Nutrition and Prostate
Health
By: Zia Sabri
While nutrition
does not cause prostate cancer per se, nutrition appears to influence the rate
of growth of cancer and perhaps even the extent to which cancer may spread. It
is also estimated that 75% of all prostate cancer is preventable with changes
in diet and lifestyle. The effect of nutrition centers on two principles:
(1) That some foods may either promote or accelerate
prostate cancer, and
(2) Those other foods may interfere with the growth and
development of prostate cancer cells. Did you know that Asian men who consume a
typical Asian diet has a nine-fold lower incidence of prostate cancer, and if
they get prostate cancer, it is much less aggressive and life-threatening.
Interestingly, when Asian men migrate to the USA their risk of prostate cancer
(both number of cases and aggressiveness of those tumors) becomes the same as
any other American after just one generation!
Fat
Increased consumption of fat is proportionally associated
with an increased risk of prostate cancer. Additionally, obesity or excess body
fat is also associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer. Increased
intake of specific types of fat such as saturated fat (found in red meats and
some baked goods) as well as dietary fats also correlates with the
aggressiveness of prostate tumors. Thus, fats are not just calories but
"chemicals" which can affect cells, both normal and cancerous. Fats
that may "feed" cancer cells and therefore should be limited in one's
diet include saturated fats, milk fats, partially hydrogenated fats, tropical
oils, and substances rich in linoleic acids such as corn and safflower oil. Fats
that are neutral OR inhibitory of cancer cells include polyunsaturated oils,
monounsaturated oils (olive and rapeseed) and oils high in linolenic acid
(soybean, linseed, fish, flaxseed). By lowering one's overall total intake of
fat and increasing the proportion of "good" to "bad" fat,
studies have shown that testosterone levels in the prostate can be reduced,
thereby also reducing one of the driving forces behind prostate cancer.
Soy
The differential soy intakes between Asian and Western
countries are thought to explain in part the dramatic differences in prostate
cancer risks between these two societies. It may also explain the lower rates
of breast and colon cancer seen in Asia. Soy contains isoflavones (such as
genistein and daidzein) which interfered with the life cycle of prostate cancer
cells. Isoflavones have been shown in laboratory experiments to halt the growth
of prostate cancer cells and choke off the blood supply of rapidly growing
prostate tumors. Mice fed diets high in isoflavones and then injected with
prostate cells do not develop cancer while their counterparts consuming a
regular diet will develop prostate cancer in this model.
Fruits and Vegetables
Every day seems to bring the discovery of a new
cancer-fighting, life-extending disease-busting nutrient isolated from fruits
and vegetables we are supposed to be eating. The five servings of fruits and
vegetables recommended by the American Cancer Society includes dozens of
nutrients that decrease cancer risks. High intakes of dietary fiber from beans,
lentils and peas have been associated with decreased prostate cancer risk. Most
Americans do not achieve these minimum goals. Lycopene found in cooked tomatoes
has antioxidant properties which concentrate in the prostate and are associated
with a decreased risk of prostate cancer. The allium vegetable family which
includes garlic, shallots, leeks, chives, and onions contains organosulfur
compounds that interfere with cancer cell replication, robbing the tumor of
its growth potential. The cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower,
Brussel sprouts, cabbage, kale chard) contain sulforaphane and isothiocyanates
which inactivate carcinogens (environmental chemicals that can promote
cancer). The peel of citrus fruits contains limonene and geraniol which have
been shown to stop tumor growth in laboratory experiments. Citrus pulp and the
white inner skin contains pectin fiber which may stop cancer cells from spreading.
