What Can I Do if I'm at Risk ... Health Article

If you have any of the factors that put you at risk for prostate cancer, what can you do? The best thing is to try to avoid the risks that you can. There are also several lifestyle changes you can make that may help reduce your risk. The role these factors play in helping to prevent prostate cancer is still being studied.

Eat tomatoes and tomato products. If you eat a diet rich in tomatoes and tomato products, you may decrease your risk of getting prostate cancer.¹ That’s because tomatoes have a large amount of the chemical lycopene. Heat releases lycopene, so cooked tomatoes are best. Eating more than 10 servings a week has been associated with a 35% decrease in prostate cancer.² Lycopene is an antioxidant also found in other red fruits. These include watermelon, pink grapefruit, and guava.

Eat seafood, whole grains, nuts, and vegetables. Some of these foods are high in selenium, a trace element in food. Selenium is an antioxidant, which is believed to help control cell damage that can lead to cancer. A few studies show that getting more selenium may decrease cancer risk. It may do this by protecting healthy cells and destroying unhealthy ones. It may also improve your immune system and lower hormone levels. These foods are high in selenium.

• Bran

• Brown rice

• Garlic

• Seafood

• Soybeans

• Wheat

• Wheat germ

Some of these foods are high in vitamin E. It is also an antioxidant. Research shows that vitamin E may lower your risk for prostate cancer. This is especially true if you smoke. Scientists think it may help protect cells and improve your immune system. These foods are high in vitamin E.

• Egg yolks

• Leafy green vegetables

• Liver

• Nuts and seeds

• Vegetable oils, especially wheat germ oil

• Whole grains

The role of selenium and vitamin E is being looked at more closely in a large clinical trial. The trial is called SELECT, which stands for Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention. It is sponsored by the National Cancer Institute. Tthe trial will end in 2013 and includes more than 32,000 men.

Eat soy and fish. You may want to add more soy products to your diet. Examples include tofu, tempeh, and miso. Prostate cancer rates are low inAsia . Some researchers think it may be because of all the soy-based products and fish that Asians eat.³ Some research has shown that fatty acids found in fish slow the growth of prostate tumor cells.⁴

Eat garlic.Some research shows that eating fresh garlic lowers your risk of getting prostate cancer. One study showed that men who had the highest intake of allium vegetables had the lowest risk for prostate cancer. The allium group includes garlic, scallions, onions, chives, and leeks.⁵ They ate more than 10 grams a day. It’s not clear whether taking garlic supplements lowers your risk.

Exercise. A few studies show that regular exercise may lower your risk for prostate cancer. Exercise may protect you in these ways.

• Changing your hormone levels

• Maintaining your immune system

• Reducing your weight