We all know that a diet low in fat and calories and rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is good for our health. But if you have prostate cancer, what you eat may play a role in how your cancer progresses, and your dietary choices might even influence whether you ever develop the disease at all.
Getting enough vitamins and minerals with a healthy, balanced diet may be one of the keys to warding off prostate cancer.
And using nutrition to your advantage may prove very useful when fighting prostate cancer too. Diet can be a powerful tool, according to Roberta Anding, a registered dietitian, instructor at the Baylor College of Medicine, and a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.
So whether your goal is to rid your body of prostate cancer already diagnosed, or to prevent yourself or your loved one from ever getting that diagnosis, some specific foods that are known to protect the body from cancer-causing carcinogens include:
Tomatoes. Tomatoes are high in lycopene, which could have a protective effect against prostate, lung, and stomach cancers. Multiple studies suggest that high levels of lycopene in the blood are linked with a lower risk of prostate cancer and may even help slow the spread of cancerous cells. Lycopene is most effective if taken in natural form — that is, in food rather than in a supplement — and is particularly potent in cooked tomatoes. You can add tomatoes or tomato products to many dishes.
Fruits. Diets high in fruits and vegetables have been shown to protect against many cancers. Lycopene-containing fruits including guava, papaya, and watermelon may be especially good for you. And some research suggests that pectin — a common fiber found in apples, apricots, plums, and citrus fruits and used as a thickener in many jams and marmalades — may reduce the number of cancerous cells by as much as 40 percent. Try to work fruit into your daily meals: Have an orange for an afternoon snack, or top off your morning oatmeal with chopped apples.
Vegetables. A high-fiber diet rich in vegetables might be why Asian men develop prostate cancer so infrequently compared to Western men, a new study from the University of Colorado finds. Plus, fiber-rich eating could slow the progression of the disease, researchers say. Other studies have found broccoli and cauliflower to be especially effective in reducing cancer risk because cruciferous veggies slow the growth of cancer cells in the body. Add veggies to your favorite dishes or casseroles — or make a big, colorful salad.
Green tea and soy. Although the benefits of these foods in fighting prostate cancer have so far been seen only in laboratory environments, researchers believe they show promise. Try sipping on soothing green tea — or add soy milk to your morning cup of coffee.
Fish. Fish that contain omega-3 fatty acids (salmon is one example) may help reduce prostate cancer risk. Try to work fatty fish into your menu a few times a week.
"The bottom line on prevention is a plant-based diet with nuts and soy," recommends Anding.
Foods That Increase Prostate Cancer Risk
On the flip side, many foods may contribute to the development or spread of prostate cancer. Research shows, for example, that men who consume a lot of red meat may be at higher risk for the disease. One recent study from the University of California, San Francisco, found that intake of grilled or barbecued meat — especially well-done beef — was linked to twice the risk of aggressive prostate cancer.
Other meats and processed foods also are more likely to increase the risk of prostate cancer, so try to keep them off your plate. Instead, get your protein through fresh cuts of lean meats, beans, or legumes.
While low-fat dairy products can be a healthy part of your diet, you may want to take it easy on dairy. Dairy products can contain the same fatty acids found in red meats that may actually increase the risk of prostate cancer.
Your Prostate Cancer Diet, and Why It Matters
Foods that can increase your risk of developing prostate cancer, or those shown to encourage progression of the disease, should be avoided if you have or are hoping to prevent prostate cancer.
Your best bet is to stick to a diet rich in fruits and vegetables — especially tomatoes — get plenty of whole grains, and go easy on the red meat and processed foods. Think fresh on your plate to boost your health and reduce your risk of prostate cancer.
I have been across the world and seen some humbling, terrifying, and awe-inspiring sights. On a personal level, my trip to Europe was hard. Our luggage lost, getting lost in a city on foot, the strike in Spain, and several other major issues I’ve not written about, were very trying.
I’ve come away feeling, more than ever, a pull to turn some of my energies from my nutrition mission to a cancer mission.
I have met people devastated by their ignorance of the options until it is “too late.” I’ve met people so conflicted over the “standard of care” mandates that they’ve done nothing at all about their breast cancer for 5 years. At which time they show up in a clinic carrying their breast cancer in their arms like a toddler. Heavy, oozing pus and fluids, reeking a sour, rotten odor (that requires twice-daily changing of and avoiding social situations). I didn’t meet ONE woman like this—I met quite a few.
I met two women and introduced them to each other, who had been to the same doctor for IPT (low dose, slightly more targeted chemo) for their breast cancer. Both paid over $2,500 for a blood test to tell them which chemo was more likely to be effective for them. Both abandoned the protocol after 15-20 treatments when tumor markers trended up, and fast. (Incidentally, their doctor is now not practicing because he is fighting his own cancer.)
I’m not sure I believe in low-dose poison just like I don’t believe the evidence points to the efficacy of high-dose poison. It’s a tempting idea, but I’ve not seen any statistical evidence of its effectiveness, nor have I met anyone who thinks it saved them. Write me if you disagree.
Dr. Alexander Herzog in Germany told me that oncologists in the U.S. get commissions from the drug companies for every dose of chemotherapy they administer. I knew that. Bill Henderson reports that the average U.S. oncologist made $251,000 ten years ago, and 75 percent of that was what they earn from the chemotherapy. Their continuing education consists of primarily the journals funded by the drug companies, and conferences and exotic trips where drug companies “educate” them about uses for their products. (Small price to pay, the pricey trips docs take on the drug companies’ dime. AstraZeneca made $630 million selling the breast cancer trug tamoxifen, and $728 million on Zoladex for breast and prostate cancer. In one year. 2001.)
What I didn’t know is that a German doctor would lose his license for accepting kickbacks.
Surgeon Axel Weber, M.D., who runs the lovely Klinik Marinus in the Bavarian Alps, told me, “In Germany, we administer 19 times more chemotherapy now than we did in 1990. And we have increased the survival rate 0 percent!”
It is more clear to me than ever that the emperor of cancer treatment has no clothes. I have been pointing out for a long time that we have essentially the same death rate in 2012, from cancer, that we did in 1974 when Richard Nixon declared war on the disease. That’s when we began throwing money at it. Billions of American dollars have gone to R&D, which primarily were consumed by drug companies.
And now?
We detect cancer earlier and have vastly more patients. With no progress towards a cure.
Doctors don’t even talk about a “cure” any more. They are even backpedaling, fast, from the idea of “remission” or even the ever-lower bar, most recently the much-ballyhooed “five-year survival” statistic.
Now cancer docs speak of “managing your cancer.”
As cancer continues to frustrate, thwart, and stymie practitioners who take it on, the entire culture seems to meekly adapt to the new realities. Rather than challenging them.
Multiple readers emailed me, having learned about my most recent trip, saying, “What would you do?”
I will post a letter, soon, answering that question. A letter I wrote, from the bottom of my heart, to a real friend barely diagnosed, heading into radiation.
I’m not trying to be unhelpful, when I get squishy about that. In each case, the cancer patient writing me has very limited income. So they can go to ONE place—at great personal sacrifice.
I met two women in Europe at one dinner table, who were diagnosed with cancer right after they retired. Now their nest egg is disappearing rapidly, to pay for cancer treatment, instead of long-awaited R&R.
Very few of the docs, if any, have any statistics to share at all. I personally think it’s awkward to call up your former patients year after year and say, “Is Mrs. Wilson still alive?”
If you’re not on Big Pharma’s dole, you don’t likely have enough spare cash lying around to hire a research assistant to track 600 patients annually. (That seems to be an average for these small clinics.) Francisco Contreras is the notable exception. He compiled stats for five years on specific Stage IV cancer patients, and they are very impressive relative to comparable stats from U.S. oncology treatment.
I don’t love to be asked the “what would you do” question. Not only because it depends on the specifics, which I don’t always know in detail. But also because there are strengths and weaknesses of every place I’ve been. I am collecting criteria and data. Criteria of WHAT I WANT TO SEE in holistic cancer treatment, and data on what each clinic has. Eventually I will rate each clinic, according to weighted criteria.
Stay strong when it comes to healthy
eating. Ask for special requests like "light on the cheese, no sauce, salad not fries or chips". Your
coworker might pressure you to try her homemade treats. Remember that every
bite adds up, so it's important not to give in over and over. Explain why
you're saying no if you want to -- or just politely decline. You don't owe
people an explanation, but you owe yourself good health.
I want to snack less at work
Get unhealthy snacks out of your
office -- or at least out of plain sight. You'll eat less if you don't have
food within easy reach. If you tend to graze mindlessly at work, don't keep
food at your desk. Keep it at least 6 feet away from where you sit. The
distance makes you think each time you grab a bite. Take time for a real lunch
break, away from your desk.
This year resolve to start eating one more healthy snack a day. Instead of reaching for chips try the new Shaklee
180 Snack Crisps. They are a much healthier snack choice when you are craving something salty and crispy, yet contain a whopping six grams of protein per serving to help stabilize blood sugars. What chip or cracker have you seen that can do that?
When you are craving something sweet, instead of reaching for cookies or other sugary carbs, opt for a healthier alternative such as the Shaklee 180 Protein Snack Bars. They are high protein (ten grams of protein per bar with only 15 carbs! These low-glycemic snack bars really hit the sweet spot with me and help sustain my energy without the sugar crash of simple carbohydrates.
Another smart option this year is to enjoy a small handful of nuts or trail mix. Take advantage of fresh fruit in season.
Citrus fruits like oranges are especially good because they take time to peel
and eat. Eat pretzels or a few whole-wheat crackers with low-fat cheese. But
only snack when you're really hungry -- not just bored or stressed -- and only
eat one serving. To learn more about snacks listed above visit my web site at http://www.lovemynewshape.myshaklee180.com
