Prostate Cancer Diet - Live Longer

Is nutrition and diet a natural and effective way to slow the progression of Prostate Cancer? As described in My History blog entry I was diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer six years ago. The cancer had spread to my spine and my Gleason score, which reflects the aggressiveness of the cancer, was a very poor 9 out of 10. The prognosis at the time was not very optimistic. So I did exactly what you’re doing now, I read everything I could about my condition. The problem of course is that the internet presents as much bad information as it does good information. So what do you believe? The doctors had placed me on Hormone therapy which suppresses your testosterone in an effort to starve the prostate cancer. My response to this treatment was good but I knew I had to do more. There are vitamins, supplements and various foods that we are told will help slow down the progress of advanced prostate cancer. I will deal with vitamins and supplements individually but this entry is a discussion of diet.

While my research was thorough, implementation of what I learned was another matter. While the following information may stop you from reading the rest of this entry I suggest you hang on a little bit longer. I was always overweight and a poor eater. I currently weigh 260 lbs. of which at least some can be attributed to the hormone therapy. Weight gain is an unfortunate side effect. The real irony occurs during support group meetings when the leader asks me to present my latest findings on nutrition. My presentation is always preceded by an elbow from my wife who is always trying to have me eat healthier. The irony is clearly not lost on her.

A prostate healthy diet is not too different from the basic heart healthy diet. They recommend you have no red meat and increase your fruits and vegetables. But here is the dilemma. What do you do when you’re told at age 59 that you only have a few more years to live? 1) Do you go on a strict diet of limited calories and few of your favorite foods? or 2) Do you decide that it makes no sense to deprive yourself of some simple pleasures during the last few years of your life?

Regardless of how you answer those questions there are some basic changes in your diet that can help fight the cancer. For me it’s more about what I’ve added to my diet rather than what I’ve eliminated.
The two diets associated with longevity and reduced risks for prostate cancer are a traditional Japanese diet and a Southern Mediterranean diet. The Japanese diet is high in green tea, soy, vegetables, and fish, as well as low in calories and fat. The Mediterranean diet is high is fresh fruits and vegetables, garlic, tomatoes, red wine, olive oil, and fish. Both are low in red meat.
Specifically, you should incorporate these principles when reevaluating your daily diet:
1)Research has indicated that excess animal fat, primarily red meat and high-fat dairy, stimulates prostate cancer to grow. This is the one I have the most difficulty following. I do enjoy a good steak once in awhile. But now I limit my intake to the leanest cuts of beef.
2)Also avoid trans-fats, which are known to promote cancer growth. Labeling has helped to identify foods with trans-fats. These include margarine as well as fried and baked foods.
3)Not all fats however, are unhealthy. You should increase your consumption of fish which contains significant concentrations of cancer-fighting fatty acids EPA and DHA. The best choice is cold-water fish such as sardines, mackerel, salmon and trout, at least two to three times a week. Do not fry or char (as in barbecue) the fish. I would also avoid farm raised fish such as Atlantic Salmon. Instead seek out the wild Alaskan Salmon.
4)Avoid eating too many high-calcium foods. Studies have suggested that these foods may stimulate prostate cancer growth.
5)As virtually all healthy diets suggest, increase your fresh fruit, herb, and vegetable consumption daily. These foods contain powerful anticancer nutrients. Eat foods in varying colors as they tend to contain different groups of important nutrients. Your diet should include fruits, vegetables, fresh herbs, leafy green vegetables, seeds, berries and nuts.
6)Increase your natural vitamin C consumption. Foods high in this vitamin include citrus, berries, spinach, cantaloupe, sweet peppers, and mango. Be careful with grapefruit however, as evidence indicates that it neutralizes the effectiveness of prescription drugs.
7)Drink green tea which unlike black tea, is not subjected to high temperatures in the drying process. This results in greater levels of a beneficial polyphenol called EGCG.
8)Resveratrol is another beneficial polyphenol that research suggests can slow the growth of Prostate Cancer. This substance is found in red grapes, red grape juice, and red wine.
9)Avoid preserved, pickled, or salted foods.
10)Tomatoes and especially tomato products are very high in lycopene, a powerful anticancer substance. This substance is found primarily in tomato based foods that have been exposed to heat. Therefore, pizza sauce, tomato paste, and ketchup. contain more lycopene than fresh tomatoes.
11)Olive oil is rich in vitamin E and antioxidants. It is also a staple of the preferred Mediterranean diet. This should be your primary source of oil. I make my own slad dressing using olive oil, either balsamic vinegar or lemon juice and spices.

I believe that a major component of my success at slowing the progress of my Prostate Cancer has been the vitamins and supplements that I take each day. After months of trial and error I found the best source for information, research and the products themselves at Life Extension Health Concerns
Go to their website and search Prostate Cancer for some of the best information around.