Drinking plenty of water helps to flush out the wastes and toxins from the body and keep the metabolism at optimum levels. Avoid sugary drinks and foods, red meat, barbecued or deep-fried foods and processed foods , get ample rest and perform regular physical activities as per the doctors advice.
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Best Foods For Prostate Health
We dont often think about the best foods for our prostate health. If it smells right and tastes good, its okay to eat.
However, studies have shown that lifestyle and diet play an enormous role in mens healthparticularly prostate health. Eating the rights foods is extremely beneficial to have a healthy prostate.
Regrettably, unhealthy foods are very present in the majority of everyday diets.
Large amounts of processed food, salty foods, and junk food are the norm.
These are bad for health generally, but especially for prostate health. They only increase the likelihood of developing prostate diseases and becoming obese.
Interestingly, the diet recommendations by leading health organizations around the world are the Paleo/Ketogenic diet. Fish, seafood, fresh fruit and vegetables, nuts, and healthy oils.
All of these are in the Paleo diet. If youre suffering from prostate issues, we highly recommend you check out the Paleo/Ketogenic diet. It is the best diet for fighting prostate disease, getting fitter, and losing weight.
Below we list 10 of the best foods that will help improve, support, and sustain prostate health.
Monitor The Fat In Your Diet
Some fat in our diets is necessary and healthy. There are different types of fat. Some are healthier than others.
Fat is calorie-dense. One gram of fat has more than 9 calories, while 1 gram of a carbohydrate or a protein has 4 calories. Therefore, high-fat foods have a lot of calories in a small amount of food. If youre trying to lose weight or maintain weight loss, this is important.
For some medical conditions, limiting fat may be helpful. However, for most people, there is no need to avoid fat. What is important is to avoid eating too many calories and to choose healthier types of fats.
Your fat intake should be about 20% to 35% of your calories. This is about 40 to 70 grams of fat per day for a 1,800 calorie diet.
The type of fat you eat can be as important as the amount.
Types of cholesterol
Cholesterol is a fat-like substance. Its found only in foods that come from an animal source, such as meat, eggs, and dairy. Cholesterol travels in the blood in packages called lipoproteins. There are 2 types of lipoproteins: good and bad.
- Low-density lipoprotein is bad cholesterol. It can clog your arteries and cause heart disease.
- High-density lipoprotein is good cholesterol. It takes cholesterol out of your body.
Types of fats
Limiting the amount of saturated fat you eat can keep your heart healthy and make it easier to maintain your weight. Choose mostly monounsaturated fats. These fats are described below.
- Olives
- Flax seeds
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Androgen Deprivation Therapy/hormonal Therapy
The hormone testosterone allows prostate cancer cells to grow. In androgen deprivation therapy, testosterone is blocked through medications such as leuprolide . Another way of reducing testosterone levels is through orchiectomy . A possible side effect of hormonal therapy is weight gain. Following the healthy diet guidelines in this resource, watching portion sizes, and exercising, if possible, can help you maintain a healthy weight.
Testosterone also helps keep your bones strong so lower levels of testosterone may lead to increased risk of osteoporosis and broken bones. Protect your bones by including calcium in your daily diet.
Can Diet Help Fight Prostate Cancer
Can adopting a healthier diet help fight prostate cancer? That’s a question men newly diagnosed with prostate cancer often ask their doctors.
Several studies have shown that in countries where men eat a typical “Western” diet containing a large amount of meat, the incidence of prostate cancer, especially aggressive prostate cancer, is higher than in countries where plant-based foods are a primary part of the diet. Unfortunately, these studies weren’t designed to prove cause and effect. So for now, definitive answers about prostate cancer and diet aren’t yet in although researchers are actively studying this topic.
Investigators launched a federally funded national study to see whether a diet that’s higher in plant-based foods and lower in animal-based foods than the typical Western diet would help control tumor growth in men with early-stage prostate cancer.
The Men’s Eating and Living study included men 50-80 years old who had small, low-grade tumors and who opted to have their condition followed closely rather than undergoing immediate treatment. The researchers randomly assigned participants to telephone counseling about how to achieve the dietary MEAL goals or to a control group that received standard dietary advice for Americans.
Here’s what the MEAL eating plan looks like:
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Watch Portion Sizes And Variety Of Foods In The Diet
It is important to watch portion sizes of meals today because society is constantly overeating. Too much or too little of certain foods can be harmful to your body. While eating healthy is not always the easiest thing to do, there are many ways to make eating healthy a lifestyle change by spicing up your healthy diet by keeping a variety of foods in it.
Red Meat And Processed Meat
A diet high in meat, particularly if its cooked well-done, may be associated with an increased risk of developing prostate cancer. This may be due to heterocyclic amines . These are carcinogens found in cooked meat. HCAs have been linked to the development of several cancers.
HCAs are compounds formed during high temperature cooking such as broiling or grilling. The suggests that both red and processed meats may be associated with increased risk of developing prostate cancer. Examples include:
- beef
Instead of red or processed meats, try these protein sources instead:
- lean poultry, like skinless turkey or chicken
- fresh or canned fish, such as tuna, salmon, or sardines
- beans and legumes, like split peas, chickpeas, lentils, pinto beans, and kidney beans
- nuts and nut butters
If youre a fan of cold cut sandwiches, try making a chicken salad sandwich instead. You can also experiment with meat alternatives, like tofu or tempeh, which can be marinated and sautéed to create a flavorful sandwich filling.
You may also experiment with eating meat-free for some meals or days of the week. Here are some ideas to try:
- Replace the meat in your favorite chili or stew with beans.
- Grill up fish fillets instead of steaks.
- Make a black bean burger instead of a hamburger.
- Dice up tofu and marinate it in your favorite sauce, then stir fry it and mix it with veggies and a side of rice.
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Include Calcium And Vitamin D In Your Diet
You need calcium in your diet every day to keep your bones and teeth strong and your muscles and nerves healthy. When youre not getting enough calcium from your diet, your body takes calcium from your bones. This can make your bones weak and brittle and cause a disease called osteoporosis. Osteoporosis puts you at greater risk for bone fractures.
Here are tips for getting more calcium in your diet:
- Have at least 2 to 3 servings of skim or low-fat dairy every day. Include milk, yogurt, or cheese. If you have trouble eating lactose , try lactose-free products, such as Lactaid® milk or soy products.
- Almonds, leafy greens, soybeans, canned sardines, and salmon are also good sources of calcium.
- Foods such as cereals and orange juice usually have added calcium.
- Many people, including women during menopause, need calcium supplements. Speak with your doctor or a dietitian to find out more about your calcium needs.
Your body needs vitamin D so it can absorb the calcium in your diet. Vitamin D is found in dairy products and some fatty fishes. Your body can also make vitamin D from sunlight. Most people get all the vitamin D they need from sunlight. But, if you dont spend much time outside or if you usually keep your skin covered , you may need to take a vitamin D supplement.
Daily recommended intake
The table below lists the daily amount of calcium and vitamin D you need per day based on your age.
| Age |
|---|
| 800 IU |
IU=International Units
Manage Your Portion Sizes
Its important to think about serving sizes. Serving sizes of bottled, packaged, and restaurant foods and drinks have increased over the years. The table below lists the amount of food that is equal to 1 serving size.
| Food Group | |
| Peanut butter | 2 tablespoons |
You can also use the following examples of everyday items to help determine your portion sizes .
Figure 1. Example portion sizes
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Diet & Exercise Tips For Prostate Health
“What can I eat to reduce my risk of developing prostate cancer?” This is one of the most common questions physicians hear from men concerned about prostate health. Undoubtedly, many hope that their doctor will rattle off a list of foods guaranteed to shield them from disease. Although some foods have been linked with reduced risk of prostate cancer, proof that they really work is lacking, at least for now.