The American lifestyle with its poor diet, lack of regular physical activities, and high stress levels – is leading to a number of chronic illnesses like Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and certain forms of cancer, including cancer of the prostate.
Prostate growth and prostate cancer are a major problem for men, with over half of men above the age of 50 having problems with their prostate glands. The good news is that there are natural ways to help treat the prostate naturally, mostly through diet. As a matter of fact, recent research has revealed that regular tomato consumption is one of the best way to prevent prostate problems.
Why Tomatoes are Good for the Prostate
The new research that’s just come out looked at a variety of foods which are rich in calcium, selenium and lycopene to try to find out which dietary components can help reduce prostate cancer risk; this study is the first of its kind to seriously look at nutritional therapy for this condition. One food which really stood out in the study was tomatoes, due to the fact that they are rich in the antioxidant lycopene. Lycopene, a carotenoid which is found in red fruits and vegetables, has a proven history of other health benefits, including improved cardiovascular function. But it was also found that lycopene was extremely effective in detoxifying the body from chemicals that can damage DNA and lead to the onset of prostate cancer.
This study looked at 1,806 men from age 50 to 69 with prostate cancer and compared them to 12,005 men who were cancer free. It found that men, every week, who eat least ten portions of tomatoes and tomato products such as tomato juice and even baked beans, lowered the risk of prostate cancer by 18%. The study came to the conclusion that tomatoes may prove to be beneficial for prostate cancer prevention and that further research should be done about the dietary effects of fresh fruits and vegetables on men’s long-term cancer health.
Study Limitations
There are limitations to tomato consumption in regards to prostate cancer prevention, however. It is true that processed tomato products show higher concentrations of lycopene than fresh tomatoes. However, it is not considered healthy for men to overconsume high levels of processed foods like baked beans, pizza and tomato sauce because of the fact that these foods are high in fat, sodium and other additives that might actually increase cancer risk. Overall, they recommended that diets largely based on fruits and vegetables with high amounts of fiber and antioxidants like lycopene to not only reduce prostate cancer risk but to maintain a normal body weight and improve overall health.
In conclusion, prostate cancer is a serious condition and many men over the age of 50 will be effected by it in their lifetimes. However, there is growing evidence to suggest that nutritional and dietary therapy can play a role in risk reduction and help men age more successfully.
Sources: bbc.com, foxnews.com, medicalnewstoday.com
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