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It’s Movember! Since it’s a month to raise awareness to look at men’s health issue, let’s talk about the superfoods that help to prevent Prostate Cancer today!
Prostate cancer is one of the most common malignancies among men – it is the second most common cancer in men worldwide. Unfortunately, it is often diagnosed too late, when tumours have spread to other parts of the body. When a cancer spreads or metastasizes, the chances of dying from the disease increase dramatically.
Here are 6 super foods that men can include in your diet to prevent Prostate Cancer. Some of these foods are recommended for all since they seem to contain components that can help fight any type of cancer. Apart from including these foods in your diet, cancer experts recommend eating a balanced diet which is high in fruit and vegetables and low in red and processed meat, fat and salt.
1.TOMATOES
Tomatoes contain Lycopene, a pigment that helps give red fruits and vegetables their colour. It is also one of the free radical-fighting antioxidants. Free radicals are molecules that float around in the body damaging cells and promoting disease. Antioxidants, such as lycopene, destroy these free radicals so they can’t attach to your cells and cause problems to your hard-working immune system.
Scientific studies show that lycopene helps prevent prostate, lung, and stomach cancers. There is also some evidence that other types of cancers reduced with increased lycopene intake. This hearty antioxidant also helps reduce your risk of developing cardiovascular disease by reducing LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and lowering blood pressure.
The best sources of lycopene are tomatoes and tomato products, small amounts can also be found in guava, watermelon, and pink grapefruit. The lycopene in cooked tomatoes are said to be more bio available than in raw tomatoes.
2. BROCOLLI
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Broccoli is frequently touted as a food that can help prevent cancer, but a compound found in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables such as bok choy, kale, red and green cabbage, turnip greens, arugula, mustard greens, savoy cabbage, Chinese cabbage and watercress, also may treat it. Some studies suggest there is a link between the amount of cruciferous vegetables you eat and your prostate cancer risk. But researchers propose that one of the phytochemicals found in these vegetables, called sulforaphane, selectively targets and kills cancer cells while leaving normal prostate cells healthy and unaffected.
3. GREEN TEA
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Green tea is a large component of the Asian diet. It has been consumed for thousands of years. However it is not clear if green tea is the reason why prostate cancer rates in Asia are so much lower than in the United States. There is now some evidence to support that the compounds found in green tea may prevent the development of prostate cancer. In a review published by Chinese Medicine, researchers found a decreased risk of prostate cancer among men who consumed more than 5 cups of green tea per day.
4. LEGUMES/SOYABEAN
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Legumes such as beans, peanuts, and lentils all contain biologically active plant compounds known as phytoestrogens. Isoflavones are one such phytoestrogen. They are said to contain cancer-fighting properties and this could suppress tumour growth in prostate cancer cells.
While there is still a need for more conclusive research, the preliminary research reported by the National Cancer Institute shows a link between the consumption of soy and reduced levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA). PSA is a protein produced by your prostate; the PSA test measures the level of PSA in your blood and is used as a screening test for prostate cancer. This research also seemed to indicate soy was more effective when it was eaten in combination with other cancer-fighting foods.
5. POMEGRANATE JUICE
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Pomegranate juice has been found to have components that help prevent prostate cancer metastasis/spreading. Much like red wine or green tea, pomegranate is a rich source of antioxidants. It has been touted as a “miracle fruit” in preventing chronic diseases related to oxidative stress. Scientists think the antioxidant found in pomegranate works in a “seek and destroy” method, exclusively targeting the prostate cancer cells and not the healthy cells. Studies have found that pomegranate juice and its extract actually hinder the production of different prostate cancer cells.
6. TURMERIC
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Curcumin, an ingredient of the Indian spice Turmeric, has been shown to stop the formation of metastases in prostate cancer patients, researchers from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) in Munich, Germany, reported in the journal Carcinogenesis. It is said to have useful properties for the prevention of cancers associated with inflammation, such as prostate and breast cancers, as well as inhibiting metastases. Turmeric is known to prevent tumour development and protect against carcinogenesis. The efficacy of curcumin – an active turmeric compound – was tested on eight different prostate and breast cancer cells. It was found to inhibit STAT3 and oncogene, inhibit colony formation and cell migration and inducing cancer cell death. This study shows that curcumin could benefit as a therapeutic and chemo-preventive agent for both breast and prostate cancer.
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by Hridya Anand
A biochemist by education who could never put what she studied to good use, finally found GetDoc as a medium to do what she loved - bring information to people using a forum that is dedicated to all things medical. View all articles by Hridya Anand.
