Is Banana Good For Prostate Cancer

Stay Active To Support Prostate Health

In addition to eating a healthy diet, you should stay active. Regular exercise pares down your risk of developing some deadly problems, including heart disease, stroke, and certain types of cancer. And although relatively few studies have directly assessed the impact of exercise on prostate health, those that have been done have concluded, for the most part, that exercise is beneficial. For example:

Based on questionnaires completed by more than 30,000 men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, researchers found an inverse relationship between physical activity and BPH symptoms. Simply put, men who were more physically active were less likely to suffer from BPH. Even low- to moderate-intensity physical activity, such as walking regularly at a moderate pace, yielded benefits.

Using data from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, researchers also examined the relationship between erectile dysfunction and exercise. They found that men who ran for an hour and a half or did three hours of rigorous outdoor work per week were 20% less likely to develop ED than those who didn’t exercise at all. More physical activity conferred a greater benefit. Interestingly, regardless of the level of exercise, men who were overweight or obese had a greater risk of ED than men with an ideal body mass index, or BMI.

Get more information and the latest news about prostate health at www.HarvardProstateKnowledge.org.

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.

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How To Add More Legumes And Soybeans To Your Diet

To add more legumes and soybeans to your diet, consider swapping meat for plant protein in at least some meals. This could mean trying Meatless Mondays or moving toward a plant-based diet.

Try making a black bean burger with lots of veggies. Alternatively, homemade hummus made with blended chickpeas makes a delicious dip for vegetables or whole grain bread.

Finally, tofu is an excellent source of soy. Try flavoring tofu with sauces and baking it or browning it on the stove, or adding it to stir-fries.

Summary

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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

The Truth About Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds and pumpkin seed oil have become popular treatments for the reduction of prostate enlargement. Pumpkin seeds are packed with nutrition and are proven to support prostate health. This is due to three reasons.

• They are rich in zinc. Normal prostate function relies on optimal zinc levels. For this reason, a handful of pumpkin seeds a 2-3 times a week can improve your prostate health.

• They may limit prostate enlargement. Pumpkin seeds contain phytosterol, which is a protective compound that may be responsible for reducing prostate enlargement.

• They potentially reduce BPH symptoms. BPH stands for benign prostatic hyperplasia. BPH is caused by changes in hormone balance. Pumpkin seed oil can help prevent the multiplication of overstimulated prostate cells, levelling hormones.

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The Best Foods For Prostate Health

The prostate gland is an integral part of the male reproductive system. About the size of a walnut, it continues to change and grow during a mans lifetime. Maintaining prostate health should be of maximum importance to all men if they want to lead a long and healthy life.

Lets look at three medical issues that can arise as a result of the prostate gland, and some recommendations for the best foods for prostate health.

Bonus Food #8 Prostate Plus

And finally I want to quickly talk about the only prostate supplement I take that helps with any prostate issues. This really should be a part of everyones enlarged prostate diet. Prostate Plus. Prostate Plus is the only supplement I recommend and take. It contains all natural ingredients and helps with all the issues mentioned throughout this article. You can read a review on it here. Prostate Plus review.

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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.

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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Lower Your Risk With Antioxidants

Plant-based foods are rich in nutrients known as antioxidants that boost your immune system and help protect against cancer cells.

• Diets high in fruit may lower the risk of stomach and lung cancer.
• Eating vegetables containing carotenoids, such as carrots, Brussels sprouts, and squash, may reduce the risk of lung, mouth, pharynx, and larynx cancers.
• Diets high in non-starchy vegetables, such as broccoli, spinach, and beans, may help protect against stomach and esophageal cancer.
• Eating oranges, berries, peas, bell peppers, dark leafy greens and other foods high in vitamin C may also protect against esophageal cancer.
• Foods high in lycopene, such as tomatoes, guava, and watermelon, may lower the risk of prostate cancer.

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Your Prostate Cancer Diet And Why It Matters

Foods that can increase your risk of developing prostate cancer, or those shown to encourage progression of the disease, should be avoided if you have or are hoping to prevent prostate cancer.

Your best bet is to stick to a diet rich in fruits and vegetables especially tomatoes get plenty of whole grains, and go easy on the red meat and processed foods. Think fresh on your plate to boost your health and reduce your risk of prostate cancer.

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How To Avoid Prostate Problems With Cucurmin

In a series of articles published in the journal Nature and others, Dr. Dorai evaluated the topic thoroughly. The articles mentioned 4 different reasons why curcumin is a potential agent to help avoid prostate problems:

• It induces apoptosis: This is cellular death, which is a natural body response. It is lost in prostate cancer and BPH. But curcumin is capable of increasing the rate of apoptosis in prostate tissue .

• It reduces tyrosine kinase activity: In this regard, it acts similar to a prostate cancer drug called tyrosine kinase inhibitors. This reduces the cell signals that favor prostate overgrowth .

• It inhibits proliferation and angiogenesis: This function of curcumin is particularly important in patients with prostate cancer. Curcumin slows down cell proliferation but also contributes in another aspect. It wont allow cancer to build new blood vessels to keep on growing. This inhibits angiogenesis and prevents more advances in phases in prostate cancer .

• It reduces the rate of bone metastasis: The effect from these foods does not have to do with helping to shrink the prostate gland, but it is very important, too. Prostate cancer cells mimic bone cells and cause bone metastasis. But curcumin interferes with this property and may reduce the rate of bone metastasis .Thats why a 2016 review on the topic revisited each one of these mechanisms and recommended curcumin as a side therapy in patients with prostate cancer and other prostate health issues .

Should You Take Dietary Supplements For Prostate Cancer Maybe Not

One of the other developments in the last 5 to 10 years, says Dr. Chan, has been broader recognition that single supplements seem unlikely to offer a reduction in the risk of prostate cancer development.

She cites the large national Selenium and Vitamin ECancer Prevention Trial in 2008 and 2011, which provided no evidence that selenium or vitamin E supplements offer protection against the development of prostate cancer. And furthermore, in December 2014, the Journal of the National Cancer Institute published results of a study from the UCSF describing a greater risk of death from prostate cancer in men who started taking selenium dietary supplements after being diagnosed with the disease.

The bottom line: Healthy, balanced, and heart-healthy meals consisting of whole foods are the way to go when cooking for a man with prostate cancer.

Additional reporting by Andrea Peirce

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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

Apples And Other ‘white’ Fruit

At least one meta-analysis — a study that looks at lots of previous research on a subject — linked apples with a reduced risk for cancer. The link seems strongest for lung cancer. But apples may also help protect against:

• Colorectal cancer
• Other cancers of the digestive tract

Another study found that eating white vegetables and fruits, like apples, pears, mushrooms, and onions, may help protect against colorectal cancer.

The possible benefit from apples probably comes from two substances they contain: polysaccharides, a type of carbohydrate, and quercetin, a plant pigment. Both may help fight cancer cells.

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Side Effects And Nutrition

Cancer treatment often causes side effects, such as nausea, mouth sores, and taste changes that may make it difficult to eat or drink. Follow these tips to help you get the nutrition you need:

• If water tastes unpleasant to you, take in more liquid though items such as soup, tea, milk or milk substitutes such as almond milk, or a sports drink. Or, flavor your water by adding fresh cut fruit.
• If food tastes bland, try seasoning it with flavorful spices such as garlic, cayenne, dill, and rosemary.
• Eat several small meals throughout the day instead of trying to eat large amounts of food at one time.
• Enhance your protein intake with protein from foods such as fish, egg whites, cheese, beans, or high protein smoothies.
• Suck on mints, chew on gum, or try fresh citrus fruits if you have a metallic taste in your mouth. Brushing your teeth before eating, using plastic utensils, and cooking in glassware can also help.
• If you have mouth sores or a gum infection, use a blender to make vegetables and meats smooth. Try juicing or making smoothies.Some side effects are often treated with medication, so talk with your doctor or another member of your health care team for more information.

Aim For A Healthy Eating Pattern

Instead of focusing on specific foods, dietitians, physicians, and researchers tout an overall pattern of healthy eating and healthy eating is easier than you might think. In a nutshell, here’s what experts recommend:

Eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Go for those with deep, bright color.

Choose whole-grain bread instead of white bread and choose whole-grain pasta and cereals.

Limit your consumption of red meat, including beef, pork, lamb, and goat, and processed meats, such as bologna and hot dogs. Fish, skinless poultry, beans, and eggs are healthier sources of protein.

Choose healthful fats, such as olive oil, nuts , and avocados. Limit saturated fats from dairy and other animal products. Avoid partially hydrogenated fats , which are in many fast foods and packaged foods.

Avoid sugar-sweetened drinks, such as sodas and many fruit juices. Eat sweets as an occasional treat.

Cut down on salt. Choose foods low in sodium by reading and comparing food labels. Limit the use of canned, processed, and frozen foods.

Watch portion sizes. Eat slowly and stop eating when you are full.

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How To Add More Pomegranate Juice To Your Diet

You can buy pomegranate juice at most grocery stores. If drinking the juice plain is too intense, consider diluting it with plain water or adding some sparkling water.

You can also add pomegranate seeds to homemade salad dressing to sweeten up your favorite salad.

Summary

Pomegranates are high in antioxidants. Animal and test-tube studies have shown that pomegranate juice could inhibit the production of some prostate cancer cells.

What To Eat For A Healthy Prostate Cancer Diet

Are you cooking for yourself, or for a friend or family member who has prostate cancer? Learn tips on how to choose the best foods, and the best ways to cook them.

The best diet to follow for good health probably wont surprise you: low in fat and calories rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and focused on real foods rather than processed ones. While these same guidelines apply to men who have prostate cancer, your diet and how you prepare food may be even more important to your health after your diagnosis.

Here are some tips on how to plan prostate-healthy meals.

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Five Foods To Protect Your Prostate

Good news if youre worried about your prostate health: What you eat can make a difference. There is plenty of strong evidence that good nutrition and an active lifestyle can reduce the likelihood of prostate cancer and slow its progression, says Mitchell Sokoloff M.D., Chair of the Department of Urology and Professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

There are a few categorical changes you can make to your diet that make a big difference in overall health, as well as prostate health. What you eat can potentially disadvantage your prostate health e.g. foods you might want to avoid or protect the prostate in various ways. The Science of Living Well, Beyond Cancer recommends a diet that is high in colorful vegetables, low in sugar and processed carbohydrates, and moderate in animal-based protein . Some might refer to this as a version of the Mediterranean Diet. PCF-funded epidemiologist Lorelei Mucci, M.P.H., Sc.D., at Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health notes that people in Mediterranean countries not only eat more vegetables and fruits they also eat less fatty foods, processed food, and red meat categories that can increase insulin resistance, increase inflammation, raise cardiovascular risk and be a part of a dietary pattern that may increase obesity, as well.