Prostate cancer is a common malignant tumor in elderly men, and its incidence has surpassed lung cancer as the first tumor that endangers men’s health in the United States. In China, the incidence of prostate cancer has increased significantly with the increase in life expectancy, changes in lifestyle and diet, and the widespread clinical use of prostate-specific antigen (PSA).
Diet and prostate cancer are divided into two main areas.
(1) carcinogenic foods (or carcinogenic risk factors).
(2) anti-cancer foods (or cancer-inhibiting foods). In general, a high intake of meat, especially red meat and fat, is associated with the development of prostate cancer. While fruits and vegetables, especially tomatoes, can reduce the risk of prostate cancer development; moderate supplementation of plant compounds (rich in phytoestrogens), green tea, selenium, vitamin E and red wine can reduce the risk of prostate cancer development.
I. Cancer-causing foods (or cancer-causing risk factors)
Studies have shown that a high-fat diet increases the incidence of prostate cancer. The incidence of prostate cancer among Chinese and Japanese immigrants in San Francisco, USA is three to seven times higher than that of their own countrymen, and an important factor is that they eat more fatty foods than their own countrymen. The reason for this is that excessive fat intake leads to increased cholesterol synthesis, which in turn leads to increased levels of cholesterol-based synthesis of androgens, and the increased rate of testosterone in androgens is an important factor in the development of prostate cancer. The high-fat diet is represented by: red meat and processed meat, “red” meat refers to beef and lamb; processed meat includes: sausages, burgers, steaks, smoked and cured meat (including ham, salted pork); canned meat.
Anti-cancer foods
1.Fruit and vegetables
Fruits and vegetables (especially tomatoes) can help reduce the risk of prostate cancer. Studies have found that consumption of tomatoes and tomato products can also reduce the incidence of prostate cancer. The main component of tomatoes is lycopene, which is a highly unsaturated fatty acid isomer of beta carotene, the most important carotenoid in human plasma, with anti-cancer properties. It is one of the most powerful and effective antioxidants, with two times the antioxidant capacity of beta-carotene and 10 times that of vitamin E. To consume more lycopene, it is recommended that you choose cooked or pureed tomatoes. Other foods that contain lycopene include: carrots, watermelon, apricots, guava, papaya and pink grapefruit.
Studies have found that those who eat more cruciferous vegetables can reduce the prevalence of prostate cancer.
2. Phytoestrogens plant compounds
The phytoestrogens in the diet are mainly isoflavones and lignans, which can inhibit the conversion of testosterone to the more biologically active dihydrotestosterone, so phytoestrogen-rich foods can reduce the incidence of prostate cancer by lowering circulating androgen levels. Phytoestrogen-rich and protective foods include legumes, nuts, cereals, berries, such as soybeans, peas, beans, lentils, walnuts, melon seeds, apples, pomegranates, onions, etc.
3, green tea
Green tea contains a variety of antioxidants, the main component is the role of tea polyphenols and catechin compounds. The antioxidant components of green tea have significant inhibitory effects on a variety of carcinogens, including aflatoxins, benzo(a)pyrene, cigarette carcinogens, amino acid cleavage products and other induced malignant transformation of cells, which help stabilize cell structure and reduce cell damage, which can cause cell carcinogenesis. Therefore, in order to prevent prostate cancer, it is recommended to drink 2 to 3 cups of green tea every day, but it must be noted that the tea should not be too strong.
4.Selenium and vitamin E
Both selenium and vitamin E supplementation can reduce the risk of prostate cancer. Selenium is an important antioxidant that has anti-cancer effects and can reduce the incidence of prostate cancer by up to 70%, so more intake can be appropriate. Dietary selenium is mainly found in foods such as seafood, cereals, mushrooms, nuts and asparagus.
Vitamin E is a family of natural fat-soluble vitamins whose main role is to act as an antioxidant in cell membranes. The most active form of vitamin E is alpha tocopherol, which can be responsible for a 32% reduction in the incidence of prostate cancer. Foods rich in vitamin E are: cereals, nuts, vegetable oils, cod liver oil and green leafy vegetables such as soybeans, peanuts, walnuts, melon seeds, sesame seeds, walnuts, eggs, peanut rice, egg yolks, corn and yellow green vegetables (lettuce, cabbage, etc.).
5, red wine
Resveratrol in red wine has anti-cancer effects, resveratrol is a natural grape skin and red wine contains plant antibiotics, with antioxidant, anti-platelet agglutination, anti-atherosclerosis, immunomodulation, estrogen-like growth promotion and other effects for tumor prevention. Studies have found that each additional glass of red wine per week can reduce the relative risk of prostate cancer by 6%, so moderate consumption of red wine is recommended.
In conclusion, the diet of prostate cancer patients should be based on plant protein and plant fat, more fruits, vegetables, beans and cereals, and less animal fat and animal protein to reduce the serum dihydrotestosterone level and reduce the possibility of prostate cancer.