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What Diet Will Prevent Prostate Problems?

Prostate problems range in severity from frequent bathroom breaks to physical discomfort and pain. Taking certain nutritional steps can help alleviate problems and perhaps reduce the risk of more serious issues, like prostate cancer.

  1. Change to a More Sensible Diet

    • The most basic changes to your diet may involve decreasing serving portions and lowering your calorie count. By balancing meals and keeping fat grams in check, pounds drop and cancer risks can be decreased.
      Saturated fats, in particular, may be a leading culprit in prostate cancer risk, so reduce the amount of saturated fats in your daily diet, including red meat.
      Increase your intake of fruits and vegetables, which have been shown to fight cancer. Foods like leafy greens and certain beans containing folate are helpful in preventing prostate cancer. Other vegetables like kale, broccoli and cabbage contain diindolymethane, another potential prostate cancer fighter.
      Foods containing omega-3 fatty acids are also proven to lower cancer risks. Good sources of omega-3 include salmon, mackerel and herring.
      Introduce more soy and legumes into your daily diet. The phytoestrogens in legumes and soybeans may help reduce prostate problems and their symptoms.
      As you increase the amount of healthy food you eat each day, you should also decrease your alcohol intake. Consuming two or more alcoholic drinks each day increases the risk of developing prostate cancer.

    More Fiber, Less Fat

    • One of the more common prostate problems is BPH, or benign prostatic hyperplasia, a condition in which the prostate becomes enlarged. Symptoms include frequent urination or feeling like the bladder is full, even after urinating.
      By cutting out junk foods and substituting with high-fiber and low-fat foods, you can alleviate BPH and its symptoms.
      A diet rich in fiber may lower the risk of developing prostate cancer, as it decreases the level of reproductive hormones. Good sources of fiber include whole grains, beans and fruits and vegetables.
      A low-fat diet involves cutting out or reducing the intake of saturated fats and cooking with monounsaturated fats, such as canola or olive oil.

    Other Tips

    • * Keep your weight in check. If your waist measures 43 inches or more, your risk of developing prostate problems increases 50 percent.
      * Drink more fluids. An enlarged prostate is often associated with kidney, urinary tract and bladder infections. You can minimize the risk of such infections by increasing your water intake to two or three quarters per day.
      And finally, be sure to eat foods rich in vitamin D, which is associated with lowering the risk of prostate cancer. Food sources include cheese, egg yolks and fish liver oil. Supplements might be necessary for some patients.

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