Worried about your prostate health? You can ease your anxiety and counter worrying by adopting a healthy lifestyle.
While there’s no failsafe way to prevent prostate cancer, good nutrition and an active lifestyle can do a lot toward lowering your risk of being diagnosed with this metabolic disease, according to the Prostate Cancer Foundation.
Prostate cancer develops when cells in your prostate gland start behaving abnormally and mutate. Symptoms include frequent urination, pain or discomfort in the pelvic area, trouble urinating, blood in semen and erectile dysfunction.
Get started on a healthy lifestyle by adding these five cancer-fighting superfoods to your diet:
1. Black cumin seed — Described as a miracle herb, this seed’s name in old Latin is "panacea," which means "cure all." Thymoquinone — the active plant chemical found in black cumin seeds, is known to have anticancer effects and appears to be effective against cancers in the blood, as well as prostate, lung, kidney, liver, breast, cervix, colon and skin.
2. Vitamin D — A deficiency in vitamin D is strongly associated with prostate cancer. The best way to up your vitamin D levels is with sensible sun exposure. You can also take vitamin D3 supplements, but research shows the average adult needs to take 8,000 IUs of vitamin D per day in order to elevate their levels above 40 ng/ml, which is the absolute minimum for disease prevention. It would be remiss not to mention Vitamin C, which is selectively cytotoxic to cancer cells when administered intravenously in high doses. Foods high in vitamin C include kiwi fruits, citrus fruits, red bell peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, papaya, sweet potatoes and tomatoes.
3. Krill oil — Foods rich in omega-3 fats, such as krill oil, have been shown to prevent prostate cancer from spreading. One clinical study published in 2006 found that while omega-6 fats (the kind found in most vegetable oils) increased the spread of prostatic tumor cells into bone marrow, the spread of cancer cells was blocked by omega-3 fats, suggesting that a diet rich in omega-3 fats could potentially inhibit the disease in men with early stage prostate cancer.
4. Pomegranates — Pomegranate compounds can improve erectile dysfunction, and also squelch cancer cell proliferation and even bring about apoptosis, or cell death. Studies have shown that pomegranates exhibit antiviral, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties.
5. Ginger — Studies have demonstrated the anticancer activity of ginger, suggesting it may be effective in the management of prostate cancer. Ginger is known for its antioxidant content and its immune boosting, anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties, and has a long history of medicinal use. Ginger also provides potent cardiovascular benefits, by preventing atherosclerosis, lowering cholesterol levels and preventing oxidation of LDL cholesterol, effectively removing it and thereby preventing buildup to toxic levels, while cancer cells lack this ability.