Can Diet Prevent Prostate Cancer?

“I’ll have tomatoes, followed by soy, with a side dish of broccoli, a glass of milk and for dessert, some shrimp.”

It may not sound like the most appetizing meal in the world, but it could literally be a life saver.

Researchers have learned that what men eat can have a profound effect on whether they get prostate cancer.

It turns out there are nine major foods that help avoid the illness – with tomatoes topping the list.

“Cooked tomatoes,” advises John Blanchard a prostate cancer survivor and the head of a foundation about the disease. “There’s an important distinction, which is good for people living in Canada because the fresh tomato season is so brief here.”

Second best is soy or tofu, with broccoli the runner up. Then there’s salmon and its omega-3s, lentils which contain zinc, shrimp with its selenium, vitamin D and calcium both of which are found in low fat milk. And last but not (or in this case nut) least, almonds which contain Vitamin E.

“Food makes a difference,” points out Blanchard. “If you can change your lifestyle early enough, you can change your natural history.”

Here’s some other foods that can help you fight the effects of one of the most common ailments aging men face.

It’s called lycopene and chances are you’ve eaten some of it at one point in your lifetime.

It’s found in tomatoes and other red fruits and has been proven to be one of the best antioxidants, ridding the body of potentially toxic substances.

It’s believed to help in the prevention of a number of diseases, including prostate cancer.

In a Harvard University study, researchers discovered those who ate 10 servings of  tomatoes or foods containing tomatoes every week had a 35 percent reduced chance of getting prostate cancer than those who consumed only 1.5 servings every seven days.

And some doctors believe you can actually eat your way to a healthier outlook regarding that ailment and others. But to do that, you have to know which foods are high in lycopene and what you should avoid.

Here’s a partial list.

Foods that contain lycopene:

Other recommended foods:

• Whole grain breads and cereals,
• Dark coloured vegetables,
• Fruit,
• Foods containing calcium,
• Fatty fish, like salmon, sardines, herring, tuna and mackerel,
• Tofu and soy products,
• Almonds and walnuts.

What to avoid

• High fat items including pizza – even if it’s made with tomatoes,
• Red meat,
• Foods high in salt or sugar,
• Cut back on your alcohol intake.

Source: Prostate Cancer Research Foundation of Canada

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