6 Superfoods for a Healthy Prostate


What you put into your body may affect your prostate like it does the rest of your body.

Eating foods beneficial to the prostate is highly recommended to reduce your chances of developing prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer affects around one in eight men.

Many hypotheses on the relationship between diet and prostate health exist, but not much evidence. The increased rate of prostate cancer might be related to the Western diet.

Increased risk of prostate cancer has been linked to a diet rich in dairy products and other sources of calcium. Further study on this connection is required.

In addition to annual prostate cancer screenings, eating the following six foods may help enhance prostate health.

Tomatoes

Lycopene is a potent antioxidant found in many fruits and vegetables. Recent studies have shown that there may be a link between lycopene and a decreased risk of getting prostate cancer.

While further trials are required to prove any effect, a meta-analysis of 24 studies found that men who consumed more tomatoes had a lower risk of developing prostate cancer.

The formation of cancer cells may be slowed or prevented by lycopene's presence. As it's an antioxidant, it prevents cell damage.

It is difficult for your body to absorb the lycopene in fresh tomatoes because it is securely attached to the cell walls. Products made with cooked or puréed tomatoes, such as the ones listed below, may be preferable.

  • Pâté de tomate

  • Salsa for Spaghetti

  • tomatoes dried in the sun

  • Juice from tomatoes

Tips for Increasing your Intake of Tomatoes

It's easy to include other tomato-based dishes in your weekly meal plan.

It's easy to find healthy and delicious tomato-based recipes. Salads with sun-dried or fresh tomatoes, eggs with tomato slices or salsa, and tomato soups are great ways to improve your lycopene consumption.

Fresh tomatoes from the area may be purchased throughout the summer and used in salads or as a sandwich topping.

Alternatively, try having a glass of unsweetened tomato juice first thing in the morning. Simply go for a low-sodium type.

Broccoli

Like other cruciferous vegetables, broccoli has several bioactive compounds that may prevent cancer.

Some study suggests that cruciferous veggies like broccoli may protect against prostate cancer.

Sulforaphane, a phytochemical in high amounts in broccoli sprouts, may target and kill cancer cells while sparing normal prostate cells.

Kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower are cruciferous vegetables.

Tips for Increasing your Intake of Broccoli

Broccoli is versatile and may be eaten raw, steamed, or used in dishes such as stir-fries, soups, and salads.

Rather than waste money on perishable fresh produce, stock up on frozen broccoli and prepare it whenever you choose.

Green tea

For thousands of years, people have enjoyed the health advantages of green tea. A lot of research has been done on its impact on cancer.

Specific components in green tea have been shown to influence tumor development, cell death, and hormone signaling, which may lessen the incidence of prostate cancer.

The following chemicals in green tea may be responsible for its beneficial effects on health −

  • derivations of xanthine

  • epicatechin

  • epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)

Tips for Increasing your Intake of Green Tea 

If you enjoy the flavor of green tea, try substituting it for your morning coffee.

Those who are sensitive to caffeine may choose to switch to a decaffeinated variety. Instead of drinking it hot, tea may be chilled in the fridge and served over ice if you prefer a colder beverage.

Green tea may be used as the liquid in homemade smoothies, or green tea powder can be added if the flavor is too strong.

Soybeans and Legumes

Peanuts, beans, and lentils are legumes. Legumes contain bioactive phytoestrogens.

Isoflavones are phytoestrogens. One research found that people who ingested the most phytoestrogens had a 20% lower prostate cancer risk than those who consumed the least.

Phytoestrogens, free radicals, hormone balance, and apoptosis may minimize cancer risk.

Soybean isoflavones may cut prostate cancer risk, but further research is required.

According to National Cancer Institute studies, soy consumption lowers PSA (NCI).

The prostate produces PSA. PSA testing detects prostate cancer.

This research also found that combining soy with other meals increased its anti-cancer properties.

Tips for Increasing your Intake of Beans and Other Legumes

Consider sometimes substituting plant-based proteins like lentils and soybeans for meat. This might include trying Meatless Mondays or making other dietary changes towards a more plant-based lifestyle.

Make some veggie-packed black bean patties and serve them up. Instead, whole-grain bread and veggies dipped in homemade hummus prepared from blended chickpeas are a great snack.

Lastly, tofu is a great way to get your soy intake in check. Try marinating the tofu in your preferred sauce, baking it, browning it in a skillet, or incorporating it into a stir-fry.

Juice From Pomegranates

Like green tea, pomegranates contain antioxidants.

Pomegranate juice is a "super fruit" due to its high antioxidant content. Antioxidants may prevent oxidative stress-related diseases.

Pomegranate juice and its medicinal components may reduce prostate cancer cell proliferation.

Research suggests that pomegranate juice and extract may slow the spread of prostate cancer cells in animals and culture dishes, but human studies are still required to confirm these findings.

Tips for Increasing Your Intake of Pomegranate Juice

The juice of pomegranate fruit is widely available in supermarkets. If you find that drinking the juice undiluted is too much of a shock to your system, try diluting it with sparkling water.

Salad dressing prepared from scratch will taste even better with adding pomegranate seeds for an extra sweet touch.

Fish

The human body is unable to produce the polyunsaturated fatty acids omega-3 and omega-6. The human body is unable to produce them.

In contrast to omega-6s, omega-3s are rare in the typical Western diet. Keeping the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids optimal is beneficial.

Human studies are required to determine whether increasing the intake of omega-3 fats decreases high-grade prostate cancer and prostate cancer mortality.

There are several other advantages of eating fatty fish. To increase your omega-3 intake, try eating fatty fish from cold seas. Among them are −

  • salmon

  • herring

  • mackerel

  • sardines

  • trout

Tips for Improving your Intake of Fish

Opening a can of sardines or tuna increases omega-3 fatty acid intake. Fish aren't for everyone. It may be expensive.

If you hate fish, try something new. Tastes strange. Get fish from a fish counter and cook it the same day to enjoy it more.

Cod, flounder, and trout taste milder. If you want to eat fish but worry about your prostate, consider adding lemon sauce or pairing it with another prostate-friendly food. Attempt tomato-sauced fish.

To stretch your budget, fish may be added to spaghetti, soup, salad, and sandwiches. You'll need less fish to cook with those additives.

Ask your doctor about omega-3 supplements.

Updated on: 07-Apr-2023

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