The secret ingredients for prostate cancer prevention

When it comes to cancer, there are two types that men in the U.S. need to keep an extra close eye on: non-melanoma skin cancer and prostate cancer.

Non-melanoma skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in American men, but prostate cancer comes in a close second. In fact, it’s the second leading cause of death among men in the U.S. (behind lung cancer… another one American men need to watch out for).

The good news is the vast majority of prostate cancer cases aren’t deadly. But even so, prostate cancer comes with uncomfortable symptoms (like pelvic pain, trouble urinating and bone pain) and uncomfortable treatments (like radiation and surgery).

So, how do you protect yourself?

Well, according to new research, eating a plant-based diet could deliver a potent dose of prostate cancer protection.

Plants pack potent prostate cancer protection

Emerging research keeps showing that diet is a major factor in the development of prostate cancer, and a recent study published in the journal Nutrients confirms this fact yet again.

In this latest study, researchers analyzed health and dietary data collected from men in Montreal between 2005 and 2012. They used this data to sort men into three categories based on their dietary habits…

1. A healthy diet that included lots of fruits, vegetables and plant proteins like tofu and nuts
2. A salty Western diet with alcohol that included more meat and beverages like beer and wine
3. A sugar-rich Western diet with sweet beverages that included a lot of pasta, pizza, desserts and sugary carbonated drinks

After comparing these dietary patterns with the eventual health outcomes for the men eating them, researchers confirmed which eating patterns were best and worst for prostate cancer risk…

The healthy diet lowered prostate cancer risk. The Western diet with sweets and sugary beverages raised prostate cancer risk. And surprisingly, the salty Western diet with alcohol didn’t have any impact on it.

“For a long time, we’ve suspected that diet might play a role in the development of prostate cancer, but it was very hard to pinpoint the specific factors at play,” said lead researcher Marie-Élise Parent. “This study is significant because it looks at dietary habits as a whole. We’ve uncovered evidence that, we hope, can be used to develop prevention strategies for prostate cancer, the most common cancer among men in Canada and many other countries.”

Ready… set… eat more plants!

So, if you want to protect yourself from prostate cancer eating a healthy diet filled with fruits, veggies and plant-based protein seems like a good idea.

In fact, this isn’t the first time plant-based diets have been connected to a lower prostate cancer risk. Research over the past couple of decades has tied this type of eating pattern to not only a lower risk of developing the disease, but a slower progression of the disease if you do get diagnosed. Of course, even if you don’t feel like you can commit to that type of diet, at the very least, avoid sweets and sugary beverages because those seem to drive the disease.

Related:Should you worry if your doctor doesn’t treat your prostate cancer?

Exercise also makes a big dent in your prostate cancer risk. It’s even been shown to boost the immune response of men who’ve already developed prostate cancer. So, make sure to squeeze in a sweat session along with your healthy (mostly) plant-based meals.

Sources:

1. Link confirmed between a healthy diet and prostate cancer prevention — MedicalXpress.
2. Dietary Patterns Are Associated with Risk of Prostate Cancer in a Population-Based Case-Control Study in Montreal, Canada — Nutrients.
3. Prostate Cancer Statistics — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
4. Key Statistics for Prostate Cancer — American Cancer Society.
5. Prostate cancer — Mayo Clinic.
6. Adoption of a plant-based diet by patients with recurrent prostate cancer — Integrative Cancer Therapies.
7. Prostate Cancer — Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.