Proper Prostate Nutrition

Prostate Cancer Nutrition

- If you have been diagnosed with prostate cancer, you may want to consider revamping your diet in an effort to increase your chance of living longer and staying healthy through treatments. Below are some of the best “cancer fighters”; in fact, some may be in your fridge, freezer, or pantry right now.

Blueberries & Strawberries – Full of free radical-fighting antioxidants, these delicious summer fruits are also helpful in the war against cancer. Don’t fret if they are out of season; most grocery stores stock these power boosters in the freezer section (and they are just as healthy as their fresh versions.) Throw some on cereal, create a smoothie, or just eat them raw.

Anything with Fiber – It has long been accepted that people who eat serious amounts of fiber are, generally, healthier. And that goes for individuals who have been diagnosed with cancer, too. Choose sources of fiber that have little fat and sugar, such as whole grain cereals sans sweetener and any of the wide variety of beans (kidney, great northern, white, lima) available.

Soy – The lower incidence of cancers in soy-eating countries (especially those in Asian) has raised many persons’ eyebrows and encouraged those who have been diagnosed with cancer to try soy foods. It’s easy to replace your cereal milk with soy milk or to put a little soy milk in your coffee. (But not your decaf coffee; many people feel that the process used to decaffeinate the dark brew is actually harmful.) You can also try your hand at making tofu; just go easy on the oils. Tofu is like a sponge and will readily soak up cooking fats.

Fish – If you want a cancer-fighter, try some healthy omega-3 laden fish. Look for bluefish, swordfish, tuna, and salmon for the most bang. Is it expensive? Perhaps (except for canned tuna). However, it’s long been known that it’s one of the best ways to rid your bodies of the toxins that many people feel allow cancers to grow.

Green Tea – Again, in the Asian countries where cancer is rarer, people tend to drink copious amounts of green tea. Try yours with a little honey, but lay off the processed sugar for the most benefit.

Article courtesy of prostatehealthnews.org

Coffee May Help Reduce Advanced Prostate Cancer

ScienceDaily (Dec. 8, 2009) — While it is too early for physicians to start advising their male patients to take up the habit of regular coffee drinking, data presented at the American Association for Cancer Research Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research Conference revealed a strong inverse association between coffee consumption and the risk of lethal and advanced prostate cancers.

"Coffee has effects on insulin and glucose metabolism as well as sex hormone levels, all of which play a role in prostate cancer. It was plausible that there may be an association between coffee and prostate cancer," said Kathryn M. Wilson, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow at the Channing Laboratory, Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health.

In a prospective investigation, Wilson and colleagues found that men who drank the most coffee had a 60 percent lower risk of aggressive prostate cancer than men who did not drink any coffee. This is the first study of its kind to look at both overall risk of prostate cancer and risk of localized, advanced and lethal disease.

"Few studies have looked prospectively at this association, and none have looked at coffee and specific prostate cancer outcomes," said Wilson. "We specifically looked at different types of prostate cancer, such as advanced vs. localized cancers or high-grade vs. low-grade cancers."

Caffeine is actually not the key factor in this association, according to Wilson. The researchers are unsure which components of the beverage are most important, as coffee contains many biologically active compounds like antioxidants and minerals.

Using the Health Professionals' Follow-Up Study, the researchers documented the regular and decaffeinated coffee intake of nearly 50,000 men every four years from 1986 to 2006; 4,975 of these men developed prostate cancer over that time. They also examined the cross-sectional association between coffee consumption and levels of circulating hormones in blood samples collected from a subset of men in the cohort.

"Very few lifestyle factors have been consistently associated with prostate cancer risk, especially with risk of aggressive disease, so it would be very exciting if this association is confirmed in other studies," said Wilson. "Our results do suggest there is no reason to stop drinking coffee out of any concern about prostate cancer."

This association might also help understand the biology of prostate cancer and possible chemoprevention measures.