Foods that fight prostate cancer
Studies show that diet can influence your risk of prostate cancer, and even slow its progression if you already have it. Find out which foods you should add to your diet
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Off the menu
Fatty meats and dairy foods
The scientific jury is still debating whether meat itself is linked with prostate cancer; some research suggests it is, while other studies find no connection. But the way meat is prepared may provide some additional clues. When it's fried, grilled, or otherwise cooked until very well done, carcinogens form, and that could explain meat's tentative link to prostate cancer risk. Indeed, one study found that men who ate more than 75 grams (2 1/2 ounces) per week of very well done meat faced a 40 percent greater risk of prostate cancer.
While the meat connection is still likely to be debated for some time, eating a lot of saturated fat (which mainly comes from meats and whole-milk dairy products) is linked with increased prostate cancer risk. It may be that eating a lot of dairy also means consuming a lot of calcium, and some scientists believe that excess calcium (more than 1,500 milligrams a day, or about five servings of dairy) is believed to increase prostate cancer risk.
Beyond the calcium link, saturated fat is also known to promote inflammation within the body, which damages cell DNA (remember, damaged DNA can lead to cancer) and stimulates the formation of blood vessels that allow tumors to grow and spread. Inflammation has already been linked with cancers of the stomach, esophagus and colon, so it's not hard to believe that it contributes to prostate cancer, too. In fact, in one study of more than 1,000 men, higher saturated fat consumption was linked with more than double the risk of aggressive prostate tumors.
Saturated fat also raises cholesterol levels, another cause for concern. High cholesterol provides the raw materials for creating the hormones (like testosterone) that promote prostate cancer growth. Substantially cutting back on saturated fats may lower your risk. A small study recently showed that eating a vegan diet (no meat, dairy foods, or other animal products) that limited fat to just 10 percent of calories helped delay cancer progression among 93 men with early-stage prostate cancer. During the year-long study, PSA levels dropped by an average of 4 percent among the vegans, indicating a slowdown in the cancer's development. But among the control group, PSA levels rose by an average of 6 percent.
Sugar and refined carbohydrates
If you're a big fan of doughnuts, sweet desserts and "white" foods like white bread and bagels, listen up. These easily digested carbohydrates boost insulin levels, which also raises levels of insulin-like growth factor-1, which in turn promotes tumor growth. An elevated insulin level is also one of the central problems in metabolic syndrome, a collection of symptoms that includes a large waist measurement, high blood pressure and triglycerides and low HDL cholesterol. According to a 13-year Finnish study of 1,880 men, those who had metabolic syndrome at the start of the study were nearly twice as likely to develop prostate cancer as men without metabolic syndrome. Among overweight men, the risk was three times higher. Men with metabolic syndrome are also more likely to die from prostate cancer if they get it.
Swapping "white" foods and sugary foods for whole grains in your diet may prevent and even reverse insulin resistance. The fiber in foods like whole-grain cereals and breads slows the digestion of carbohydrates and thereby reduces blood sugar spikes, keeping insulin levels low. Still, you don't want to go overboard on carbohydrates—even the healthy ones—because controlling carbohydrate portions is an important part of controlling both your weight and blood sugar.
Related:
• The 5 best foods for men
• Prostate cancer: How diet and lifestyle can reduce his risk
• Healthy soy recipes men will love
The scientific jury is still debating whether meat itself is linked with prostate cancer; some research suggests it is, while other studies find no connection. But the way meat is prepared may provide some additional clues. When it's fried, grilled, or otherwise cooked until very well done, carcinogens form, and that could explain meat's tentative link to prostate cancer risk. Indeed, one study found that men who ate more than 75 grams (2 1/2 ounces) per week of very well done meat faced a 40 percent greater risk of prostate cancer.
While the meat connection is still likely to be debated for some time, eating a lot of saturated fat (which mainly comes from meats and whole-milk dairy products) is linked with increased prostate cancer risk. It may be that eating a lot of dairy also means consuming a lot of calcium, and some scientists believe that excess calcium (more than 1,500 milligrams a day, or about five servings of dairy) is believed to increase prostate cancer risk.
Beyond the calcium link, saturated fat is also known to promote inflammation within the body, which damages cell DNA (remember, damaged DNA can lead to cancer) and stimulates the formation of blood vessels that allow tumors to grow and spread. Inflammation has already been linked with cancers of the stomach, esophagus and colon, so it's not hard to believe that it contributes to prostate cancer, too. In fact, in one study of more than 1,000 men, higher saturated fat consumption was linked with more than double the risk of aggressive prostate tumors.
Saturated fat also raises cholesterol levels, another cause for concern. High cholesterol provides the raw materials for creating the hormones (like testosterone) that promote prostate cancer growth. Substantially cutting back on saturated fats may lower your risk. A small study recently showed that eating a vegan diet (no meat, dairy foods, or other animal products) that limited fat to just 10 percent of calories helped delay cancer progression among 93 men with early-stage prostate cancer. During the year-long study, PSA levels dropped by an average of 4 percent among the vegans, indicating a slowdown in the cancer's development. But among the control group, PSA levels rose by an average of 6 percent.
Sugar and refined carbohydrates
If you're a big fan of doughnuts, sweet desserts and "white" foods like white bread and bagels, listen up. These easily digested carbohydrates boost insulin levels, which also raises levels of insulin-like growth factor-1, which in turn promotes tumor growth. An elevated insulin level is also one of the central problems in metabolic syndrome, a collection of symptoms that includes a large waist measurement, high blood pressure and triglycerides and low HDL cholesterol. According to a 13-year Finnish study of 1,880 men, those who had metabolic syndrome at the start of the study were nearly twice as likely to develop prostate cancer as men without metabolic syndrome. Among overweight men, the risk was three times higher. Men with metabolic syndrome are also more likely to die from prostate cancer if they get it.
Swapping "white" foods and sugary foods for whole grains in your diet may prevent and even reverse insulin resistance. The fiber in foods like whole-grain cereals and breads slows the digestion of carbohydrates and thereby reduces blood sugar spikes, keeping insulin levels low. Still, you don't want to go overboard on carbohydrates—even the healthy ones—because controlling carbohydrate portions is an important part of controlling both your weight and blood sugar.
Related:
• The 5 best foods for men
• Prostate cancer: How diet and lifestyle can reduce his risk
• Healthy soy recipes men will love
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