Prevention of Prostate Cancer

Prevention of Prostate Cancer; How to prevent prostate cancer?
Medical Tutors Limited
December 4, 2019

12:05 PM

Summary
Once a man reaches the age of 40, it is imperative for him to understand that frequent screening for prostate cancer is important (especially for an individual who has a family history of cancer).

Generally, there is no sure way in preventing prostate cancer because many risk factors such as age, race, and family history can’t be controlled; though doctors recommend that men with an average risk of prostate cancer make choices that benefit their overall health if they're interested in prostate cancer prevention. Yet, there are some things one can do that might lower the risk of prostate cancer, and they include:

  1. Lifestyle

There are some particular lifestyles that an individual can either adopt or stop its addiction so as to reduce or increase the chance of prostate cancer. And they include:

  • Exercise and Maintaining a Healthy Weight: Exercises like walking, running, bicycling and swimming improves the overall health, helps maintain weight and improves the mood. There is some evidence that men who don't exercise have higher PSA levels, while men who exercise may have a lower risk of prostate cancer. Being overweight or obese is linked to an increased risk of aggressive prostate cancer, in which regular exercise can help you maintain a healthy weight. Benefits of exercise include increased muscle mass and better metabolism.
  • Avoiding Smoking: Prostate cancer patients who smoke are more likely to have a recurrence of the disease. Smokers also have a higher risk of dying from prostate cancer. It is therefore recommended for men who smoke to quit as soon as possible.
  • Avoiding Alcohol: Although this hasn’t been proved yet, but doctors recommends that men with family history of first degree cancer (i.e. through brothers, fathers or women with breast cancer) should avoid alcohol intake or probably reduce the amount of alcohol intakes during their lifetime so as to prevent prostate cancer.
  1. Choosing a Healthy Diet

It has been observed and recommended that having a healthy diet could help reduce the risk of having prostate cancer among men. The types of diet that can help prevent prostate cancer include:

  • Tomatoes and Other Red Foods: Tomatoes, watermelon, and other red foods owe their bright color to a powerful antioxidant called lycopene. It was suggested that cooking tomatoes makes it easier for your body to absorb lycopene. However, the redder the tomato, the better the lycopene accumulates during ripening. This means that pale, store-bought tomatoes that are picked too early have less lycopene than vine - ripened tomatoes.

Also, men who consume these fruits (i.e. watermelon, guava, pawpaw) and tomato - based products have a lower risk of prostate cancer than those who don’t.

It was suggested that cooking tomatoes makes it easier for your body to absorb lycopene. However, tomatoes need to be properly ripened (i.e. reddish) so as to absorb more lycopene. That means that pale, store-bought tomatoes that are picked too early have less lycopene than vine-ripened tomatoes.

  • Healthy Diet Full of Fruits and Vegetables: Avoid high-fat foods and instead focus on choosing a variety of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Nutrients and vitamins contained in fruits and vegetables may lower your risk of getting prostate cancer. Green vegetables contain compounds that help your body break down cancer-causing substances called carcinogens. A nutrient-rich diet may also help slow the spread of cancer.

By eating fruits and vegetables throughout the day, an individual is less likely to fill up on processed junk food.

  • Soy Beans and Teas: A nutrient called isoflavones has been linked to a reduced risk of prostate cancer, and they are found in:
  1. Tofu (made from soybeans)
  2. Chickpeas
  3. Lentils
  4. Alfalfa sprouts
  5. Peanuts
  6. Walnuts

Researchers have long studied the link between green tea and prostate cancer risk, with mixed results. A 2008 study showed that men who drink green tea, or take green tea extract supplements, have a lower risk of advanced prostate cancer than those who don’t.

  • Avoiding Animal Based Fats: It is recommended that while cooking, it is preferable to make use of plant based fats than animal based fats; this is because there is a link between animal based fats and an increased chance of prostate cancer among men. In addition to meat, animal fats are found in lard, butter, and cheese.
  • Omega – 3 Fatty Acids: Fatty acid, known as omega-3, may help reduce your risk of developing prostate cancer. Omega-3 is found in certain fish including sardines, tuna, mackerel, trout, and salmon.
  1. Frequent Ejaculation

Whether it’s from sex, masturbation, or wet dreams, men who ejaculate more appear to be less likely to get prostate cancer. Medical scientist haven’t been able to prove how it helps, but frequent ejaculation especially through sex can potentially help move irritating substances out of the prostate.

  1. Frequent Screening with PSA

Once a man reaches the age of 40, it is imperative for him to understand that frequent screening for prostate cancer is important (especially for an individual who has a family history of cancer). The goal of screening for prostate cancer is to identify high-risk, localized prostate cancer that can be successfully treated, thereby preventing the morbidity and mortality associated with advanced or metastatic prostate cancer.

It is recommends that men talk to their doctor before having a test to check for prostate cancer. Men need to understand the risks and benefits of testing before proceeding with a PSA (prostate – specific antigen test (a blood test that can screen for prostate cancer) and digital rectal exam. For men aged 55 to 69 years, the decision to undergo periodic prostate-specific antigen (PSA)–based screening for prostate cancer should be an individual one.

 

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