According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer is the second most common form of cancer in men, with skin cancer being the first. The health organization adds that prostate cancer affects nearly 3 million men in the US.
The dreaded disease is more common in men 65 years old and above, but in rare cases it can affect those that are below 40 years old. During his lifetime, about 1 in 7 men will suffer from prostate cancer — that’s how common it is!
It’s a fact that prostate cancer is a disease that should not be taken lightly. However, even though it is a very serious form of cancer, not every male with prostate cancer will die because of it. In other words, prostate cancer is highly treatable especially if it’s detected during its early stages.
There are a few factors that may increase a man’s risk of having prostate cancer. Some of them include one’s age, race or ethnicity, family history of prostate cancer, and exposure to certain toxins or carcinogens, more specifically.
Experts say that the diet is regarded as a risk factor — numerous studies suggest that there is a direct link between eating behaviors and prostate cancer development.
So if you’re a male, consider including the following foods in your regular diet in order to have your risk of having prostate cancer significantly lowered:
Tomatoes
Lycopene in tomatoes are antioxidants known to be very good at fighting off cancer cells. To facilitate your body’s ability to benefit from lycopene so that prostate cancer may be kept at bay, experts suggest opting for cooked tomatoes or processed ones — tomato sauce, tomato paste, ketchup, etc.
Broccoli
Several studies have shown that cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli pack certain compounds that are capable of warding off cancer. In fact, experts say that there is a particular phytochemical in broccoli that can selectively zap cancer cells while leaving normal or healthy cells of the prostate gland unharmed.
Beans
The consumption of beans on a regular basis can help stave off prostate cancer, say studies. That’s because they are packed with isoflavones that have anti-cancer properties. What’s more, you can get good amounts of protein from beans so that you never have to rely all the time on red meat, which is actually linked to cancer development.
Nuts
Just like beans, nuts have isoflavones that are known to fight off cancer, including that which affects the prostate gland. Another reason why nuts are superb at preventing prostate cancer is they have healthy fats that control inflammation. It’s common knowledge that chronic inflammation can give rise to deadly cancer.
Oily Fish
Speaking of healthy fats, you can obtain plenty of them by including oily fish in your diet on a regular basis. What’s so nice about healthy fats in oily fish is they are composed of the right balance of omega-3s and omega-6s, which is perfect for preventing prostate cancer and other forms of cancer effectively.
Berries
It’s also a wonderful idea to include berries in your diet if you want to stave off prostate cancer development. It’s due to the fact that the likes of blackberries, blueberries, raspberries and strawberries are rich in antioxidants. So feel free to snack on them or use them as toppings for your yogurt, oatmeal or whole-grain breakfast cereals.
Pomegranates
As with so many other fruits, there are tons of cancer-fighting antioxidants in pomegranate. But according to experts, there’s a particular antioxidant found in pomegranates that is capable of exclusively targeting cancer cells in the prostate without doing any harm to other cells in the said glad.
Green Tea
It is said that drinking up to 5 cups of green tea per day can help considerably lower your chance of ending up with prostate cancer. Experts believe that green tea, which is a staple in the Asian diet, is the reason why the rates of prostate cancer in Asian men are much lower than men elsewhere on the planet.
