5 Prostate-Protecting Foods If you’re concerned about your prostate health, there’s some good news: what you eat can make a difference. “There is a lot of evidence that healthy nutrition and an active lifestyle can lower the risk of prostate cancer and decrease its course,” says Mitchell Sokoloff, M.D., Chief of the Department of Urology and Professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.
There are a few dietary modifications you can make that can improve your general health as well as your prostate health.
What you eat can either harm your prostate health (for example, foods you should avoid) or protect it (in a variety of ways). Beyond Cancer:
The Science of Living Well suggests a diet rich in colorful vegetables, low in sugar and processed carbs, and moderate in animal-based protein (taking advantage of the health benefits of beans, nuts, soy, and certain fish).
5 Prostate-Protecting Foods
The following are the top five foods to eat for a healthy prostate:
Cruciferous Veggies
Cabbage, bok choy, kale, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts are examples of this type of vegetable. Antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals are abundant in cruciferous vegetables.
Broccoli, a prostate superfood, includes glucoraphanin, a phytochemical (phyto means “plant”) that experts believe can be converted into chemicals that target and hinder cancer cell proliferation.
According to research, consuming cruciferous vegetables helps reduce inflammation, which is linked to an increased risk of prostate cancer.
Berries
Scientists refer to the cumulative damage that accumulates over time as “oxidative stress.” It is caused by “free radicals,” which are hazardous metabolic byproducts.
When left unchecked, free radicals cause havoc on the body by stealing electrons and causing oxidative damage to cells and DNA. Damaged DNA cannot reproduce properly, which can result in malignant alterations in cells.
Antioxidants aid in the neutralization and removal of free radicals from the body. Berries, particularly strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries, are an excellent source. These fruits contain anthocyanins, which are potent antioxidants.
Fish
Certain fish (particularly cold-water fish such as salmon, sardines, and trout) contain “good fats” that do not cause inflammation in the same way that saturated animal fats do (e.g., beef fat).
Scientists have begun to recognize prostate inflammation as a serious disease that can facilitate cancer’s spread in recent years. Surprisingly, not all fish are equal.
One study led by Harvard academics Fred Tabung, Ph.D., M.S.P.H., and Edward Giovannucci, M.D., Sc.D. looked at food and inflammation and discovered that canned tuna, shrimp, lobster, scallops, and “other” fish were more inflammatory than “dark-meat” fish like salmon or red snapper.
Tomatoes Cooked
Tomatoes have long been on the radar of prostate cancer researchers, and here’s why. Lycopene is another potent antioxidant found in tomato cell walls.
The heating process loosens the connection, allowing our bodies to more easily absorb the antioxidant and deliver it to the prostate.
“When a guy eats a high-lycopene diet, for whatever reason, lycopene levels in the prostate rise,” says Dr. Mucci. Tomato sauce, paste, and juice can all assist our bodies in making the most of this nutritional powerhouse. Even better, sauté your tomatoes in olive oil, which aids in lycopene absorption.
Coffee and tea
You’ve probably heard of green tea as a source of antioxidants like catechins (the most important of which are two termed EGCG, for epigallocatechin-3-gallate, and epicatechin), which are thought to be anti-carcinogenic and anti-mutagenic (preventing healthy cells from mutating).
According to a comprehensive evaluation of various research published in Medicine (Baltimore), males who consumed seven cups of green tea per day had a lower incidence of prostate cancer.
You might be shocked to see coffee on this list. “There are now a number of studies that suggest drinking coffee regularly, one to two cups a day, can help avoid prostate cancer,” says Dr Mucci.
“A number of studies currently suggest that drinking one to two cups of coffee each day will help avoid prostate cancer.”
Coffee and tea are excellent ways to transition into the topic of what NOT to consume. At the top of the list? Sugar.
If you’re going to consume coffee or tea, keep the sugar to a minimum, which means avoiding double-cream pre-sweetened lattes from your favourite coffee shop.
