Prostate Cancer: Six Superfoods your Prostate Does what you want

Prostate Cancer: Six Superfoods Your Prostate DOES Want You To Eat

When it comes to our health, it can sometimes seem as though we're constantly being told what not to do. This is particularly true when it comes to combating cancer, which involves avoiding all kinds of things – many of which we probably used to enjoy.

But it's not just about what you avoid, it's also about what you do indulge in. And when it comes to protecting your prostate from cancer specifically, recent research is unveiling a number of different superfoods that can help a great deal to keep us safe.

In this post, we'll be looking at six things you definitely should eat – and why.

A Little Background on Your Prostate

Before we dive into our superfoods, let's first take a moment to consider precisely what the role of the prostate is in the body, how it operates and what we can do to keep it healthy. Knowledge is power and this is never truer than when we're trying to take care of our bodies and maximize our health.

So, the prostate...

A man's prostate is part of his reproductive system. It is roughly the size of a walnut and is situated just between the rectum and bladder, wrapped around the urethra. It is partially responsible for producing semen and during orgasm, the muscles squeeze this fluid into the urethra allowing us to ejaculate.

As we get older, we become increasingly likely to develop an enlarged prostate. This is technically known as Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) and the main symptom is that it can squeeze the urethra and place pressure on the bladder. This can make it hard for men to urinate and cause other symptoms including:

●     Straining to urinate

●     Urgency

●     A feeling of not having completely emptied the bladder

●     Weak urine stream

Surgery can relieve these symptoms and it is estimated that 35% of men over 80 will have undergone such surgery.

More worrying, of course, is prostate cancer. Prostate cancer develops due to genetic mutations in the cells which lead to growths. Many of the symptoms of prostate cancer are very similar to those of benign prostatic hyperplasia, as both conditions cause the prostate to grow unusually large.

However, prostate cancer can also trigger other symptoms, which include:

●     Burning or pain during urination

●     Difficulty urinating

●     Urgency – and especially during the night

●     Loss of bladder control

●     Decreased flow

●     Hematuria (blood in the urine)

Prostate cancer is no joke. This is actually the most common form of cancer in men and the second most common cause of cancer death. This is why it's incredibly important for you to not only look after your prostate but also to get regular checks to ensure it is healthy. This is especially true if you notice any of the symptoms we've described.

The problem is that screening can be a little embarrassing for some men, as it will often involve a digital rectal exam. Don't let pride get in the way though – a few minutes of embarrassment is well worth it if you are preventing yourself from an early grave. In some case, the screening will instead involve a blood test known as a prostate-specific antigen.

For those men who are diagnosed with the condition, there are a large number of treatment options which include surgery to remove the cancerous lumps, radiation therapy, hormone therapy or any combination of those methods.

Of course,a prevention is better than a cure, however, so let's take a look at how superfoods can help to prevent the formation of cancerous cells in the prostate and at which superfoods specifically are the best choices in that regard:

Superfood 1: Green Tea

Attention was recently drawn to the ability of superfoods to fight prostate cancer thanks to one groundbreaking study. In this study, participants who had previously been treated for prostate cancer using radiotherapy were given a capsule containing pomegranate, green tea,broccoli and turmeric. Read more here.

It was found that after six months of using the supplement, those participants saw a 63% drop in PSA levels (PSA being a protein that indicates the presence of prostate cancer). Other studies have similarly shown that such foods that are high in polyphenols can help to combat a range of other forms of cancer and even many other conditions – including dementia, high cholesterol, arthritis, heart disease and more!

Green tea is a particularly good choice as it is also generally high in antioxidants. Antioxidants, of course, are compounds found in foods that combat the effects of free radicals – which are also known to increase cancer risk by damaging cell walls and DNA.

As though this wasn't enough reason to drink green tea, it can also have an amazing impact on your cognitive performance. This is particularly true of Yerba Mate tea, which contains an ideal blend of xanthines to provide 'genius on demand' (according to author Tim Ferriss, anyway).

Green tea is essentially an all-round superfood that is packed with nutrients and is also great for your general health. It's convenient to consume in large quantities and won't add any calories to your diet – so why not start drinking a little more?

Other foods high in polyphenols include the others used in the study, as well as cloves, cocoa powder, celery seed, dark chocolate, oregano and others.

Superfood 2: Berries

Okay, let's go a little deeper into what antioxidants are and how they help us.

Free radicals are compounds in our body that are 'reactive' and when they come into contact with our cell walls, they can actually damage them. While this damage is microscopic and not something we would ever notice, it can nevertheless build-up over time. This is one reason that we show visible signs of ageing – as damage to our skin cells begins to show as wrinkles and 'age spots'. The problem comes when free radicals manage to break all the way through the cells to the nucleus where our DNA is housed. This can cause our genetic code to be corrupted and when that cell splits and divides (i.e. replicates via mitosis),this then copies over that faulty DNA code as well. This is how a cancerous tumor begins to form and then spreads rapidly through the affected region.

Free radicals prevent this from happening by neutralizing the free radicals. This then prevents damage to the

Vitamin C is one of the most potent antioxidants available in our diet. It is water soluble (meaning it's impossible to overdose on it) and it also helps to strengthen our immune system in other ways, thereby preventing us from becoming ill and helping our bodies to identify and neutralize bacteria, infections and even – you guessed – cancerous cells.

So we're adding berries to this list thanks to their massive vitamin C content. A cup of strawberries will net you around 90 milligrams of vitamin C, which just so happens to be the recommended daily allowance for men!

Superfood 3: Red Grapes

While we're on the topic of antioxidants, consider getting some red grapes in your diet too.

Red grapes are the best source of a very interesting nutrient called 'resveratrol', which acts as both an energy booster and a brilliant tool for combating oxidative damage. One study found that mice consuming resveratrol would live longer than those that did not and that it would also improve their general health.

Resveratrol supplements are not fully backed by science, as it is uncertain whether the quantities therein are high enough to compare with the relatively very large doses (per body weight) given to mice. However, it's also useful to keep in mind that we don't need the same relative quantities to see the same effects (as the animal gets bigger,the dose becomes smaller).

Either way though, red grapes are also high in polyphenols – so get them in your diet! As a great added bonus, they also taste amazing with dark chocolate…

Superfood 4: Fatty Fish

Omega 3 is another incredible ingredient that can do amazing things for our health. Omega 3 fatty acid is well-known for boosting brain power thanks to its ability to enhance 'cell membrane permeability'. This means that it can improve the communication between brain cells by allowing nutrients and neurochemicals to pass through.

Omega 3 also helps to combat inflammation, by reducing the amount of omega 6 fatty acid. The more you increase one type of fatty acid, the more you decrease the other – and seeing as most of us have too much omega 6, this is good news!

But we're interested in it right now because it has been shown to boost prostate health directly and even potentially lower the risk of prostate cancer. Adults should aim to consume around two servings of oily fish a week – but be careful to avoid sources high in mercury (such as tuna).

Superfood 5: Tomatoes

Lending credence to the popular 'Mediterranean Diet', tomatoes are packed with antioxidants as well as one more exciting cancer-fighting ingredient: lycopene. This is found in the skins of the tomatoes and has been shown in studies to reduce the progression of BPH.

Superfood 6: Brazil Nuts

Finally, nuts are another source of omega 3 fatty acid, as well as being high in a range of important nutrients including vitamin E, calcium, magnesium and more. They're great for testosterone production and are generally a great health panacea for men in particular.

More importantly, one single Brazil nut is packed with over 100% of your RDI for selenium. One study suggests that this might help to combat prostate cancer. Do be careful though: high doses of selenium can be toxic. Don't overindulge! The other way that nuts directly aid the prostate is via the fiber content which is well known to promote prostate health.

And if you're not a fan of Brazil nuts? Then pecans,walnuts and almonds are also highly nutritious.

Conclusions

As you can see then, there are numerous foods that can help to improve prostate health and specifically prevent prostate cancer. Each of these items deserves a place in your diet and the younger you are, the sooner you can start fortifying yourself.

Of course, a balanced diet is still no substitute for medical treatment if you are unfortunate enough to be diagnosed with cancer, always listen to your doctor.

Author Bio:
Dr.Vidhi Jain has over 7 years of experience as a Physiotherapist. She has a Masters in Physiotherapy in Orthopedics and is currently practicing at Vinayak Physiotherapy in Noida as HOD of the Physiotherapy Department. She has been nominated as 'Best Physiotherapy Consultant' in Noida & firmly believes in health care that is based on a personal commitment to meet patient needs with compassion and care.
She also writes for Medlife International Private Limited, an online pharmacy storeoperating in India offering home delivery of authentic prescription medicines at discounted prices.