Related Sponsors

Nutrition's Role in a Healthy Prostate

Home » Diseases » Prostate Health » Nutrition's Role in a Healthy Prostate

More and more tests are showing the correlation between a healthy diet and a healthy prostate. In fact, almost 75% of prostate cancers can be prevented if the correct changes are made in diet and lifestyle. It has been found that some foods may promote or accelerate prostate cancer, while other foods may interfere with the growth and development of cancerous cells.

Obesity or excess body fat is proportionately related to prostate cancer. The consumption of saturated fats can even affect how aggressive a cancerous tumor in the prostate develops. These fats can be found in saturated fats, milk fats, partially hydrogenated oils, tropical oils and substances rich in linoleic acid like corn and safflower oil.

On the contrary, some fats can be neutral or even inhibitors of cancerous cells. These include polyunsaturated oils, monounsaturated oils such as olive and rap seed, and soybean, fish and flax seed oils that are high in linolenic acid. By increasing "good" fat and decreasing "bad" fat, testosterone levels in the prostate can be reduced which also reduces one of the main causes of prostate cancer.

Other foods that help aid in the prevention of prostate cancer include soy, fruits and vegetables and lycopene. Soy contains isoflavones that interfere with the life cycles of prostate cancer cells. They have been shown to almost halt the growth of cancerous cells and cut off the blood supply of growing prostate tumors. High intakes of dietary fibers that can be found in fruits and vegetables can decrease the risk of prostate cancer in the first place. This is also true for lycopene, which has antioxidant properties which concentrate in the prostate and are associated with a decreased risk of contriving prostate cancer. Lycopene can be found in tomatoes.

Sources:
1. www.prostatehealth.org
2. www.umm.edu/prostate/index.html

Next Page:

Related Prostate Health Articles