According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer is the second most common cancer found in American men. One out of every nine men will receive a diagnosis of prostate cancer during his lifetime.
A man who is otherwise in good health has an excellent chance of recovery if prostate cancer is diagnosed as localized (contained within the prostate) or regional (spread only to nearby structures or lymph nodes).
But once it spreads to parts of the body that are distant from the prostate gland, such as the liver or lungs, prostate cancer survival rates plummet to about 30 percent. A Danish study found that when prostate cancer spreads to the bones, we’re looking at a five-year survival rate of 3 percent.
That’s why avoiding prostate cancer in the first place is your best chance. And the best place to start is with what you eat…
Foods that are bad for the prostate
As with so many diseases, what you eat may have a very real effect on your likelihood of being diagnosed with prostate cancer.
The typical American diet of red meat, sugar, trans fats, white flour and processed foods not only increases the likelihood of prostate cancer, but research shows that it more than doubles the chances that prostate cancer will be fatal.
Also, a high intake of dairy foods has been connected with prostate cancer diagnosis, and research has connected whole milk products (as opposed to skim or low fat) with dying of the disease.
Possible explanations include the thought that dairy products may increase cell proliferation in the prostate, which can lead to prostate cancer, and that the hormones often used in milk products may also contribute to cancer development.
Prostate-healthy diets
According to my colleague, Dr. Geo Espinosa, cancer experts estimate that what we choose to eat accounts for up to 90 percent of the risk for certain cancers, including prostate cancer.
The Prostate Diet offers eight dietary principles that can help avoid a prostate cancer diagnosis:
- Maximize fruits and vegetables
- Eat healthy fats
- Choose plant protein over animal protein
- Eat whole and natural foods
- Drink green tea
- Eat omega 3-rich foods
- Avoid foods and additives that harm prostate health
- Stay hydrated.
If you’re thinking, “This sounds an awful lot like the Mediterranean diet,” you’re right. Both diets emphasize plant sources of protein, high-fiber foods and omega 3-rich fatty fish.
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And there’s still more to choose from…
- A recent study from the University of California and published in the Journal of Medicinal Food found that eating walnuts decreases levels of the hormone IGF-1, which is linked to prostate and other cancers.
- Also, the healthy fats in avocados and the catechins (a type of antioxidant) in green tea fight inflammation and can help with prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate).
- Finally, all you coffee-loving men will be happy to know that drinking four to five cups of coffee a day can lower your chances of fatal and advanced prostate cancer, according to a 2014 review of clinical studies.
Why Japanese men don’t get prostate cancer
Japan has the lowest prostate cancer rates in the world.
If you’re concerned about becoming a prostate cancer statistic, why not take a look at a Japanese man’s diet and lifestyle, and do what you can to duplicate it right here at home?
Do:
- Drink green tea
- Eat fish and fresh, whole foods
- Exercise regularly
Don’t:
- Eat sugar and processed foods
- Overeat
- Drive when you can walk
Prostate cancer is common, but you can make it harder for the disease to target you. And, if it does, it doesn’t need to be a death sentence, not if you pay attention to what you eat and make the right choices.
Sources:
10 Foundations of the Prostate Diet — prostate.net
Skeletal Related Events, Bone Metastasis and Survival of Prostate Cancer: A Population Based Cohort Study in Denmark (1999 to 2007) — sciencedirect.com
Western diet may reduce survival odds for prostate cancer — Reuters Health
Whole Milk Intake Is Associated with Prostate Cancer-Specific Mortality among U.S. Male Physicians — The Journal of Nutrition
The benefits of walnuts include slowing down prostate cancer — Natural Health 365
Coffee consumption and prostate cancer risk: an updated meta-analysis — PubMed.gov
