Today, on a social networking site I belong to, the following question was posed on a discussion board I started related to prostate cancer. As a prostate cancer survivor and motivational speaker, I am writing a book on the many issues that men and their families face when receiving that devastating diagnosis. Here’s the question.
My father was just diagnosed with stage 6 or 7 prostate cancer and is going to have surgery. Are there any individuals who know of dietary considerations that will help inhibit prostate cancer and help him mend post-surgery?
I found the question interesting. As part of my research for the book I ask each interviewee the following question – “did you modify your diet after you were diagnosed with prostate cancer?” I have to admit I am astounded by the response. Overwhelmingly the answer is “NO!” In fact, most of the men seem to pause before answering as if that is the first time they had ever had someone even pose such a thought to them.
AMAZING!
So, let’s go down one path for the purpose of this entry. There is substantial evidence that tomatoes can lower prostate cancer risk. In an article by NBC San Deigo:
While ongoing studies are still assessing the value of antioxidant supplements, food scientists say they are already comfortable advocating that men eat a more vegetable-based diet to lower their risk of prostate cancer, not to mention heart disease and colon cancer. Below, Dr. John Erdman, a professor of food science and human nutrition at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, discusses how your diet, and your weight, can affect your prostate cancer risk.
There is also quite a bit of observational evidence that tomato and broccoli consumption reduces risk of prostate cancer. In the tomato products, experts are focusing on nutrients called lycopene, which is responsible for the tomato’s red color. In broccoli, there are a number of sulfur compounds that are thought to detoxify carcinogens, substances capable of causing cancer.
Let me point out that this particular article combines the “purported benefits” of lycopene, selenium, and vitamin E. Now while this report touts the benefits of selenium and vitamin E a major research study on these two was halted stated that there was no correlation. That will continue to be debated for years. But back to tomatoes.
Excess oxidation in the body is harmful because it generates free radicals that can disrupt normal chemical reactions in the body. The theory is that if you oxidize DNA, you alter cell replication, which can cause normal cells to mutate into cancer cells. It is thought that many cancers are the result of an imbalance between oxidants and antioxidants, and therefore, if you consume components of the food that enhance your antioxidant capacity, there is less chance for cancer development. Ding…that means Tomatoes!
Again the NBC article states:
Data from a study of prostate cancer in animals suggest that consumption of tomato products, for example, is more advantageous than taking a lycopene supplement. Lycopene is one of the components of tomato that’s very important, but it’s not the only one. “In fact, we consume a large percentage of our vitamin C and vitamin E from tomatoes and tomato products,” says Erdman. “And there are other nutrients in tomatoes that we are also studying, such as beta-carotene.“
Here are some more questions asked in the article which I think might be of interest:
How many tomato-based products do you recommend weekly?
Seven to ten servings a week, which is only one serving a day. If you count tomato juices and raw tomatoes and pasta products, that is not hard to get. In fact, most men, particularly teenagers, when they consume pasta or even pizza, get a lot more than one serving at one time.
Does the way the tomatoes are prepared affect their impact on prostate cancer risk?
Some nutrients, particularly carotenoids like lycopene, are very poorly absorbed from raw foods, so some heating really helps. Consumption with a little fat helps, too. For example, you will only get 1 or 2 percent of beta-carotene absorption from raw carrots, but you will get much more if you lightly steam those carrots with a small amount of oil, or if it’s part of a casserole recipe. The same thing is true for tomatoes.
Can antioxidant foods prevent prostate cancer or just delay its onset?
“We don’t really know” says Erdman. “The information we have supports more of delay in the onset of the disease.” At least one out of six men has prostate cancer when they die, but that doesn’t mean they died from prostate cancer. In fact, many men will die with the early stages of prostate cancer and not even know it. So by eating more healthfully, instead of coming down with prostate cancer when you’re 65, maybe you can push it out until you’re 80. At that age, it may grow so slowly it won’t have any impact on your lifespan and you will be likely to die of something else. Likewise, when prostate cancer diagnosed in the 70s watchful waiting is not unusual at all. But if you get prostate cancer in your 50s, you’ll most likely undergo an operation to remove the prostate, and then chemotherapy or radiation.
What foods increase prostate cancer risk?
A high amount of animal food consumption, as opposed to plant food consumption, appears to increase risk. This is most likely due to high amounts of saturated fat in animal food.
Posted by chuckgallagher 
