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Prevent Prostate Cancer By Adjusting Your Diet

Posted January 8, 2008 at 12:00 PM by James Flesher

Section: His Health, Physical Health, His Nutrition, Healthy Eating, Diets, Recipes, Vegetarian / Vegan

Like me, many guys consider their diets only in terms of weight management.  However, what we eat will determine not only our waist size, but the length and the quality of our lives.  For many of us, the threat of prostate cancer may be looming so far down the road that we don’t take the time to consider what we can do now to prevent the disease.  However, the time for prevention is now, so add to your shopping list nine foods compiled by Dr. Andrew Weil and published in his January 2007 issue of his Self Healing Newsletter.

Dr. Weil’s nine foods to prevent prostate cancer are:

• Cooked tomatoes
• Cruciferous vegetables
• Soy foods
• Oily fish
• Flaxseed
• Chili peppers
• Green tea
• Red wine
• Pomegranate juice

As a vegan and an environmentalist, I avoid the oily fish (such as salmon) both because of the devastation that over-fishing wreaks delicate eco-systems and also because methyl-mercury and other poisonous chemical wastes accumulate in high quantities in these fish.

Additionally, flaxseed, also on the list, as well as other vegan options like spinach, olive oil and walnuts provide significant amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, the essential nutrient credited with reducing cancer risk. 

If you’re looking for something tasty, try crumbling walnuts over a spinach salad and drizzle with olive oil and vinegar, stir two tablespoons of ground flaxseed with seasonal berries into soy yogurt, or bake muffins with ground flaxseed.

Cooking tomatoes allows the lycopene (an ingredient found to reduce prostate cancer) to be more easily absorbed. Because lycopene and other carotenoids such as beta and alpha carotene are fat soluble, they should be eaten with a healthy fat such as olive oil to vastly increase their absorption. 

Eating tomato sauce at least twice a week has been shown in a study published in the March 6, 2002 Journal of the National Cancer Institute to reduce prostate cancer risk by 33 percent.

Try spaghetti and “buttering” your garlic bread with Earth Balance, a vegan, non-hydrogenated margarine that includes olive oil in its blend.

Another article in the December 2003 Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention concluded that men eating cruciferous vegetables were 10 to 20 percent less likely to develop prostate cancer. 

This family of vegetables, which includes bok choy, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards and kale, are well known for being packed with phytonutrients and fiber which protect against prostate and other cancers. 

Steaming these veggies and flavoring with fresh lemon is a great way to get the maximum amount of water-soluble nutrients, which we normally pour down the sink when they are boiled.  Or, toss them in a skillet with a dash of olive oil and add fresh garlic and ground black pepper to taste.

When eaten regularly, whole soy foods such as tofu, soymilk, edamame and tempeh were associated with a 30% lower risk of prostate cancer as a meta-analysis of eight studies showed in the November 20, 2005 International Journal of Cancer. 

Mock meat products and protein shakes and bars containing isolated soy protein have not been demonstrated the same protective effect, and are most likely stripped of some or all of their phytonutrients during processing. 

Try stir frying tofu with turmeric, peppers and mushrooms for a breakfast scramble, or with cumin for a great meat replacement in tacos and burritos.  Replace regular dairy with soy milk on your cereal every morning.

In a March 15, 2006 issue of Cancer Research, a study in mice demonstrated that capsaicin, the compound in chili peppers that give them their “kick,” caused 80 percent of human prostate cancer cells to stop growing in mice, and their tumors were also eighty percent smaller than in untreated mice. 

Although the study has yet to be replicated in humans, capsaicin has popped up in other health articles lately, being credited with increasing metabolism, stabilizing blood sugar, and increasing the satiety value (or how full you felt after eating) of foods that chili peppers were added to. 

Looking to add a kick to chili or those tofu tacos?  Chili pepper will boost the flavor and kick cancer to the curb at the same time!

According to the January 1, 2005 issue of International Journal of Cancer, a study showed that men drinking 4 servings of red wine per week, likely due to the anti-oxidant resveratrol, had a whopping 48 percent lower risk of prostate cancer.  To avoid drunk driving, liver cirrhosis or other potential health hazards related to heavy drinking, the consumption of wine should be spread throughout the week. 

Take red wine with your pasta dinner, and always remember to drink responsibly at a time when you will not need to drive.

Finally, a small study of 46 men published in the July 1, 2006 issue of Clinical Cancer Research suggests that drinking two cups of pomegranate juice daily may slow the progression of the disease.  Although larger clinical studies are pending, pomegranates are known to contain high levels of cancer-preventative compounds such as isoflavones (also found in whole soy products) ellagic acid (also found in berries) and polyphenols (also found in berries, tea and cocoa.)

Still developing a taste for this new-comer to the juice aisle?  Mix it with orange juice for a sweeter flavor.  Just remember, although they contain many vitamins and anti-oxidants, juices also provide less fiber than whole fruit and are less filling, so drink water for most of the day, and only one to two cups of juice.

All of these foods are easily found at local grocery stores and farmer markets, and with the right recipes can be delicious additions to our every diets.  For great recipes, check out the cookbooks reviewed online by me or other HesFit contributors.

Research sources and for more information: [picture1]; [picture2]

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Tags: cancer, chili peppers, cooked tomatoes, cruciferous vegetables, diet, fitness, flaxseed, green tea, health, men, nutrition, oily fish, olive oil, pomegranate juice, prostate, prostate cancer, red wine, soy foods, spinach, vegetables

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