Protect
your prostate; for some men, diet makes or breaks
prostate health |
A LINK BETWEEN genetics and diet may determine if you
get prostate cancer. About one in four men have an inherited
genetic variation (MnSOD AA) that makes them vulnerable
to prostate cancer if their levels of certain antioxidants--namely
lycopene, selenium, and vitamin E--are low. This is according
to a study conducted at Brigham and Women's Hospital and
Harvard Medical School in Boston.
Unfortunately, you can't get tested to see if you have
the vulnerable genotype. "We're not at that stage
yet," says lead researcher Haojie Li, M.D. So how
do you know if you should eat your tomatoes, Brazil
nuts, and wheat germ? The prostates of men with the
other genotypes (MnSOD VV or MnSOD VA) are not as vulnerable
to oxidative stress, says Li, "but from the current
knowledge, it looks like these antioxidants are beneficial
for all men in terms of prostate-cancer prevention."
In a related study, reported in April at the annual
meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research,
the antioxidants found in green tea showed remarkable
protection against prostate cancer. After taking 600
milligrams per day of caffeine-free catechins for a
year, only one man in a group of 32 subjects with pre-malignant
lesions developed prostate cancer, compared to nine
men in a control group. (Other research has found that
a daily glass of red wine may cut prostate-cancer risk
in half; see our March 2005 issue, page 107.)
In addition, too much cholesterol is detrimental, prostate-wise.
While elevated blood cholesterol doesn't seem to cause
prostate cancer, it can help an existing tumor thrive,
say researchers at Children's Hospital in Boston. Anti-cholesterol
statin drugs are a viable treatment option. But the
bottom line is that a healthy diet high in antioxidants
and low in cholesterol-promoting trans and saturated
fats can only do a fella good.
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