By Joy Stephenson-Laws, JD, Founder
Other than skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer
in American men!
How common is it?
To give you an idea, the American Cancer Society estimates that during 2018 there will be almost 165,000
new cases of prostate cancer diagnosed. This translates to 1
in 9 men being diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime. It
also is the second leading cause of cancer death in American men, behind lung
cancer. One in 41 men will die from prostate cancer.
Given these numbers, it is not surprising that there is an
enormous body of research about the benefits of early detection of
prostate cancer. There are many steps that men – and their families – can take
to prevent it or increase the odds of better treatment outcomes if they have
already been diagnosed. It’s also not surprising that much of this research has
centered on the roles of testing and lifestyle, and especially nutrition, in
combatting this all-too-common cancer.
To Test or Not to Test
Perhaps one of the most confusing pieces of advice about
preventing prostate cancer in recent years is whether men should get the PSA
(prostate-specific antigen) test or take a “cautious waiting” approach, unless
they have clear symptoms or risk factors. A PSA test looks for signs of
prostate cancer by measuring the amount of the prostate-specific antigen in
your blood. The upside of this test is that it can help catch prostate
cancer before it causes serious symptoms. In some cases, this means you may
need less aggressive treatment if you were to actually develop prostate cancer.
African-American men, specifically, may want to consider getting a
PSA test. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports that the incidence of prostate cancer in
African-American men is almost 60% higher and the mortality rate is two to
three times greater than in Caucasian men.
Another complex part of prostate cancer is that because it usually
grows very slowly, not all prostate cancers are alike. Some older
men will not die from the disease (but it certainly may affect quality of life,
especially sexually). So the jury is out on whether using the PSA
test to find and treat prostate cancer before symptoms occur will improve
health or help a man live longer, in all cases. For these reasons, the PSA may
not be recommended for some men, especially those over 70 or those without any
symptoms or risk factors.
Risk factors for prostate cancer to consider when deciding with your
doctor on which screening to do, include:
·
Age – Your risk for prostate cancer increases steadily as your
age, to where this cancer affects 1 in 14 men between the ages
of 60 and 69.
·
Race – As mentioned, and for reasons not yet determined, black men
carry a greater risk of prostate cancer than do men of other races; in black
men, prostate cancer is also more likely to be aggressive or advanced.
·
Lipid
Profile - Numerous studies have suggested a relationship between high triglycerides and
cholesterol and your risk for prostate cancer.
·
Weight – Obese men diagnosed with prostate cancer may be more likely
to have advanced disease that's more difficult to treat.
·
Family
History - If
men in your family have had prostate cancer, your risk may be increased.
The Role of Nutrition in Preventing Prostate Cancer
Medical research supports the notion that nutrition, as part of a
healthier lifestyle, may have a great impact on preventing and better managing
prostate cancer. And if you look at cancer in general, current thinking is that
some 30 -35 percent of ALL cancers can be directly attributed
to diet.
Differences in diet also may account for the variability of prostate cancer rates in different countries since a high-fat diet
stimulates increased testosterone levels, which is known to be associated
with prostate cancer growth. But, until recently, it was somewhat difficult to
determine exactly how strong of a link there is between a
high-fat diet and the growth and spread of prostate cancer.
That link is now quantified by a recent study funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). This study
clearly shows there is indeed a strong relationship between prostate cancer and
eating a lot of fat, due to the cellular changes a high-fat diet
makes on a molecular level that have an impact on prostate
cancer metastasis.
During this study, researchers found that metastatic tumors were literally
full of fat and that a high-fat diet promoted the development of aggressive
and metastatic prostate cancer in lab animals. It is important to note,
however, that the study didn’t definitively show that a high-fat diet, rather
than the resulting obesity, was what increased the risk of the cancer. But
either way, it is clear that there are health benefits to limiting high-fat
food in your diet and maintaining an ideal body weight.
The study also showed that your overall diet – what you
eat on a consistent basis rather than every now and then – is
generally more relevant than any single isolated nutrient.
Supporting this idea is a recent report released by the National Institutes of
Health (NIH) on how multiple
clinical studies show that the combination of diet, exercise and positive
lifestyle changes may play a role in slowing the progression, mortality and
overall disease burden (the combination of financial cost, morbidity and
mortality) for high-grade and fatal prostate cancer.
How to Be Proactive?
The first step to being proactive is knowing what symptoms
to look out for so that you can share them with your healthcare provider as
soon as possible. They may include:
·
Frequent
urination, especially at nights
·
Difficulty
starting urination or holding back urine
·
Weak
or interrupted flow of urine
·
Painful
or burning urination
·
Difficulty
having an erection
·
Painful
ejaculation
·
Blood
in urine or semen
·
Discomfort
in the pelvic area
·
Bone
pain
The second – and equally important – step you can take is to
make sure you are including good nutrition and healthy lifestyle changes in
your arsenal against prostate cancer. This includes making the
following changes to your diet:
·
Eat
anti-inflammatory, antioxidant-packed foods. Many antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents are found in
colorful fruits, vegetables, whole grains, spices,
and polyphenol-rich drinks such as pomegranate juice and green and black
teas. Omega-3 fatty acids found
in seafood contain anti-inflammatory properties that may also help reduce your
prostate cancer risk.
·
Munch
on veggies with protective properties. Certain vegetables and plant foods such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, wasabi and horseradish contain
protective “phytochemicals” that may reduce your risk of
prostate cancer.
·
Get
plenty of natural fiber. You can get fiber from fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains such as whole-grain breads and cereals. There are indications that these may reduce cancer risk and
reduce the risk of prostate cancer progression.
·
Reduce
the amount of simple sugars. Limit sweets such as candy, cookies, cakes, pies and other ultra-processed foods.
Especially limit the amount of refined flours in your diet.
·
Choose
the fat you eat wisely.
Foods like meats (especially bacon, salami and other processed meats), certain
oils (like palm oil) and dairy products (such as milk and cheese) are high in
saturated fat. You should limit your intake of these foods, but keep in mind
that there are healthy-fat foods like avocado, walnuts and olive oil. You still need to eat healthy fats in moderation.
·
Get
your nutrients from fresh food rather than supplements. It’s always better to get your nutrients from food rather
than taking supplements. Getting them in their more natural forms will help
your body better absorb and process them. But if your doctor recommends taking
supplements, make sure you get them from a reliable source.
And more evidence is needed, but a study from Harvard showed that men who are coffee drinkers may have a lower
prostate cancer risk.
The most proactive thing you can do is focus on good nutrition,
moderation and early detection. Lastly, it is also imperative that you do not
smoke. There is definitely a link between smoking cigarettes and prostate
cancer.
Enjoy your healthy life!
Joy Stephenson-Laws is the founder of Proactive Health Labs (pH), a
revolutionary health care company that provides tools needed to achieve optimal
health. Her new book, Minerals - The Forgotten Nutrient: Your Secret Weapon
for Getting and Staying Healthy [Proactive Health
Labs, Inc., 2016] is
available through Amazon or wherever books are sold. All proceeds from the book will be donated
to The Bili Project Foundation, an organization devoted to reducing the
incident and improve the outcome of Hepatobilary cancers, which are cancers of
the liver, gallbladder, or bile ducts. The pH professional health
care team includes recognized experts from a variety of health care and related
disciplines, including physicians, health care attorneys, nutritionists, nurses
and certified fitness instructors. To learn more about the pH Health Care Team,
click here. Connect with Proactive
Health Labs on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, Goodreads, and at www.phlabs.org.
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