young man with prostate cancer clutching stomach while sitting on couch at home

4 Ways to Prevent Prostate Cancer

2022-02-17T12:50:18+00:00

By Publisher

It’s safe to say that prostate cancer is not something most men worry themselves about. But you probably should be thinking about it more often.Why?Because according to reports, about 1 out of 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime.Also, it is the second leading cause of cancer death in American men, behind only lung cancer. About 1 man in 41 will die of prostate cancer.In Nigeria, there are more than 100,000 cases per year.But hang on, what exactly is prostate cancer?This isn’t a medical resource site and if you want to get advanced specialist information you might want to visit sites like MedicalNewsToday. But essentially, the prostate is a part of the male reproductive system that produces and stores fluid that makes up part of our semen.Yeah, it’s that important.Here’s the thing. Medical scientists – those guys that actually know so much about the body – are not sure what exactly causes prostate cancer, although they know for a fact that it is marked by essentially a really bad growth of cells in the prostate gland.What’s more, the risk of developing it increases with age.Researchers are yet to establish a definitive strategy for preventing it. However, just like many other medical conditions, developing habits in line with a healthy lifestyle, such as exercise and good nutrition, can significantly reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer.Although the results are not conclusive, medical researchers generally believe that one can significantly reduce the risk of developing this condition by choosing a healthy diet. Such a diet must be low in fat and rich in phytochemicals (really nice nutrients that help us fight cancer) obtained through fruits and vegetables.

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4 key practices to help prevent prostate cancer

Here are some lifestyle choices that can help to reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer:

1. Limit your fat intake

Reduce your intake of fatty foods or replace them with low-fat alternatives. For example, go for lean meat and low-fat dairy products. You can also cook your meat in such a way as to extract the fat rather than add to it. There are ovens that cook your meat well without oil or fat. They extract the fat from your meat, leaving you with a healthier product.

2. Prefer plant fat to animal fat

Plant-based fats are generally healthier than animal-based fats. Consumption of animal fat has been identified as a factor that could possibly increase the risk of prostate cancer. Apart from animal fat, animal protein such as eggs, milk and dairy products in general could contribute to the risk of developing prostate cancer.

3. Increase daily intake of fruits and vegetables

Taking more fruits and vegetables can significantly reduce the risk of prostate cancer. This is because fruits and vegetables contain vitamins, nutrients and phytochemicals (remember them?) that can make the body more resistant to prostate cancer. One easy way to increase the number of fruits and vegetables you eat daily is by replacing snacks with fruits and vegetables. For instance, you could eat carrots instead of biscuits or cucumber instead of sausage roll.

4. Maintain a healthy weight

Obesity could also increase the risk of developing prostate cancer. If your body mass index is 30 or more, you should seek to lose weight by watching what you eat and taking exercise seriously.

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While we cannot yet pinpoint exact methods of preventing this cancer, you can significantly reduce the risk of developing it by maintaining an overall healthy lifestyle as outlined in the foregoing points.