What Causes Prostate Cancer? Some Diatary Tips to Avoid Prostate Cancer
Although most cases progress slowly and may never become clinically apparent, the disease is the second leading cause of cancer death in men and the most common cause of cancer death in male nonsmokers.
Further, because of the disease’s strong association with age, the number of new cases and deaths from prostate cancer is expected to increase with the aging of the population.
Hormonal factors are important in the etiology of prostate cancer.
Research studies have shown strong associations with testosterone and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-1).
Symptoms of Prostate Cancer
- Dysuria
- Difficulty in Urination
- Urinary frequency and retention (How To Use Aloe Vera For Frequent Urination)
- Hematuria (Blood in urine)
However, more than 80% of cases are asymptomatic and present with only an elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level or firm nodule on digital rectal examination.
Age:
The prevalence of prostate cancer increases rapidly after middle age.
The condition rarely occurs before age 45, whereas most men over 70 years show microscopic evidence of malignant cells.
Genetics:
Prostate cancer is likely influenced by several genetic factors. Men who have a first-degree relative with prostate cancer are twice as likely to develop the disease themselves. The incidence of prostate cancer is also higher in families with breast cancer, and patients with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations appear to have a twofold- fivefold increased risk.
Obesity:
In the Cancer Prevention Study II Nutrition Cohort that included 69,991 men, the risk for fatal prostate cancer was roughly 55% greater in men whose body mass indices (BMI) fell between 30 and 35, compared with men at a BMI below 25. In men treated with prostatectomy, obesity was also significantly associated with treatment failure. Obesity-related diseases (e.g., insulin resistance syndrome) appear to double the risk for prostate cancer. (The Surprising Reason You Can’t Lose Weight)
High blood concentrations of IGF-1:
IGF-I concentrations are associated with cancer risk and are influenced by both body weight and certain dietary intake.
Lack of physical activity:
In men aged 65 or older, a higher risk of advanced and fatal prostate cancer was found in those who were sedentary compared with those who were physically active.
Screening for prostate cancer is controversial. Although PSA screening may provide a very small reduction in overall mortality, the high rate of false positives leads to unnecessary procedures. The oftentimes indolent nature of the disease itself may lead to unnecessary surgery and treatment as well.
The condition rarely occurs before age 45, whereas most men over 70 years show microscopic evidence of malignant cells.
Genetics:
Prostate cancer is likely influenced by several genetic factors. Men who have a first-degree relative with prostate cancer are twice as likely to develop the disease themselves. The incidence of prostate cancer is also higher in families with breast cancer, and patients with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations appear to have a twofold- fivefold increased risk.
Obesity:
In the Cancer Prevention Study II Nutrition Cohort that included 69,991 men, the risk for fatal prostate cancer was roughly 55% greater in men whose body mass indices (BMI) fell between 30 and 35, compared with men at a BMI below 25. In men treated with prostatectomy, obesity was also significantly associated with treatment failure. Obesity-related diseases (e.g., insulin resistance syndrome) appear to double the risk for prostate cancer. (The Surprising Reason You Can’t Lose Weight)
High blood concentrations of IGF-1:
IGF-I concentrations are associated with cancer risk and are influenced by both body weight and certain dietary intake.
Lack of physical activity:
In men aged 65 or older, a higher risk of advanced and fatal prostate cancer was found in those who were sedentary compared with those who were physically active.
How to check for prostate Cancer?
Screening for prostate cancer is controversial. Although PSA screening may provide a very small reduction in overall mortality, the high rate of false positives leads to unnecessary procedures. The oftentimes indolent nature of the disease itself may lead to unnecessary surgery and treatment as well.
RELATED: How To Shrink Prostate Naturally
Nutritional Considerations for Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer risk appears to be increasing worldwide, a trend that may be due in part to the globalization of Western eating habits, as well as increases in body weight. Conversely, evidence is accumulating that certain healthful dietary patterns may prevent prostate cancer.
Consumption of eggs, milk, and saturated fat is associated with increased risk. The following principal issues have emerged in research on diet and prostate cancer:
Maintenance of a healthy weight. Obesity is linked with increased risk of developing aggressive prostate cancer, and adulthood weight gain is associated with prostate cancer mortality.
Some evidence suggests that weight loss of > 10 pounds over 10 years in mid-adulthood may reduce prostate cancer incidence, and that weight loss with the help of exercise may reduce the incidence of aggressive cancers or prostate cancer-specific mortality.
Healthful dietary patterns: White men following a vegan diet were found to have a 35% lower risk for prostate cancer, compared with non-vegans, a difference that fell short of significance for African-Americans.
These diets have been associated with this reduced risk include legumes, lycopene, garlic, and cruciferous vegetables.
Animal Products and Increased Risk:
Populations consuming diets high in animal products have higher risk of prostate cancer, compared with those following largely plant-based diets. In some studies, risk is associated with specific foods, including meat, eggs and dairy products. Others have revealed associations with other dietary sources of animal fat and saturated fat intake.
The Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (HPFS) found that men who consumed 2.5 or more eggs per week had an 81% greater risk for fatal prostate cancer, when compared with those who consumed less than a half egg per week.
READ ALSO: Dangerous Effects Of Animal products
Androgenic effects:
High-fat, low-fiber diets are associated with elevated blood testosterone concentrations, presumably as a result of either increased production or decreased excretion. In turn, higher testosterone concentrations are associated with increased risk of prostate cancer. Men who adopt low-fat, high-fiber diets show about a 15% reduction in testosterone concentrations
Insulin-like growth factor.
The association between animal product intake and prostate cancer risk may also be mediated by insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), a peptide with hormonal actions that increases with animal fat and animal protein consumption
Carcinogens produced by cooking:
Carcinogenic heterocyclic amines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons tend to form as meat is cooked at high temperatures, and these are associated with increased risk of prostate cancer.The NIH-AARP study suggested that nitrate and nitrite from processed meats or heme iron may also be implicated causally in the relationship between red meat and prostate cancer.
Dairy Product Intake and Increased Risk
Dairy products may play a role in prostate cancer risk that is distinct from that of other animal products. Two large Harvard University cohort studies (the Physicians’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study), among several other epidemiologic studies, have shown significant increases in prostate cancer among the highest consumers of dairy products
Although skim and low-fat milk were associated with nonaggressive cancers, whole milk was associated with significantly greater risks of progression to fatal disease after diagnosis and prostate cancer-specific mortality. Similarly, in the Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene (ATBC) Cancer Prevention Study of 29,133 male smokers, the highest dairy consumers had a 26% higher risk compared with those consuming the least dairy products. Two mechanisms have been proposed to explain this association:
Dairy Product Intake and Increased Risk
Dairy products may play a role in prostate cancer risk that is distinct from that of other animal products. Two large Harvard University cohort studies (the Physicians’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study), among several other epidemiologic studies, have shown significant increases in prostate cancer among the highest consumers of dairy products
Although skim and low-fat milk were associated with nonaggressive cancers, whole milk was associated with significantly greater risks of progression to fatal disease after diagnosis and prostate cancer-specific mortality. Similarly, in the Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene (ATBC) Cancer Prevention Study of 29,133 male smokers, the highest dairy consumers had a 26% higher risk compared with those consuming the least dairy products. Two mechanisms have been proposed to explain this association:
Hormonal effects of dairy products: Dairy products contain a variety of hormonally active compounds and may elevate blood concentrations of IGF-1
Calcium’s ability to suppress vitamin D activation: Compared with men who have the lowest calcium intakes, those with the highest intakes appear to have as much as double the risk for developing prostate cancer. In the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study of approximately 48,000 men, those with calcium intakes between 1,500 and 1,999 mg/d had an 85% greater risk, and those with intakes above 2,000 mg/d had a roughly 245% greater risk, compared with those who had calcium intakes between 500 and 749 mg/d.
Fruit and Vegetable Intake and Reduced Risk
Higher intake of lycopene-containing foods (predominantly tomato products) has been associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer. Although not all studies support this finding, a pooled analysis of 15 prospective studies found a 35% lower risk for aggressive (not total) prostate cancer in men whose lycopene intake was highest, compared to the lowest intake group. 26 Lycopene may interfere with IGF-1 and other mediators of prostate cancer risk, such as androgen signaling, oxidative stress, and interleukin.
Calcium’s ability to suppress vitamin D activation: Compared with men who have the lowest calcium intakes, those with the highest intakes appear to have as much as double the risk for developing prostate cancer. In the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study of approximately 48,000 men, those with calcium intakes between 1,500 and 1,999 mg/d had an 85% greater risk, and those with intakes above 2,000 mg/d had a roughly 245% greater risk, compared with those who had calcium intakes between 500 and 749 mg/d.
Fruit and Vegetable Intake and Reduced Risk
Higher intake of lycopene-containing foods (predominantly tomato products) has been associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer. Although not all studies support this finding, a pooled analysis of 15 prospective studies found a 35% lower risk for aggressive (not total) prostate cancer in men whose lycopene intake was highest, compared to the lowest intake group. 26 Lycopene may interfere with IGF-1 and other mediators of prostate cancer risk, such as androgen signaling, oxidative stress, and interleukin.
ALSO READ: What are Fruits and Vegetables Needed For a Healthy Heart?
Intake of cruciferous vegetables (e.g., broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts) is also associated with reduced risk for prostate cancer, perhaps because these foods can induce phase II detoxification enzymes, as well as cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis in prostate cancer cells.
Regular intake of allium vegetables (e.g., onions, leeks, scallions, and garlic) has also been associated with a decreased risk of prostate cancer. Individuals consuming the most allium vegetables had a nearly 20% lower risk, while those eating the most garlic had a nearly 25% lower risk.
It has been suggested that the possible anticancer effects of allium vegetables may involve immune stimulation and resultant release of interleukin-2, tumor necrosis factor, and interferon, and enhanced natural killer cell activity, in addition to pro-apoptosis effects, inhibition of cell cycle progression, and up-regulation of the tumor suppressor gene E-cadherin.
Additional Diet-Related Factors
Selenium: Studies indicate that individuals with adequate selenium status (attained through diet or low dose supplements) have a significantly lower risk for prostate cancer; however, high-dose selenium (140 μg/d) has been associated with a significantly higher risk for this cancer.
Coffee: Studies have revealed a significantly lower risk for prostate cancer for regular coffee consumers compared to abstainers
Alcohol: A large prospective cohort study found that alcohol was a minor factor in prostate cancer risk, except in men who tend to binge. Compared with abstainers, men who drank 105 g of alcohol (equivalent to 8-9 drinks) or more per week but who drank only 1-2 days each week had a 60% higher risk. (21 Deadly Health Effects of Alcohol: Short & Long Terms)
Although some evidence suggests that liquor consumption increases risk more than beer or wine, other evidence indicates that risk increases with any type of alcohol.
Diet and Prognosis
Some studies have addressed diet’s possible influence on survival after diagnosis. Overall, evidence suggests that low-fat, plant-based diets may be helpful, presumably due to their beneficial effects on hormonal concentrations and on body weight. Obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) has been significantly associated with treatment failure, biochemical recurrence of treated prostate cancer, and with more aggressive cancer progression (i.e., high-grade disease, positive surgical margins, extraprostatic extension, and lymph node metastasis). READ ASLO: Here Is How Pumpkin Seeds Help Prostate Enlargement
Obese men had a 47% greater overall mortality compared to normal weight men, but those who had gained > 5% of initial weight nearly doubled their risk for prostate cancer-specific mortality
The Physicians’ Health Study concluded that a Western dietary pattern is associated with a significantly greater risk for prostate cancer-specific (and all-cause) mortality, when compared with a more healthful (“prudent”) pattern.
Some studies have addressed diet’s possible influence on survival after diagnosis. Overall, evidence suggests that low-fat, plant-based diets may be helpful, presumably due to their beneficial effects on hormonal concentrations and on body weight. Obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) has been significantly associated with treatment failure, biochemical recurrence of treated prostate cancer, and with more aggressive cancer progression (i.e., high-grade disease, positive surgical margins, extraprostatic extension, and lymph node metastasis). READ ASLO: Here Is How Pumpkin Seeds Help Prostate Enlargement
Obese men had a 47% greater overall mortality compared to normal weight men, but those who had gained > 5% of initial weight nearly doubled their risk for prostate cancer-specific mortality
The Physicians’ Health Study concluded that a Western dietary pattern is associated with a significantly greater risk for prostate cancer-specific (and all-cause) mortality, when compared with a more healthful (“prudent”) pattern.
DR. APPIAH
Dr. Appiah is a Natural Health Therapist (Naturopath) who engages the natural healing agents given by God to save lives. EAT FOOD AS MEDICINE! EAT TO LIVE, DON'T LIVE TO EAT!! FOR BOOKINGS AND MORE: WANT TO ADVERTISE YOUR PRODUCTS? WANT A PERSONAL(CERTIFIED) NATURAL MEDICINE PRACTITIONER? REACH ME DIRECTLY ON WHATSAPP +233245643615 appiahinok@gmail.com
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