Diet & Exercise for Prostate Cancer

A high-fat diet, coupled with a lifestyle in which you get little or no exercise, has been theorized to be a factor in increasing your risk for prostate cancer. A low-fat, high-fiber diet, however, along with regular exercise, can slow the growth of the cells that cause prostate cancer. Asian men traditionally follow a low-fat, high-fiber diet. As a result, the rate of prostate cancer contraction among Asian men is lower than that found in men from the United States.

Diet

• A diet that is high in fiber but low in fats is good for maintaining overall health, as well as prostate health. This type of diet is one that incorporates fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes. Legumes include beans, nuts and edible seeds such as sunflower and sesame.

  In addition, some health care professionals recommend that little or no meat, eggs or dairy products be included in this type of diet, and that healthier ways of preparing meals also be implemented.

  Although this is a healthy diet, and promotes good eating habits, you should still check with your doctor before starting it. He can help monitor your weight and overall health, as well as perform periodic prostate exams, and run Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) tests.

Exercise

• Exercise is also an important factor when it comes to good overall health, and prostate health too, reducing the risk of prostate cancer. You should aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise every day.

  Walking is a good form of exercise, and one of the easiest to accomplish. However, anything that gets you up and moving will help. This can include swimming, tennis or golf, as long as you walk the course and do not use a golf cart. Again, you should check with your doctor before starting any exercise program.

Considerations

• It is not too late to begin living a lifestyle that will help you reduce or possibly avoid the chances of contracting prostate cancer. If you currently have a healthy prostate, starting now will help you maintain it. If you have been diagnosed with prostate cancer, or you have had prostate cancer in the past, ask your doctor about starting the diet and exercise program. Remember it is a good program for your overall health, so as long as your doctor says you can do it, you can still get benefits from it.