|  | Diet Nutrition | Nutrition

Things to Eat for Prostate Health

Many diet tips for improving prostate health have not been proven to have a direct causal effect. But eating a healthy, balanced diet reduces your risk of a variety of types of cancer, including prostate cancer -- not to mention other diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. Eating healthy for prostate health is a simple precaution that any man can take, and the only side effect is better overall health.

  1. Fruits and Vegetables

    • Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables. According to the Mayo Clinic, a diet that is high in fruits and vegetables can reduce your risk of several types of cancer. Include tomatoes as often as possible, particularly cooked, canned or processed tomato products. They are high in lycopene and may have a protective effect on the prostate. And processed tomato products are higher in lycopene than raw because processing releases lycopene from the cell structure in the tomato, according to healthcastle.com. Add different fruits to each snack, and make half of each meal vegetables so you get a variety of nutrients. Include green leafy vegetables that are high in folate such as spinach, and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and kale.

    Cold-Water Fish

    • Eat sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids such as cold water fish like salmon, mackerel and herring. These fats are also good for the heart and brain. Cook fish on the grill or under the broiler so you're not adding a lot of fat.

    Soy Products and Legumes

    • Include some soy products as well as legumes in your diet. These foods offer healthy, low-fat sources of protein. Soy products may protect against different types of cancer as well as heart disease. And if you reduce your meat consumption and add legumes in place of meat, you can reduce the saturated fat in your diet. According to the Mayo Clinic, prostate cancer is more common in countries in which saturated fat intake is highest.

    Vitamin D

    • Make sure you get enough vitamin D. Vitamin D may help prevent prostate cancer as well as other types of cancer. It is particularly important to get enough of this vitamin if you live north of Boston. The sun is not strong enough in the winter in this area for the body to synthesize vitamin D. Few foods are a significant source of vitamin D. Try eating fish oils, eggs and fortified milk. Check with your doctor to decide if you should take a vitamin D supplement.

Nutrition - Related Articles