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Diet and Lifestyle You cannot alter most of the risks of prostate cancer but you can change your diet to take some control over your own health and actively do something to improve it. Research is emerging which suggests that some foods not only help to prevent prostate cancer, but may also slow down the growth of prostate cancer in men who already have the disease or reduce the chance of prostate cancer returning after treatment. Improving your diet will also have other health benefits such as reducing your risk of heart disease and diabetes. Westerners have higher rates of prostate cancer than people living in Far Eastern countries such as China and Japan. However, prostate cancer rates have increased in men who have migrated from Japan to the USA. Researchers think that this may be due to the Western diet. This view is supported by the fact that cancer rates have been increasing in Eastern countries since more people have begun to eat more Western foods. Over the last 50 years, the British diet has included less fruit and vegetables and more saturated fats and meat products. This change may increase the risk of men developing prostate cancer over many years. The exact link between diet and prostate cancer is unclear. One of the reasons for this is because our diet is made up of so many different foods. Scientists have not yet identified all of the nutrients that are involved in protecting the body from cancer and those that may cause the disease. However, if you are already a prostate cancer patient then you may feel that you do not have the time to wait for scientists to reach a definitive conclusion. Try to cut down on unhealthy foods but do not totally exclude whole groups of food from your diet. All food groups play a part in making sure you have a balanced diet. Cutting out one food group completely can make it difficult to get the right balance of nutrients that you need. In general, a diet that is good for your heart is also good for your prostate. What can I do to reduce my risk of prostate cancer? The table suggests some foods that you may wish to eat more of or add to your diet. A healthy diet, together with regular exercise, will benefit your overall health and reduce your risk of several health problems including cancer, heart disease and diabetes. This page is based on http://www.prostate-cancer.org.uk/pdf/toolkit/diet.pdf | What should I eat more of? | What does it do? | How do I include it in my diet? | | Fruit and vegetables | Reduces your risk of cancer and other medical problems | Eat at least five portions each day Try to include a ‘rainbow of colours’ in your diet | | Cruciferous vegetables | May reduce your risk of getting prostate cancer | Eat more cabbage-like vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, pak choi and kale | | Green tea | May protect against development and growth of prostate cancer | Try drinking green tea in place of any hot drinks you have throughout the day | | Oily fish | Fats in oily fish may help prevent prostate cancer developing and growing | Eat fresh, canned or frozen oily fish two or three times each week Examples of oily fish include sardines, pilchards, mackerel, salmon, tuna (fresh or frozen tuna only) and shrimp | | Soy | May reduce the risk of prostate cancer | Choose traditional forms of soy such as tofu, miso and tempeh, available from supermarkets and health food shops | | Pulses | May help to prevent prostate cancer | Include more beans, peas and lentils in your diet | | Whole grains | May reduce your risk of several cancers, including prostate cancer | Whole grain foods include brown bread, whole grain cereals, whole grain pasta | | Fresh Herbs and Spices | May increase protection against prostate cancer | Use to flavour food rather than adding salt. Many spices contain anti-oxidant properties, especially turmeric. Eating garlic has many health benefits |
Green Tea Researchers at the Medical College of Ohio and the University of Toledo have published results that green tea (but not black tea) could play an important role in fighting cancer. Green tea contains chemicals called EGCG of the group cathechins. This binds to an enzyme called urokinase that cancer cells depend on to split and grow. It prevents the enzyme from functioning. Black tea does not confer the same advantage because the brewing process oxydises the cathechins. Soya New studies claim that isoflavones found in soya can reduce the risk of breast and prostate cancers. Red wine and grapes Not all diets are bad news! There have been several publications of research suggesting that moderate drinking of red wine can be good for you owing to the presence of an antioxidant chemical called resveratrol in grape skins. Antioxidants help to remove cancer-causing free radical chemicals from the body. One study by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, published in the International Journal of Cancer, showed that for 700 men in Seattle aged 40-64, drinking four or more glasses of red wine a week reduced their risk of contracting prostate cancer by half, and of having the more aggressive kinds by 60%. White wine does not have the same properties because it is not fermented on the grape skins. Eating a pound of grapes of either colour every week also confers the same benefits, the researchers claim. Dairy products Professor Jane Plant has published a book Understanding, Preventing and Overcoming Prostate Cancer, Virgin Books. She claims, controversially, that hormones and chemicals in cow's milk designed to promote the rapid early growth of calves include insulin growth factor IGF-1 which causes cells to divide and reproduce - the same process that causes tumours. She recommends a diet of non-dairy, exclusively organic products (to avoid toxic pesticides and pollutants) for sufferers. Prostate Cancer is almost unknown in rural China where dairy products are not eaten, but Chinese people adopting Western diets become susceptible. Her research began 17 years ago when she wondered why one in 10 women in the UK get breast cancer (like prostate cancer a hormone-related disease) compared to one in 10,000 in China. She claims she cured her own advanced breast cancer with this diet. Penny Brohn Cancer Care have published a 7-day recipe plan. NATIONAL CANCER SURVIVORSHIP INITIATIVE - LIFESTYLE EVIDENCE REVIEW The National Cancer Survivorship Initiative http://www.ncsi.org.uk/, part of the Department of Health, has produced a report looking at the evidence of the effect of lifestyle on cancer survival and side effects of treatment. The review concentrated on specific lifestyle factors including, diet, physical activity, body weight, smoking and alcohol use, and their impact on four types of cancer - breast, prostate, colorectal and lung. The evidence was reviewed on the role of these lifestyle factors on cancer survival (disease progression and recurrence) and on selected risks and side effects of cancer treatments (cancer related fatigue, lymphoedema, osteoporosis and quality of life). It concludes there is evidence that a healthy lifestyle during and after cancer treatments is associated with improved physical and psychological well being, reduced risks of treatment, enhanced self esteem, reduced risk of recurrence, and improved survival but there is still more research needed in this area. Recommendations are made for diet, physical activity, body weight, smoking and alcohol use, and stress the importance of supporting cancer patients and survivors to make lifestyle changes. The full report can be found here and is well worth dipping into. See also Diet Exercise and Prostate Cancer
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