Family Doctor 2007 - (Page 145) men PROSTATE HEALTH Protecting your prostate Cancer of the prostate gland is one of the most common types of cancer among men in the United States. Here’s how you can prevent it through diet, exercise and supplements. By Susanna E. Guzman tomatoes seems to be better than lycopene from raw tomatoes or other fruits when it comes to keeping a lid on cancer cell growth. Move more, stress less We don’t yet know whether exercise lowers the risk of prostate cancer, but we do know that obesity and prostate cancer are related. The more a man weighs, the higher his risk for prostate cancer. Regular exercise can help you manage your weight and your stress. It hasn’t been shown that stress causes cancer, but it is known that people who take an active role in their health are generally more likely to feel hopeful and optimistic. T he prostate is a gland that lies just below a man’s urinary bladder. It surrounds the urethra like a donut and is in front of the rectum. The urethra is the tube that carries urine out of the bladder, through the penis and out of the body. The prostate gland makes a fluid that provides nutrients for sperm. This fluid makes up most of the ejaculate fluid. What’s in that supplement? Doctors agree that it’s best to get your vitamins, minerals and other nutrients by eating a healthy diet. But dietary supplements are everywhere, and their labels often claim a number of health benefits. Here’s some information about supplements that you may have heard: ● Vitamin E may cut the risk of prostate cancer. But if you take Keeping your prostate gland healthy If your prostate gland is healthy, you may only think about it when you see your family doctor for a check-up. During an exam, the doctor can check the prostate by putting a gloved finger into the rectum to feel the back of the gland. A normal gland is firm but not hard or swollen and doesn’t have any bumps on it. Researchers still aren’t 100% sure what men can do to keep their prostate glands healthy. But studies that have been done so far do point to a few things that may help. medicine for high cholesterol, taking vitamin E may mean the cholesterol medicine does not work as well. ● Selenium is a mineral that seems to limit cell damage. It may also help prevent cancer. In one study, men who took 200 micrograms of selenium per day were about 60% less likely to get cancer of any kind, especially lung, colorectal and prostate cancers. Eat your vegetables Some vegetables, such as cauliflower and broccoli, contain a compound known as sulforaphane. This compound may help special proteins in the body get rid of carcinogens. A carcinogen is a substance that’s known to cause cancer. Although the jury’s still out on the benefits of sulforaphane, one study showed that men who ate 5 or more servings of broccoli or cauliflower per week, up to 8 years before the study, had a 10% to 20% lower risk of prostate cancer. Lycopene, found in tomatoes (and watermelon, grapefruit, guava and papaya), may also help by cleaning up extra oxygen atoms in the body known as “free radicals.” Normally, the body uses free radicals to fight bacteria and other trouble-makers that can invade the body. But free radicals can also damage cells. And a damaged cell is more likely to become cancerous. Eating at least 2 servings a week of tomato sauce has been shown to lower the risk of prostate cancer. Lycopene from cooked So what to do? It seems that a healthy diet and lifestyle may do more than help you feel better. Eating lots of fruits and vegetables and exercising regularly is very likely to improve your health. As for keeping your prostate gland healthy, talk with your family doctor about what else you can do. He or she can help you understand the research, and what it means for you. Susanna E. Guzman is an editor with the American Academy of Family Physicians, headquartered in Leawood, Kan. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION American Academy of Family Physicians http://familydoctor.org/361.xml Mayo Clinic http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/prostate-cancerprevention/MC00027 familydoctor 2007 145 http://familydoctor.org/361.xml http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/prostate-cancer-prevention/MC00027 http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/prostate-cancer-prevention/MC00027
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