Diet Helps Prevent Prostate Cancer
Every year, more than 200,000 American men are diagnosed with prostate cancer, so prostate health is a subject on everyone’s mind. A diet which is full of healthy foods is one way to lessen the risk of prostate cancer. If the body consumes what it needs to stay healthy, this consumption goes a long way toward preventing illnesses such as prostate cancer. There are specific foods that doctors believe can help keep a man’s body healthy and decrease the risk of prostate cancer. These foods are: fish, vegetables, fruit and green tea.
Fresh, cold-water fish is very good for the body because it contains alpha omega-3 fatty acids. The fish species which contain the most alpha omega-3 fatty acids are salmon, mackerel, herring, and trout. It is best if the fish is prepared by grilling or baking rather than frying, because fried foods have too many trans-fats to be healthy. Eating gilled or baked fish several times a week is recommended.
The importance of vegetables in the prevention of prostate cancer was written about in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. A study of more than a thousand men (under the age of 65) over a five year period found that men who consumed 28 servings per week of vegetables were 34% less likely to develop prostate cancer than men who only ate 14 servings per week. Men who ate three or more servings per week of vegetables known as crucifers (like broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, cauliflower) had a 41% reduction in risk compared to those who ate less than one serving a week. Eating carrots three times a week reduced the risk by 34%. Other good vegetables to eat include spinach, asparagus, and fresh herbs.
Fruits are also important to maintain a healthy body and reduce the risk of cancer. Grapes, especially red grapes and red grape juice, are highly recommended for people concerned about prostate cancer. Vitamin C consumption is necessary, and these are some of the fruits which contain it: orange, cantaloupe, and mango. Blueberries, in particular, are rich in vitamin C and fiber, and are known to have terrific antioxidants in them. Vitamin B can be found in a variety of fruits including watermelon, bananas, oranges, cantaloupes, strawberries and kiwi. One of the key B vitamins is vitamin B-12, which cannot be found in fruit, but taking a daily vitamin supplement with B-12 and folic acid is considered to be very helpful.
Nuts are botanically classified as fruits because they grow on trees. It takes months of sunshine to grow a nut, which turns into a storehouse of minerals, high-grade protein, emulsified oils and vitamins. Nuts are rich in minerals, iron, potassium, magnesium and phosphorous as well as vitamins, and are recommended for people who want to lower their risk of prostate cancer.
There have been many studies about the beneficial effects of antioxidants. Antioxidants are believed to protect cells from the damage caused by unstable molecules known as free radicals. The damage caused by free radicals might lead to cancer. Antioxidants interact with and stabilize free radicals and may prevent some of the damage free radicals might cause. Although no studies have shown conclusively that antioxidants can prevent prostate cancer, many nutritionists recommend it. Antioxidants can be found in olive oil, avocado oil, and selenium. Selenium is one of the most powerful antioxidant enzymes, and can be taken as a dietary supplement, or can be found in nuts, fish, grains, wheat germ, bran, oats, and whole-wheat bread.
Green tea has been shown to arrest the development of prostate cancer in lab animals, but further studies are needed to determine its efficacy again the cancer in humans. Still, many scientists believe that is can stop or slow down the growth of prostate cancers, and recommend it highly.
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