Nutrition Points to Remember

/Home/Prostate Cancer and Nutrition/Why Does Nutrition Matter for Prostate Cancer/Nutrition Points to Remember- Prostate Cancer

Points to Remember

Why Nutrition Matters
• When it comes to the risk of developing prostate cancer, there are three factors that are unchangeable: age, family history, and race. But there is also no question that our environment—and particularly our diet—influences the way our body functions.

• Regardless of the nutritional approach you ultimately choose, weight management and exercise should be a core part of your overall strategy.

Fruits and Vegetables
• Lycopene, a naturally occurring chemical found mostly in tomatoes, and to a lesser degree in watermelons, pink grapefruits, papaya, and guava, acts as a powerful antioxidant, and helps protect the body against cancer.

• Because processing and cooking foods change the way that lycopene is absorbed and used in the body, lycopene supplements may not provide the same benefits as cooked tomato products. If possible, you should get your lycopene from regular consumption of cooked tomatoes or tomato products.

• A very large and long-term study has shown that consuming at least two servings of tomato sauce per week confers a significantly lower risk of developing organ-confined prostate cancer, locally advanced disease, and metastatic disease.

• Sulforaphane, a compound found in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower, helps the body to repair the damage caused by cancer-causing substances, thereby helping to slow down the cancer growth process.

• In a large, long-term study, men who consumed five or more servings of cruciferous vegetables each week showed a lower risk of developing prostate cancer.

• Polyphenols found in green tea as well as isoflavones found in soy-based foods have both shown anti-cancer effects in laboratory studies, but it has been difficult to confirm these effects in human clinical studies.

Vitamins and Minerals
• Data from a large, long-term study showed that beta-carotene supplementation in men with low levels of the vitamin in their bloodstreams can decrease the risk of developing prostate cancer; vitamin E supplementation can decrease the risk of developing and dying of prostate cancer, but seems to be most effective in men who are smokers.

• In one large, long-term study, consumption of selenium was associated with a lower risk of developing prostate cancer, but the benefits might differ depending on each person's PSA levels.

• Although high levels of certain vitamins and minerals can increase the risk of developing prostate cancer, they can also be beneficial in preventing or delaying development of other diseases or disorders. Discussion with your doctor or qualified nutrition consultant about your particular risk factors for one disease or disorder over another will help you find the nutritional approach that’s right for you.

Dietary Fats and Red Meat
• Although the role of saturated fats in prostate cancer remains unknown, a number of studies have shown that different types of omega-3 fatty acids can affect the risk of developing prostate cancer: ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), an omega-3 fatty acid found in dairy products and red meat, increases the risk of developing advanced prostate cancer, while DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), two omega-3 fatty acids found mostly in fatty fish, lowers the risk of developing prostate cancer.

• Exposure to high levels of a cancer-causing substance known as PhIP, which is found in grilled meats, has been associated with the development of prostate cancer in laboratory animals. In humans, lowering the grill temperature and minimizing char on the meat resulted in lower absorption of PhIP, as did an increase in cruciferous vegetable intake.

• Further research in this area is needed to help define the optimal strategy for reducing exposure to cancer-causing substances such as PhIP. In the meantime, flipping the meat more frequently while grilling to avoid char can help play a role in minimizing their effect on cancer risk.

Charting a Course for the Road Ahead
• Any attempt to combat the trend of the increase in obesity in the United States is important, but extreme or fad diets don't teach people how to make smart choices over the long term -- those enrolled in programs that could be more easily adaptable to everyday life tend to stick to their diets for a longer time.

• Planning ahead before shopping for food will help you identify the healthiest options, and make it easier to incorporate smarter choices into your life.

• It's rare that there are no smart choices available at a restaurant, but finding them might require some creativity and persistence—two qualities that are essential to your goal of slowing the development and progression of prostate cancer.