Mayo Clinic Prostate Cancer Diet

Are Carbs Bad For You

Carbohydrates are often thought of as the boogeymen of nutrition contributing to weight gain and high blood sugar, but our bodies rely on carbs to turn glucose into energy. A low-carb diet, such as the keto diet, will be higher in fats. In moderation, carbs are not bad for you and do have nutritional benefits, but it is important to be wary of the types and amount of carbs you are consuming.

Newer Treatments For Early

Researchers are looking at newer forms of treatment for early-stage prostate cancer. These new treatments could be used either as the first type of treatment or after unsuccessful radiation therapy.

One treatment, known as high-intensity focused ultrasound , destroys cancer cells by heating them with highly focused ultrasonic beams. This treatment has been used in some countries for a while, and is now available in the United States. Its safety and effectiveness are now being studied, although most doctors in the US dont consider it to be a proven first-line treatment for prostate cancer at this time.

History Of The Keto Diet

Over one hundred years ago Dr. Wilder, a doctor at the Mayo Clinic, developed the ketogenic keto diet to treat children with severe epilepsy. Since then, the keto diet has been successfully used around the world to treat drug-resistant epilepsy. In the 1970s, the diet became popular for weight loss thanks to the Atkins diet, which catapulted keto into the weight-loss limelight. While the Atkins diet recommends slowly reintroducing carbohydrate-containing foods back into your eating plan, the keto diet strictly limits these foods at all times.

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Diet Tips For Prostate Health

Eat Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables contain large amounts of cancer-fighting and inflammation-reducing substances like vitamins, polyphenols, antioxidants, minerals and natural fiber. Most men and women do not consume the recommended daily intake of fruits and vegetables. If you are working to change the way you eat, aim to make manageable changes. Try to include a variety of fruits and vegetables in your diet.

Cruciferous vegetables have phytochemicals that reduce Oxidative stress or oxygen free radicals in the body which means a lower risk of prostate cancer and its aggression

Carrots are rich in nutrients and contain antioxidants beta-carotene and falcarinol that reduce the risk of cancer

Tomatoes are a rich source of a phytochemical called lycopene which attacks free radicals helping the body lower the risk of prostate cancer and its aggression

Mushrooms help fight cancer by building the immune system with a supply of compounds called beta glucan and proteins called lectin which have shown to attack cancer cells

Pomegranates, particularly pomegranate juice, have been shown to slow PSA doubling time and may help prevent prostate cancer recurrence after primary treatment

Grapes and grape juice are rich sources of resveratrol, a type of natural phytochemical that belongs to a larger group of phytochemicals called polyphenols that possess potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties

Limit Consumption of Animal Protein

Seek Plant Protein

Whole Grains

Nutrition And Lifestyle Changes

Many studies have looked at the possible benefits of specific nutrients in helping to treat prostate cancer, although so far none have shown a clear benefit. Some compounds being studied include extracts from pomegranate, green tea, broccoli, turmeric, flaxseed, and soy.

One study has found that men who choose not to have treatment for their localized prostate cancer may be able to slow its growth with intensive lifestyle changes. The men in the study ate a vegan diet and exercised frequently. They also took part in support groups and yoga. After one year the men saw, on average, a slight drop in their PSA level. It isnt known if this effect will last since the report only followed the men for 1 year. The regimen may also be hard for some men to follow.

It’s important for men thinking about taking any type of nutritional supplement to talk to their health care team first. They can help you decide which ones you can use safely while avoiding those that might be harmful.

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Things You Can Change: Diet And Lifestyle

Men in western countries have much higher rates of prostate cancer than men in Asia. While no one can definitively explain this phenomenon, experts suspect differences in eastern and western diets are to blame. Poor eating habits and diets that heavily rely on fats and animal proteins can cause DNA damage and lead to cancer.

Even men who are already at greater risk due to age, race or genetics can reduce their chances of developing prostate cancer by adopting healthy diets and lifestyles.

Reduce Sugary Or Processed Beverages

The trouble with fruit juice and other highly processed drinks is that they are low in nutritional value and high in concentrated, sugary calories. Even when juice is labeled as 100% fruit juice, the processing yields something closer to sugary water with few added nutrients.”

“When it comes to juices, you’re stripping away some of the most vital benefits of fruit, and that’s the fiber. Eat the whole fruit. Don’t waste your money on the juice,” says Dr. Mussallem.

The same can be said for soda and other sugary sports drinks, which can contribute to obesity and excess weight. Maintaining a healthy weight can reduce your risk for various types of cancer, including cancers of the breast, prostate, lung, colon and kidney.

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What Types Of Treatments Are Used For Prostate Cancer

If youre diagnosed with prostate cancer, your doctor will help to develop a treatment plan thats right for your individual situation. Its possible that a combination of different treatment options may be used.

They may recommend something called expectant management if your cancer doesnt cause symptoms. During this time, they may monitor your cancer using a variety of tests. Treatment will begin when you develop symptoms or when test results find the cancer is growing.

Other potential treatment options can include:

• Surgery. If you only have cancer in your prostate, your doctor may suggest surgery to remove the tumor or your prostate.
• Radiation therapy. In radiation therapy, high energy radiation is used to kill cancer cells.
• Cryotherapy. During cryotherapy, a special probe is used to freeze and kill cells in your prostate, including cancer cells.
• Hormone therapy. This treatment focuses on blocking hormones that can encourage cancer growth.
• Chemotherapy.Chemotherapy drugs can kill cancer cells or slow down their growth.
• Immunotherapy.Immunotherapy harnesses your immune system to help treat prostate cancer. A type of immunotherapy called sipuleucel-T may be used to treat some types of prostate cancer.
• Targeted therapy. Targeted therapy blocks the activity of certain proteins on or in cancer cells. Drugs called PARP inhibitors may be used to treat some types of prostate cancer.

What Is The Keto Diet

The keto diet typically limits carbohydrates to less than 50 grams per day , with the remaining calories coming mostly from fat and a moderate amount from protein. Jason Ewoldt, RDN, LD, a wellness dietitian at Mayo Clinic Healthy Living Program explains, When you switch to a high-fat, low-carb diet, your body, by necessity, shifts away from burning carbs for fuel and instead uses fat for energy. This process is called ketosis hence the diet’s name.

When you consider the average American eats 248 grams of carbs a day, and that most of these carbs are coming from highly processed and refined grains, its not surprising weight loss occurs when you cut out large amounts of soda, white flour and baked goods.

So, what does high-fat, low-carb look like on your plate? Think bacon and eggs for breakfast, salami and blue cheese salad for lunch, and fried chicken in creamy zoodles for dinner. What you wont typically find is fruit, cereal, bread, pasta, beans, or even potatoes. Many of these foods may be difficult to weed out of your normal diet making you more likely to have trouble sticking with them over long periods of time. Consequentially, the results that you may have gained while practicing the keto diet can be quickly lost.

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What Are The Other Risk Factors For Prostate Cancer

In addition to some of the factors weve discussed above, there are several other known risk factors for prostate cancer. These include:

• Age. Your risk of prostate cancer increases as you get older. According to the ACS, around
• more common in African American men. More research is needed to determine why.
• Geographic location. Its unknown exactly why, but prostate cancer is more common in regions of the world like North America, the Caribbean, Europe, and Australia.
• Genetic changes. Some inherited genetic changes, such as those in genes like BRCA1 and BRCA2, may boost your risk of prostate cancer. Additionally, men with an inherited condition called Lynch syndrome are also at a higher risk.

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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Avoid Supplements That Your Health Care Provider Has Not Recommended

“A recent survey reported that over 70% of cancer survivors take dietary supplements. But dietary supplements aren’t recommended for cancer prevention or in the cancer survivorship setting,” says Dr. Mussallem. “We want cancer survivors to eat a healthy diet and get all the antioxidants, phytochemicals, vitamins and minerals they need from nutritious food.”

It’s important that people living with and after cancer discuss over-the-counter supplements with their health care provider before adding them to their health regimen, as there could be associated risks, including drug interactions.

“There are a lot of false claims out there. Cancer patients are a good target for this $32-billion industry. There are multiple studies that show that some supplements can actually cause harm,” says Dr. Mussallem.

If you are new to your survivorship journey, making these changes to your diet can feel overwhelming, but Dr. Mussallem encourages you to discuss a nutrition plan with your health care provider and seek support from your network to ensure long-term change.

“As a cancer survivor, I get excited when I make my own healthy plant-based meals and when I work with patients,” says Dr. Mussallem. “It’s exciting to be able to feed and nurture the body. And patients feel better while on a whole-food, plant-predominant diet. To me, that’s the most important outcome: to enjoy life and feel good.”

Summary Of The Evidence For Prostate Cancer Nutrition And Dietary Supplements

To assist readers in evaluating the results of human studies of integrative, alternative, and complementary therapies for cancer, the strength of the evidence associated with each type of treatment is provided wheneverpossible. To qualify for a level of evidence analysis, a study must:

• Report on a therapeuticoutcome or outcomes, such as tumorresponse, improvement in survival, or measured improvement in quality of life.
• Describe clinical findings in sufficient detail that a meaningful evaluation can be made.

Separate levels of evidence scores are assigned to qualifying human studies on the basis of statistical strength of the study design and scientific strength of the treatment outcomes measured. The resulting two scores are then combined to produce an overall score. For an explanation of the scores and additional information about levels of evidence analysis and scores, see Levels of Evidence for Human Studies of Integrative, Alternative, and Complementary Therapies.

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What To Expect During Your Appointment

Typically, patients with prostate cancer would need to make a few appointments with specialists at different locations to learn about treatment options. At Wellstars STAT Clinic for Prostate Cancer, men and their partners meet with multiple specialists to discuss treatment options in the same place, on the same day. Heres what to expect:

Meet with a urologist: First, you will meet with a Wellstar urologist who is highly skilled at advanced laparoscopic and robotic surgical methods. In many cases, you may also learn about the active surveillance protocol when meeting with the urologist.

Meet with a radiation oncologist: Patients learn about state-of-the-art treatments, including brachytherapy and intensity modulated radiation therapy administered by a radiation oncologist. These treatments deliver high-dose radiation to the cancer while minimizing damage to healthy surrounding tissue.

Meet with a nurse navigator: Each patient concludes his visit by meeting with a prostate cancer nurse navigator, a specially trained nurse who can answer additional questions and offer ongoing support as the patient moves forward.

What is active surveillance?

Advanced treatment & technology

Wellstar invests in state-of-the-art technology to give men with prostate cancer access to leading treatments, including those delivered by CyberKnife, TrueBeam and da Vinci robotic technology as well as brachytherapy, SpaceOAR Hydrogel and innovative genetic therapies.

Da Vinci technology

Hydrogel

How Do I Keep My Prostate Healthy

Doing the following things in your daily life can help you keep your prostate healthy:

• Exercise. Getting regular exercise is great for your health and for preventing a variety of medical conditions. Because of this, aim to exercise most days of the week. If youre unsure where to start, ask your doctor about types of exercise that are appropriate for you.
• Eat a balanced diet. Try to eat a balanced diet thats rich in foods like whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, and lean protein sources. Reduce your intake of red meats and foods that are high in sugar, refined carbohydrates, or unhealthy fats.
• Manage weight. If you have overweight or obesity, its important to take steps to manage your weight. Your doctor can help recommend safe ways to lose weight.

Its also important to see your doctor for regular health checkups. During this time, you can discuss prostate cancer and get information on when you should start receiving prostate cancer screenings. As always, never hesitate to see your doctor if you have concerning symptoms.

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Things You Cant Change: Age Race And Genes

Prostate cancer is primarily a disease of aging. As you get older, your chances of developing prostate cancer increase. Race and genetics also play a significant role. If you are African American, your chances of developing prostate cancer are double those of white American men. If your father, brother or multiple blood relatives had prostate cancer, you are more likely to get it, too.

Preventing prostate cancer might be difficult if you have these risk factors, but screening early and often can help ensure that if you do get cancer, its diagnosed and treated as soon as possible.

S To Better Nutrition Habits For Cancer Survivors

Diet and nutrition are key aspects of good health for everyone. But for people living with cancer, it can mean healthier years ahead.

Making the change to a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle isn’t always easy, especially when breaking lifelong habits, but slow and consistent changes can help.

“Cancer is a teachable moment and an opportunity to work with cancer patients when it comes to nutrition,” says Dawn Mussallem, D.O., a Mayo Clinic general internal medicine physician and cancer survivorship specialist. “I find that living a healthy lifestyle focused on nutrition and physical activity during and after a cancer diagnosis can be empowering and give patients control over their disease. It can also improve cancer outcomes, reduce the risk of secondary cancers, and improve quality of life during and after cancer.” Dr. Mussallem is a 21-year stage IV cancer survivor.

If you have cancer or you are a cancer survivor, here are seven steps you can take to improve your diet and nutrition:

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Are There Any Foods I Should Eat Less Of

You may have heard that eating a lot of certain foods may be harmful for men with prostate cancer, including:

• dairy foods and calcium
• red or processed meat
• fatty foods.

With all of these foods, some studies have suggested they might be harmful for men with prostate cancer, but other studies havent found a link. This means we cant say for sure whether eating less of these foods can help.

Theres no need to cut these foods out of your diet completely. We need more research to fully understand their effect on prostate cancer, but you can still eat most of these foods in moderate amounts as part of a healthy, balanced diet. However, the World Cancer Research Fund recommends avoiding processed meat, as it can increase your risk of some other types of cancer.