Prevent Prostate Cancer by Eating More Vegetables, Less Meat

Monday, February 25, 2008 by: Teresa Manafaia
Tags: prostate cancer, health news, Natural News

(NewsTarget) Prostate cancer is a serious health problem affecting a high percentage of men in industrialized western societies. The risk factors for prostate cancer mortality have already been identified and published (Grant, 2002, in Journal of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine).

According to this author, the consumption of vegetable protein was found to be an important risk-reduction factor. The high inverse relation between prostate cancer mortality and the consumption of vegetable protein is probably due to the high isoflavonoids and lignan content in foods such as pulses (beans) and whole grains. Where else can we find protein in vegetables? The highest protein content comes in legumes, but also in nuts and seeds! In fact, nuts and seeds are also rich in essential fatty acids, which can protect you against inflammation. It is also known that a high consumption of vegetable products in general, as a fraction of total energy (not only protein rich vegetables), is inversely related with prostate cancer mortality.

In contrast, a high consumption of animal products as a fraction of total energy, animal fat, the non-fat portion of milk, and added sugar, was found to be a risk factor for prostate cancer mortality (Grant 2002).

As a result of these findings, the recommendations are simple: to eat less fatty meat and avoid processed meat products (due to their high content of animal fat and preservatives). Cancer growing preservatives are present in foods such as sausages, salami, hamburgers, etc.

Milk and sugar (including refined cereals) increase your insulin response; avoid these kinds of food, so you can maintain a healthy metabolism. They may enhance prostate cancer development and subsequent mortality.

Vitamin D also protects against cancer. Healthy sun exposure, without sunscreen, can boost your vitamin D production. This can be done on the first and last hours of sunlight – this is not dangerous and helps in melatonin production regulation. Vitamin D supplementation is also an interesting strategy to consider.

Finally, exercise has already been identified as a cancer protector. Walking vigorously, at least 30 minutes everyday, and performing functional weight training every 2 days, may improve your cardiovascular resistance, enhance your insulin sensibility and boost your immune system!

About the author

Teresa Manafaia has a degree in Exercise and Rehabilitation from the Faculty of Human Kinetics (FMH) of The Technical University of Lisbon, she is a Certified Sports Nutritionist from the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN), a Certified Personal Trainer from the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) and a Certified Exercise Leader from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). In 2005, she was a guest speaker at the FML (Lisbon’s Faculty of Medicine) participating in a special session on “Nutrition and Exercise for Weight Control” for the Nutrition graduation class with Pedro Marques-Vidal, MD, PhD; in November of 2003 she was invited as an international speaker for the International Seminar of Physical Activity for the Elderly (8h event with discussion time), Belén de Pará, Brazil; in 2002 she was guest speaker in the subject of Nutrition for the ACSM Certificate in Portugal and, since 1997, she’s been a regularly speaker at national fitness conventions, on topics related to Exercise and Health, such as “Exercise Prescription for the Elderly”, “Implementing a Weight Loss Program”, “Weight-training for beginners”, “Weight-Training for Today’s Women” and “Exercise and the Metabolic Syndrome”.
Since 1999, her main professional activity is as Coordinator of the Technical Monitoring and Fitness Assessment Department, and the Exercise Room of GCP (Ginásio Clube Português), in Lisbon; She also coordinates the Cardiofitness and Weight-Training Instructors course at CEF – (Fitness Studies Center) – Lisbon, since 2000.