Prostate cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide. However, there is good news: extensive research suggests that lifestyle and diet play an important role in prostate cancer prevention and treatment. In our latest Dignity Health Yavapai Regional Medical Center (YRMC) Your Healthy Kitchen video, I make a delicious recipe that is packed with important phytochemicals shown to reduce your risk, plus I explore other protective diet and lifestyle habits.
Roasted Tomatoes with Ginger and Garlic
Many of the diet and lifestyle recommendations for the prevention of prostate cancer are similar to recommendations for the prevention of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other types of cancers. The top five for prostate cancer prevention are:
- Quit smoking
- Get regular, if not daily physical activity
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Reduce your intake of processed foods and added sugars
- Eat a big variety of colorful fruits and vegetables
There are also several nutrients and foods that have been linked specifically to a reduced risk of prostate cancer, including lycopene and ECGC, or epigallocatechin-3-gallate, a potent phytochemical found in green tea.
Lycopene is one of several plant-based chemicals linked to reduced prostate cancer risk. It’s one of about 600 different colorful carotenoids made by plants and is found in red, orange and green vegetables, herbs, and fruits. All carotenoids act as antioxidants – protecting the cells, blood vessels, nerves, and organs in your body from damage – but lycopene seems to be the most powerful one.
Good sources of lycopene include:
- Tomatoes
- Watermelon
- Papaya
- Dried apricots
- Pink grapefruit
- Carrots
- Asparagus
- Parsley
For prevention of prostate cancer and many other chronic diseases, be sure to get a good source of daily lycopene, green tea, and lots of colorful fruits and vegetables, along with regular exercise, and embrace a smoke-free lifestyle.
And be sure to check out all of our instructional videos and delicious, health-promoting recipes at yrmchealthconnect.org. You can follow me on Facebook too, at YRMC’s Your Healthy Kitchen, where I post photos and videos of the meals I make in my own kitchen, plus links to my favorite food and gardening destinations on the web.