Prevent Prostate Cancer: 8 Tips Healthy Men Should Start Now

There's plenty you can do to keep your prostate healthy and stop prostate cancer in its tracks.

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Eat a few Brazil nuts each day

These nuts are rich in selenium, a protective mineral. In a five-year study, men who took 200 mcg of selenium daily had 63 percent fewer prostate tumors. Brazil nuts are the best food source: just one nut can contain 75 mcg. Learn more about what brazil nut nutrition has to offer.

To learn more about the role of selenium in prostate cancer risk reduction, take a look at this 2019 study by Mark A Moyad, MD, MPH.

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Munch pumpkin seeds

These are a source of zinc, a mineral that scientists agree plays a significant role in boosting prostate health, protecting against enlargement and cancerous changes. Have a handful of unroasted seeds a day. Other foods that contain a plentiful supply of zinc include shellfish, meat, milk and dairy products, wheatgerm, and wholegrain cereals. Zinc supplements, however, have been linked to an increased risk of prostate cancer. Besides fighting cancer, zinc may also boost your sex-drive and give you more energy in the bedroom.

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Enjoy more mackerel

There are lots of good reasons to eat oily fish (a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids that could add years to your life), such as mackerel or salmon, or take supplements of fish oil, and here’s another. In a study, a low-fat diet with fish oil supplements eaten for four to six weeks before prostate removal was shown to slow the growth of prostate cancer. Those following the diet had fewer rapidly dividing cells in their prostate cancer tissue compared to those who were eating traditional, high-fat Western foods. Linseed oil is another excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids; add a tablespoon of the oil to your food every day for prostate health. If you hate seafood, try these foods packed with just as many omega-3 fatty acids as fish!

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Try croton oil

Researchers in a lab study found that the oil from the croton planta shrub native to Southeast Asiakilled off prostate cancer cells and shrank prostate tumors. Ask your doctor if this natural remedy could work for you. Stop believing these myths about prostate cancer right now.

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Eat more tomatoes

Men who had ten or more portions of tomatoes a week cut their risk of prostate cancer by more than 45 percent in one recent U.S. study. Lycopene, which gives tomatoes their red color, interferes with the ability of cancer cells to multiply, spread and invade body tissues. Tinned and cooked tomatoes and tomato sauces seem to have the most potent anticancer effect. Check out this list of other foods that are way healthier than you could imagine.

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Watch your fat intake

Numerous studies link a high-fat diet and obesity with an increased risk of cancers of the colon, prostate, uterus and breast, and melanoma. Limit saturated fats to less than 10 percent of your total calories each day. Try swapping out the bad fats for healthy fats like monounsaturated fats.

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Don’t overdose on vitamin supplements

Vitamins are good for your immune system, but not if you take too many of them. Make sure to get as many vitamins as possible from fresh food (red peppers, garlic, and quinoa are just a few items on the list of superfoods every man needs in his diet), and choose and use supplements sensibly. Take special care with vitamins E and A, which are stored in the body if taken in excess, rather than simply being excreted in the urine. In doses above 250 mg a day, vitamin E can impair, rather than enhance, the day-to-day renewal of body cells, increasing the risk of prostate and other cancers. You need vitamin A to help build immune cells, but supplement doses above 1,000 mcg a day put you at risk of serious liver disease. More than 200 mg a day of vitamin B6 can permanently damage nerves. Doctors say you need to stop wasting your money on these vitamins.

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Got heart problems? Ask your doctor about a daily aspirin

If your doctor thinks aspirin is a good way lower your heart attack risk, know that this powerful medicine also has a potential cancer-fighting benefit. Daily aspirin dose may help to prevent the growth of tumors in the prostate, breast, and esophagus. It may also provide some protection against the spread of some types of lung cancer. And a new study shows that these three foods are also surprisingly powerful weapons in fighting prostate cancer — apples, grapes, and curry. Here are the signs of prostate cancer you should never ignore.

Reader's Digest
Originally Published in Reader's Digest