PROSTATE CANCER

Deep fried foods increase risk of developing aggressive prostate cancer by one-third

by John Phillip

(NaturalNews) Prostate cancer will affect one in six men during the course of their lifetime, as nearly a quarter of a million new cases are diagnosed in the U.S. each year. While many cases of the disease remain localized as a growing number of patients adopt a wait and see attitude toward the traditional slash, burn and poison treatment options, aggressive forms of prostate cancer are on the rise, threatening the lives of thousands of men annually.

Despite ever-increasing awareness that diet and cooking methods play a direct role in disease prevention and progression, consumption of overcooked and fried foods continues to increase at an alarming rate. A new research study conducted at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, WA has found that regular consumption of deep fried foods is associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer. Publishing in The Prostate, scientists determined the effect appears to be slightly stronger with regard to more aggressive forms of the disease.

Carcinogens formed when foods are fried dramatically boost prostate cancer risk

Past studies have shown that high heat cooking methods greatly increase the risk of developing not only prostate cancer, but digestive cancers as well. This is the first study to examine how eating fried foods increases the risk of prostate cancer. Study scientists analyzed data from two prior population-based case-control studies involving a total of 1,549 men diagnosed with prostate cancer and 1,492 age-matched healthy controls. Food questionnaires were used to determine consumption of foods including French fries, fried chicken, fried fish and doughnuts. Frequency of eating fried foods was also assessed as part of the overall evaluation.

Researchers found that men who ate one or more of these foods at least weekly had an increased risk of prostate cancer that ranged from 30 to 37 percent. The lead study author, Dr. Janet Stanford commented "The link between prostate cancer and select deep-fried foods appeared to be limited to the highest level of consumption, defined in our study as more than once a week, which suggests that regular consumption of deep-fried foods confers particular risk for developing prostate cancer."

The team determined that frying dramatically increases the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGE's) on the surface of foods that triggers the formation of carcinogens such as acrylamides (found in carbohydrate-rich foods such as French fries), heterocyclic amines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (chemicals formed when meat is cooked at high temperatures), aldehydes and acrolein. Complete avoidance of foods cooked at high temperatures or fried will dramatically lower the risk of developing prostate cancer and other digestive cancers as well.

Sources for this article include:

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pros.22643/abstract
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/01/130128142849.htm
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-01/fhcr-sfe012813.php

Suzanne

Researchers at the University of California in San Francisco studied over 4,500 men with prostate cancer that had spread. They found that patients who substituted healthy vegetable fats--such as olive and canola oils, nuts, seeds and avocados--for animal fats and carbohydrates had a markedly lower risk of their cancer turning lethal.

Researcher Erin L. Richman says the findings "support counseling men with prostate cancer to follow a hearth-healthy diet, in which carbohydrate calories are replaced with unsaturated oils and nuts."

Suzanne

Suzanne,

In another study they found that sympathetic stimulation by the nervous system promotes prostate cancer while parasympathetic stimulation causes the spread of prostate cancer. The same result likely applies to a number of other cancers as they know that woman with breast cancer do better if they are taking beta blockers, which block sympathetic stimulation by the nervous system. My guess is that this also explains why people with allergies or asthma typically have less cancer than others due to their higher levels of parasympathetic stimulation and reduced sympathetic stimulation, though the reduced T-regulatory cell activity in those patients also contributes toward cancer reduction.

Here is a link for more information: http://www.einstein.yu.edu/news/releases...ing-its-spread/

I thought cancer was based on the acidic versus the non-acidic?

Daryl,

There are many influences on the creation of cancer, acidic and basic being just two of them. Genetics, viruses, germs, inflammation, metabolism of chemicals in the gut by bacteria and other things can all play a part in causing cancer.

Wendell for your post that I am looking at now.

Can you, or anybody else, provide sources to what you posted?

I will also be looking for sources on what you posted here.

Through my first wife's 6 years of battle with cancer I discovered that this is generally the truth. And now at the age of eighty I see how these things influence how my PSA moves up and down.

I could add that taking 13 tablets a day of SagaPro, made from arctic angelica, lower my PSA. It is available in North America.

I heard that whole wheat as in whole wheat bread, etc. causes inflammation in the blood vessels, etc.

Would that be related to the sprays on the wheat? It seems that wheat often has issues like this, and it contributes to such problems as Crohn's disease, gluten intolerance, celiac disease, etc. as I understand. Corn, because of its husk, is more sheltered and doesn't have so much of a problem.

Blessings,

Green Cochoa.

I read about an American special claiming that most foods are contaminated because most of them contain wheat where the straw was shortened.

And short straw causes inflammation? Not likely.

You mean as opposed to highly refined white flour does NOT cause inflammation?

As far as all the diseases from wheat goes, it's not likely it's the herbicides. Most food has it, and wheat probably has less than most other foods. It's harvested early in the season so there's not much of a weed issue as with corn and beans. There's some fungal diseases, but dependent upon the location.

But how many people eat whole wheat in comparison to the ones with the diseases? It's difficult to by whole-wheat bread in most stores. At potlucks, people turn their noses up to whole-wheat hotdog buns and hamburger buns. Unless it's just the Adventists who shun whole-wheat....

I heard that wheat was modified back in 1945 resulting in wheat that causes inflammation in our blood vessels, etc.

More than one health food store here in the Maritimes has told me this.

Taking a daily brisk walk lowers the risk of prostate cancer

by Yanjun

(NaturalNews) Prostate cancer is one of the leading killers among men over 60 years of age. This type of cancer can go for many years undetected, and without causing any serious problems. However, it can also get very aggressive and spread rapidly to other parts of the body. When this happens, it can be very difficult to treat. But there is some good news. It has been proved that taking a daily brisk walk lowers the risk of prostate cancer.

Risks of developing cancer increase with one's age

Age has been known to be one of the major contributing factors to the occurrence of prostate cancer among men. Scientifically, men who are over 60 years are more prone to this deadly disease than those below that age. The disease can be detected very easily when one is approaching 70 years of age. Additionally, other factors that research has shown to contribute to the developing of this type of cancer have been highlighted below.

Men who are obese are more prone to prorate cancerFamily history has also been known to play a key role. Genetics and gene mutations in the family have been identified to cause prorate cancer.Consumption of high fat dairy products and red meat. If one is to fight successfully, he needs to take more fruits and vegetables.Chronic prostatitis, STI, alcohol, and smoking have also been mentioned by many researches to be among the factors that make men more susceptible to prostate cancer.

A daily brisk walk

Research has shown that daily work, coupled with regulars exercise, can have an extensive impact on prostate cancer prognosis. Ideally, a man who engages is some kind of high level physical activity has one of lowest risks of developing prostate cancer when compared to those men who do not actually exercise. In other findings, men with prostate tumors that have more regular blood vessels have a better prognosis than men with prostate tumors that contain irregular blood vessels. Walking has also been mentioned to largely contribute to how regular the man vessels are. Research has shown that men who reported to have walked at a brisk pace had regular shaped blood vessels when compared to men who walked at a less brisk pace.

Conclusion

All in all, there is no effective way that one can use to prevent himself from this type of cancer. However, regular physical activity can be one of the best routes to take. Even men who have been treated with this cancer before are less likely to have a more aggressive prostate cancer if they exercise more frequently. If the scientific findings are anything to go by, then men need to start walking briskly, eat more vegetables, and exercising regularly to keep prostate cancer at bay.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=213829

http://www.pcf.org

http://www.nhs.uk

Suzanne

I know a person who had prostate cancer who took both chemo and radiation treatment, went into remission, back out of remission, back into treatment several times, before deciding to replace the chemo and radiation treatment with a natural type of treatment, namely wheat grass juice and a strict vegan diet.

This person didn't go back into remission, but instead was declared to be cancer free.

What does that tell us?

I found this from Natural News at the following link:

http://www.naturalnews.com/025975_IP6_cancer_treatment.html#

(NaturalNews) Anyone looking for effective alternatives to the treatments offered by traditional cancer specialists might want to look at inositol hexophosphate (IP6). It is a very simple and inexpensive treatment that may easily get written off by people, who have been led to believe the cure for cancer can only be found in a laboratory through the complexities of science and only after years of expensive research and testing. Yet it is becoming obvious that one of the most effective cures for cancer already exists in a simple compound found in abundance in many foods. New research continues to underscore the effectiveness of IP6 against cancer.

IP6 is found effective against prostate cancer

In a recent study at the University of Colorado Cancer Center, more specific mechanisms through which IP6 is effective were identified. Scientists had previously found that IP6 increased the activity of genes that control proteins in human prostate cancer cells lacking functional p53, the gene that provides much cancer protection. They sought to determine whether this increased activity plays a role in IP6's anti-tumor effect. They found that the two genes activated by IP6, p21 and p27, play a critical role in mediating the anticancer effectiveness of IP6. Following activation of the genes by IP6, they were able to halt tumor growth and promote the appropriate death of cells in a process known as apoptosis. This study was published in the February edition of Cancer Research.

This study follows on the heels of other research from the University of Colorado that evaluated the efficacy of IP6 against prostate tumor growth and progression. Prostate cancer was induced in mice given either water containing IP6 or plain water. The researchers found that IP6 inhibited the progression of the cancer cells and strongly reduced the incidence of adenocarcinoma. This is of high significance because 95% of prostate cancers are adenocarcinomas, meaning the cancer has developed in the lining or inner surface of the gland.

The incidences of well-differentiated and poorly differentiated adenocarcinomas in the group fed IP6 were reduced by 44% and 62% respectively. Analysis of the prostate tissue showed a 3.5 fold increase in malignant cell death. This highly significant finding established for the first time that oral IP6 suppresses prostate tumor growth and progression at the stage of abnormal or uncontrolled growth.

IP6 is non-toxic and produces no side effect

IP6 is a compound found in beans, whole grains, nuts, seeds, rice and wheat bran, corn, and sesame. One-half cup of whole kernel corn contains a whopping 650 mgs of IP6. It is composed of an inositol sugar molecule (one of the B vitamins), with six phosphate groups attached. Because it is a sugar molecule, it has a pleasant, sweet taste. Because it is from food and not from a drug laboratory, IP6 has no toxic effects in the body even at high doses.

Although the IP6 compound was identified many years ago, it wasn't until the late 1980's that its ability to control the rate of abnormal cell division was discovered. A scientist from the University of Maryland, Dr. Abulkalam Shamsuddin, found that IP6 was able to halt well developed cancers. While most cancer research centered on killing cancer cells, Dr. Shamsuddin proved that IP6 could normalize the sugar production of cancerous cells, thereby altering their gene expression toward a more healthful state. This discovery has major implications because cancer cells that are well behaved have far less negative consequences to health.

IP6 works in many ways against cancer

Whether from food or from therapeutic supplemental doses, IP6 works against cancer in several ways. Its ability to act as an intracellular messenger means that it is integral in many cellular activities including:

Normalizing the rate of cell growth
When cancer cells lose their control mechanisms, rapid and uncontrolled division of malignant cells is often the result. As IP6 repairs the gene mutations and reestablishes control within the cells, their rate of division is slowed

Enhancing natural killer cells
Natural killer cells are white blood cells that help protect against infected or cancerous cells. Research has shown that the higher the amount of natural killer cell activity, the lower the incidence of some cancers. A healthy human produces 500 to 1000 cancer cells daily that need to be identified and disposed of by the body. Natural killer cells and natural cell programming result in the vast majority of these cells being destroyed and removed. However, when the body is under stress, including the stress produced by lack of sleep, natural killer cell population is compromised. When the body is under the ultimate stress of being forced to face a diagnosis of cancer and the terrifying toxic treatments that go with such a diagnosis, the natural killer cell population can be reduced at the time it is most needed. IP6 has been documented and proven to increase natural killer cells at such times.

Normalizing cell physiology
Because IP6 is able to restore aspects of normality to the cells, it is able to modulate how a cancer cell expresses itself and how threatening it will be. Experiments have shown that IP6 is able to normalize several aspects of cell physiology in spite of the fact that cancer cells have altered DNA. It was demonstrated in the above noted study that IP6 is able to alter gene expression to restore normality. The more a cell can return to its normal state, the more it loses its malignant characteristics.

Increasing tumor suppressor p53 gene activity
DNA contains tumor suppressor genes that inhibit pathways and processes that allow cells to become malignant. The p53 gene acts as a control to prevent genetically damaged or cancerous cells from growing and propagating. If the p53 gene becomes damaged or compromised, cancers can establish themselves more easily. IP6 has been shown to greatly increase the amount of p53 gene activity, up to seventeen times. When augmented by IP6, even the toxic treatments offered by traditional medicine become more effective due to its ability to increase p53 gene activity.

Enhancing apoptosis
Apoptosis is the orderly programmed process by which cells naturally die off. The process of apoptosis results in the removal of individual cells without affecting the surrounding cells. It is part of the growth and maintenance of healthy tissues. Cancerous cells do not want to die and are resistive to apoptosis. This is one mechanism of tumor formation. IP6 has been shown to restore cancerous cells to normality to the point where they are able to follow through with their programmed death.

Affecting angiogenesis
Angiogenesis is the process by which tumors set up their own blood supply, to assure themselves of getting the nutrients necessary to grow. Once this blood supply is set up, tumor growth spirals as more growth leads to more blood supply creation. IP6 has been shown to inhibit this process, resulting in the starvation of cancer cells.

Powerfully chelating heavy metal
Tumor cells use iron as a primary growth factor. According to researchers at Wake Forest University, iron chelators are of value in the treatment of cancer since they act by depleting iron and limiting tumor growth. IP6 binds with iron and escorts it from the body. Because IP6 is naturally found in all human cells, it has the ability to get inside tumor cells and remove their iron.

Inhibiting metastasis
IP6 inhibits cancer cell migration and invasion by preventing the adhesion of these cells to extra-cellular matrix proteins. This limited adhesion is very important following surgery and biopsy, as these procedures can cause cancer cells to become dislodged. One reason so many breast cancer patients have lymph nodes containing cancer cells is that the squeezing of the breast by the mammography used in diagnosis can dislodge cancer cells which then migrate to the lymph nodes.

Inhibiting inflammation
One key indicator used in predicting the survival rate for a cancer patient is the level of systemic inflammation. Inflammation is like a fire going on in the body that will destroy it if not stopped. IP6 helps stop inflammation through chemical messages that halt the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines.

Inhibiting free radical production
IP6 acts as an antioxidant in the body. Antioxidants are known to protect against disease states and aging in general. Antioxidants bind with free radicals rendering them harmless. In their free state, these radicals can damage DNA and leave cells susceptible to mutations that can result in the production of cancerous cells. IP6 is significantly more potent as an antioxidant than green tea.

IP6 influences genes to halt colon cancer

In another recent study, more information about the molecular mechanisms through which IP6 acts was revealed. Scientists at the Medical University of Silesia in Poland investigated the influence of IP6 on the expression of genes encoding subunits of NFkappaB and of its inhibitor, IkappaBalpha, in human colorectal cancer cells. The results of their study suggest that IP6 primarily influences p65 and IkappaBalpha expression in colon cancer cells. The amount of activity seen was dependent on the IP6 levels and the amount of time it had been present in the cells.

Populations with diets high in IP6 have low incidences of cancers

Dr. Shamsuddin's studies have shown that tumor regression takes place in people using 8 grams of IP6 daily for three to four weeks. This is the amount that would be found in 12 ounces of whole kernel corn. One of his studies found that after two weeks the tumors of mice treated three times a week with IP6 were 96 percent smaller than the tumors of mice that did not receive IP6. Populations with diets high in IP6 have lower incidences of cancers of the breast, colon and prostate. Dr. Shamsuddin's laboratory experiments with IP6 have been reproduced and extended by scientists around the world, reconfirming his amazing findings. This study is from Acta Poloniae Pharmaceutica, November through December, 2008.

IP6 is more than a cancer treatment

In addition to the anti-cancer benefits of IP6, research is revealing its benefits in treating diabetes, depression, osteoporosis, heart disease, and kidney stones. It has recently been shown to help Parkinson's patients because of its ability to chelate excess iron and thereby reduce oxidative stress that results in neuronal degradation.

Treating cancer with IP6

For anyone choosing to use IP6 as a cancer cure or a preventative there are some things to know. IP6 is present in all human cells, and considered quite safe to use. However, IP6 obtained from food is bound to protein. Before it can be absorbed by the body, it must be freed from this protein by the enzyme phytase that is present in food and naturally in the intestinal tract. The power of the phytase enzyme is damaging to IP6 and renders much of it inactive and therefore less effective when obtained in this form. Pure IP6 from a supplement is not bound to protein and is easily absorbed intact and able to provide its complete medicinal properties.

Many holistic healers and naturopaths recommend IP6 as a standard alternative treatment to be used along with others alternative treatments for active cancer. For people with a high risk of cancer or who have had cancer and want to prevent a recurrence, IP6 is also consistently recommended. Some traditional physicians are becoming aware of the benefits of IP6 and although they can't bring themselves to abandon their toxic treatments, they are adding IP6 to their protocols.

For more information see:

Dr. Kin Vanderlinden, Dr. Ivana Vucenik, Too Good to be True?

Dr. Abulkalam Shamsuddin, IP6 Natural Revolutionary Cancer Fighter

http://www.lewrockwell.com/sardi/sardi39.htm...



About the author

Barbara is a school psychologist, a published author in the area of personal finance, a breast cancer survivor using "alternative" treatments, a born existentialist, and a student of nature and all things natural.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/025975_IP6_cancer_treatment.html##ixzz2vV6sv5RE

Frying Red Meat Boosts Risk Of Prostate Cancer By A Whopping 40 Percent

by John Phillip

(NaturalNews) Prior research studies have implicated overcooking meats, especially red meat, due to the formation of carbon-based amines that greatly increase the risk of digestive cancers over many years of consumption. These studies have suggested eating meats that have been stewed or roasted in favor of char grilled or well done to avoid the charred 'bark' that forms as a result of barbequing or grilling over open flames.

A research team publishing in the journal Carcinogenesis from the University of Southern California and Cancer Prevention Institute of California found that cooking red meats at high temperatures, especially pan-fried red meats, may increase the risk of advanced prostate cancer by as much as 40 percent. This new study provides startling new evidence on how red meat is cooked not only increases digestive cancer incidence, but may also increase the risk for prostate cancer.

Consuming grilled, well done and barbecued meat produces cancer causing heterocyclic amines

Researchers gathered data from nearly 2,000 individuals participating in the California Collaborative Prostate Cancer Study. Each participant completed a comprehensive questionnaire that evaluated the amount and type of meat intake, including poultry and processed red meat. Additional information gathered included the cooking method: pan-frying, oven-broiling or grilling. Over the course of the study, more than 1,000 of the men included in the study were diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer.

The lead study author, Dr. Mariana Stern noted "We found that men who ate more than 1.5 servings of pan-fried red meat per week increased their risk of advanced prostate cancer by 30 percent... in addition, men who ate more than 2.5 servings of red meat cooked at high temperatures were 40 percent more likely to have advanced prostate cancer." The scientists found that among red meats, the consumption of hamburger meat, but not steak, was linked to an increased risk of prostate cancer. They speculate that the findings are a result of different levels of carcinogen accumulation found in hamburgers, as they attain higher internal and external temperatures faster than steak.

Cooking method is a significant factor in determining the risk of developing many different forms of cancer, due to the formation of the DNA-damaging carcinogens called heterocyclic amines (HCAs). During the cooking of red meat and poultry, HCAs are formed when sugars and amino acids are cooked at higher temperatures for longer periods of time. It is important to note that this does not vilify the consumption of free-range, grass-fed red meat in moderate portions. Avoid well done, barbequed or grilled cuts of any meat (red meat, chicken, pork or fish) to significantly lower risk of prostate and digestive cancers.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22822096
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120816170404.htm
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/249145.php
http://www.huffingtonpost.com

Suzanne

Aggressive Prostate Cancer Caused By Vitamin D Deficiency, Scientists Now Declare

by Ethan A. Huff, staff writer

(NaturalNews) Men with suboptimal or deficient levels of vitamin D are much more likely than other men to develop prostate cancer, according to a new study funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Department of Defense (DoD). Researchers from Northwestern University near Chicago found that vitamin D deficiency can increase the risk of aggressive prostate cancer in some men by nearly 500 percent, highlighting the need for increased focus on natural sunlight exposure and supplementation.

The research was based on an assessment of more than 600 men from around the Chicago area who came from varying ethnic backgrounds. Each of the men had elevated PSA levels or some other risk factor associated with prostate cancer going into the study, and each was evaluated for vitamin D deficiency prior to undergoing a prostate biopsy.

After adjusting for external factors that may have influenced the results, including things like diet, obesity, smoking status and family history, the researchers determined that vitamin D levels are inversely associated with prostate cancer risk. This means that, for each unit of decrease on the vitamin D scale, there is a corresponding increase on the prostate cancer risk scale, and this increase is even more pronounced among certain ethnic groups.

"European-American men and African-American men had 3.66 times and 4.89 times increased odds of having aggressive prostate cancer respectively and 2.42 times and 4.22 times increased odds of having tumor stage T2b or higher, respectively," reads an announcement by Northwestern University. "African-American men with severe vitamin D deficiency also had 2.43 times increased odds of being diagnosed with prostate cancer."

Published in Clinical Cancer Research, the new study draws attention to the crucial role that vitamin D plays in reproductive health. Corresponding with research involving women where vitamin D deficiency has been linked to infertility, the latest prostate cancer discovery demonstrates a need for the public to pay closer attention to vitamin D intake.

"Vitamin D deficiency could be a biomarker of advanced prostate tumor progression in large segments of the general population," stated Adam B. Murphy, M.D., lead author of the study. "Vitamin D deficiency is more common and severe in people with darker skin and it could be that this deficiency is a contributor to prostate cancer progression among African-Americans."

Go out in the sun more or supplement with vitamin D3 to avoid disease

Murphy and his team recommend that more men be screened for vitamin D deficiency, since minor deficiencies can be asymptomatic. But a good rule of thumb for everyday health maintenance is to spend at least 15 minutes out in the sun every day without sunscreen during the summer, or to supplement with at least 5,000 international units (IU) of vitamin D3 daily during the rest of the year, along with magnesium.

The Vitamin D Council has a wealth of information on its website that can help guide you in protecting against vitamin D deficiency. The following page contains specific information about how vitamin D works, how best to obtain it throughout the year and how to protect your skin from sun damage while still obtaining the necessary ultraviolet B (UVB) rays for vitamin D production:

VitaminDCouncil.org.

"Most foods that contain vitamin D only have small amounts, so it's almost impossible to get what your body needs just from food," explains the Vitamin D Council. "Because there are only small amounts of vitamin D in food there are only two sure ways to get enough vitamin D:" "Exposing your bare skin to sunlight to get ultraviolet B (UVB)" and "[t]aking vitamin D supplements."

Sources for this article include:

http://www.northwestern.edu

https://www.vitamindcouncil.org

http://www.vitamindcouncil.org

http://www.vitamindcouncil.org

http://science.naturalnews.com

Suzanne

Tomatoes Lower Prostate Cancer Risk By One-fifth

by Julie Wilson

(NaturalNews) In 2014 alone, an estimated 233,000 men will receive a prostate cancer diagnosis, and nearly 30,000 of them will die from the disease. Prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer among men worldwide, after lung or bronchial cancer, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Skin cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among American men, according to Cancer.org.

Prostate cancer occurs due to a growth in the prostate gland, which is involved in sperm production and transport. When a growth occurs, cells begin to replicate more rapidly. Errors or flaws in the DNA can occur during replication, creating mutated genes.

Inherited DNA only accounts for about 5 to 10 percent of prostate cancer, according to The American Cancer Society, while the remainder of cases most likely occurs due to environmental factors, particularly an increase in certain hormones. Specific endocrine-disrupting compounds increase hormone levels, potentially influencing the development or progression of prostate cancer.

Prostrate cancer is directly linked to endocrine disruptors, such as BPA

Lead, mercury, arsenic, DDT, fire retardants, dioxin and phthalates like bisphenol A (BPA) are just a few examples of endocrine disruptors, also known as "hormone mimickers."

While prostate cancer is treatable, it can often spread aggressively, thus becoming potentially fatal. Interestingly, prostate cancer rates among men are higher in developed countries, leading some experts to suggest that Western culture could be a factor, particularly diet and lifestyle.

To test this theory, researchers at the Universities of Bristol, Cambridge and Oxford examined the diets and lifestyles of more than 1,800 men ages 50-69 with prostate cancer and compared them to over 12,000 cancer-free men.

Published in the medical journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, the study is the first to catalog a prostate cancer "dietary index." The index linked the dietary components selenium, calcium and lycopene-rich foods, to reduced prostate cancer incidence, according to the University of Bristol.

Foods rich in lycopene reduce the risk of prostrate cancer

Men that consumed an "optimal" amount of the above three dietary components had a lower risk of prostate cancer. Lycopene is the red pigment that gives many fruits and vegetables their red color. It's an antioxidant responsible for fighting toxins known to cause DNA and cellular damage.

Foods rich in lycopene include tomatoes, watermelon, grapefruit, asparagus, chicken, red cabbage, carrots and parsley.

According to the study, tomatoes and tomato juice, as well as baked beans, produced the greatest health benefits, providing an 18 percent risk reduction in men eating more than 10 portions per week.

"Our findings suggest that tomatoes may be important in prostate cancer prevention. However, further studies need to be conducted to confirm our findings, especially through human trials," said Vanessa Er, a researcher with the School of Social and Community Medicine at the University of Bristol and Bristol Nutrition BRU.

"Men should still eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, maintain a healthy weight and stay active," she added.

Recommendations on physical activity and body weight by cancer prevention institutions were also examined during the study; however, only tips about which foods to eat played a factor in reducing the risk for prostate cancer.

Researches concluded that the recommendations provided by the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research were insufficient, suggesting that additional dietary recommendations should be developed.

The research was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and was carried out as part of the ProtecT study, which is funded by the NIHR Health Technology Assessment program, which aims to develop the best treatment methods for prostate cancer.

Currently, experts are unsure whether operation, radiotherapy or careful monitoring including regular checkups is the best treatment method for prostate cancer.

Additional sources:

http://www.bristol.ac.uk

http://www.bris.ac.uk

http://www.cancer.gov

http://www.nbcnews.com

http://www.cancer.org

http://www.cdc.gov

http://www.cancer.org

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

http://www.ewg.org

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com

http://science.naturalnews.com

Suzanne