11 Easy and Simple Ways to Reduce Risk for Prostate Cancer

What Is The Prostate

Let me ask you a question. Have you heard about the organ called the prostate? And do you know it is only found in men? That’s right! The prostate is a very small organ about the size of a golf ball or the size of a walnut.

Where can it be found? It is located below the urinary bladder, and in front of the rectum.

What does it do in the body? Its main job is to produce the fluid called semen that nourishes sperms and transports sperms when a man has sex with a woman.

How Prevalent  Is Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer, which just refers to the type of cancer that affects the prostate, is one of the most common types of cancers among American men, that’ s according to the CDC.

In fact, in 2016, there were about 3,110,403 American men living with this disease, and about 11.6% of American men will be diagnosed with this type of cancer in a year.

Prostate cancer is preventable. Adopting a combination of a good diet and healthy physical activity choices can help you avoid it.

So what can you do to reduce your risk of developing this type of cancer? In this article, I share some tips on how you can prevent prostate cancer.

Eat Red Fruits

A study has shown that eating red fruits, such as tomatoes, can reduce men’s risk of getting prostate cancer. This food contains a powerful antioxidant known as lycopene that can inhibit, or slow down, the growth and development of prostate cancer cells.

How much of it should you eat? Another study done in 2020 showed that eating cooked and canned tomatoes at least 4 times a week could reduce a man’s risk of getting  prostate cancer  by 28 percent compared with never eating it.

Consume Raw Garlic With Fresh Lemon Juice

Research carried out in China, and published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, has revealed that eating at least 10 grams of garlic a day can reduce a man’s risk of developing this type of cancer. Garlic is very rich in antioxidants, that are known to repair damage in the body and boost the immune system. Furthermore, garlic is packed with chemicals called flavonols that have anti-tumor properties.

Worried about going to the office or socializing with garlic breath? Just suck a piece of fresh tomato or drink half a glass of fresh tomato juice after consumption and it will clear the scent.

Drink Green Tea

Research shows drinking 5 cups of the nice-smelling tea reduces this risk. Green tea is rich in plant chemicals called polyphenols. Two of these chemicals, Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and Epigallocatechin (EGC) mop-up free radicals in the body and, thereby, protect the DNA of cells from being damaged.

How should you consume the tea to get the best results?

Drink hot brewed green tea.

Why?

It contains high polyphenol concentrations compared to ready-to-drink teas or instant preparations.

Slurp At Most 7 Cups Of Black Tea A Day

You love your tea, don’t you? But do you know that tea has anti-cancer properties? That’s right! Black tea contains chemicals called theaflavins and thearubigins that help reduce cell damage and so prevent cancer.  

You may be wondering, “But how much of the stuff should I drink to get this effect?”

A meta-analysis of data carried out by researchers at the Institute of Health and Wellbeing of the University of Glasgow, and published in the journal Nutrition and Cancer, suggests that men who drink 7 cups of tea have a 50% higher risk of developing this cancer than men who drink at most 3 cups a day.   

Drink Between Three And Five Cups Of Coffee Daily

A 2014 meta-analysis of clinical studies suggests that drinking up to five cups of coffee every day can lower a man’s prostate cancer risk, as well as lower chances that he may get lethal prostate cancer. Coffee contains the chemicals cafestol and kahweol that have the ability to fight growing cancer cells. This study was reinforced by a review of many studies in 2021 which also showed coffee consumption reduced a man’s risk of getting prostate cancer.

With regard to how to drink the coffee, a study done in Norway in 2015 suggests that drinking boiled coffee is the most effective way to get the best results because  boiled coffee allows the cancer-fighting chemicals to stay in the brew.

Add Mushrooms To Your Diet

What is your main source of protein? Chicken? Beef? Turkey?

What about mushrooms? You hate them?

Well, you may have to reconsider your protein preferences and include a lot more mushrooms in your diet.

Why?

A study carried out in Japan suggests eating about 7 grams of mushrooms daily can help you to avoid developing prostate cancer.

In fact, munching on these delicious plant sources of protein once or twice a week can lower your risk by 8%.

But listen to this. Eating mushrooms three or more times a week can lower your risk for prostate cancer by a whopping 17%!

Mushrooms are rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. The vitamin L-ergothioneine is believed to reduce the risk of oxidative stress, a major risk factor for the development of cancer.  

  

Eat Beans and Berries, and Soy and Peanuts

A study published in the journal Cancer Causes and Control (Vol. 17, pp.169-180) in 2006 suggested   these foods contain estrogen-like chemicals called phytoestrogens which may reduce the risk for this disease.

The diet of 1499 volunteers who had been recently diagnosed with prostate cancer was compared with the diets of 1130 healthy people, the control group, using dietary questionnaires.

A smaller group containing 209 patients and 214 controls did tests to measure the amount of the phytoestrogen enterolactone in their blood.

"High intake of food items rich in phytoestrogens was associated with a decreased risk of prostate cancer. The odds ratio (OR) [the risk compared to a standard of 1.00] comparing the highest to the lowest quartile of intake was 0.74," wrote lead author Maria Hedelin from Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet in Sweden.

The case-control blood test group also showed that those with increased blood levels of enterolactone had a 70 per cent lower risk of prostate cancer.

"Our results support the hypothesis that certain foods high in phytoestrogens are associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer," said Hedelin.

And in 2014 a review of controlled studies revealed that isoflavones, also a phytoestrogen found in soy and soy products as well as peanuts,  reduce the risk of this disease.  

Limit The Amount Of Zinc Supplements You Consume

Zinc is a micronutrient that is known to inhibit the spread of cancer cells in the body. Consuming more than 100g of zinc supplements daily can increase your risk for prostate cancer.

Rather, meet the recommended daily allowance by eating naturally occurring zinc found in beef, seafood, and breakfast cereals. 

Manage Your Stress

Once in a while you go to the office and stress greets you in human form, in the shape of your demanding boss, right? And you manage to deal with it.

And occasionally, worries about paying bills, dealing with irritating neighbors, and the safety of your children give you sleepless nights, right?

However, experiencing these kinds of stress day out and day in can weaken your immune system, a known risk factor for cancer.

Anoikis, a process by which diseased cells in the body are destroyed, is inhibited and so cancerous cells find it easier to spread.

Plus, when you are stressed out, you are more likely to smoke in an attempt to deal with the stress and that can increase your risk of developing this type of cancer. 

Burn Abdominal And Thigh Fat

You do a general workout every day, right? However, if you want to maintain a healthy prostate, research shows that burning fat deep in your abdomen and surrounding organs, and fat in your thigh just under the skin, is the best strategy to adopt.

Be Active

A study carried out  by the University of Bristol and published in the International Journal of Epidemiology has revealed that active people have a 51% lower risk of developing prostate cancer than inactive people.

Actionable Tips

• Take a brisk walk hand-in-hand with your partner on weekend evenings.
• Do “time-alone-dance-parties” when you feel bored—play your favorite music and move your body to the beat instead of watching a movie!
• Play soccer for 20 minutes every weekend with your girlfriend or wife.

 

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