Foods that fight prostate cancer

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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Pomegranate juice

It makes your mouth pucker—and it may help shield you from cancer. Pomegranate juice is chock-full of colorful plant chemicals called polyphenols, the same chemicals that make grape skins red and lend brilliant colors to autumn leaves. Polyphenols are powerful antioxidants, and that's probably why pomegranate juice is shaping up to be an important cancer fighter.

According to some very early but promising studies, the polyphenols in the juice appear to slow cancer cell growth and encourage cancer cells to kill themselves off. They also lower PSA levels. In a two-year study conducted at UCLA, 48 prostate cancer patients drank 8 ounces (250 millilitres) of pomegranate juice each day. Researchers found that PSA levels dropped in more than 30 percent of the men—in some cases by up to 85 percent. More significantly, cancer progression was delayed in more than 82 percent of the men.

Aim for: An 8-ounce (250-millilitre) glass daily.

Helpful hint: Since weight control and reducing sugar consumption are part of prostate cancer prevention, it's best to drink pomegranate juice instead of high-calorie beverages like sodas, not in addition to them.