Of the many serious illness that afflict men, prostate cancer is a very important one. This form of cancer affects the prostate gland, which is a part of the male reproductive system. Your genetic predisposition, advancing age, lifestyle and environmental conditions are considered to be the major factors that lead to the manifestation of this condition. In order to deal with this cancerous condition, one can resort to many methods of treatments like chemotherapy, surgery and hormonal therapy. But these treatments may not be suitable for everyone as they can lead to the development of many long term side effects like skin diseases, hair loss, impotency and urinary incontinence.
In order to avoid all these complications and to lead a healthy life, it is necessary that one adopts certain preventive measures. Given below are 9 such preventive tips which can be adopted by men so as to avoid contracting the undesirable condition of prostate cancer.
1. Increase your coffee intake
Recent research has shown that men who have the regular habit of coffee consumption are around 59 percent less likely to contract prostate cancer, as compared to their non-coffee drinking counterparts. Not only regular coffee, but the de-caffeinated ones are also found to be effective in keeping prostate cancer at bay. Therefore, men are advised to drink 2 to 3 cups of their favorite coffee on a daily basis, so as to be free from prostate cancer.
2. Have cooked tomatoes
Incorporating cooked tomatoes in your diet is an effective means of preventing prostate cancer. The cancer fighting action of the tomatoes can be attributed to the presence of the pigment lycopene in them. Since this pigment becomes more potent and active when the tomatoes are cooked, it is essential that you consume tomatoes only in the cooked form. To be benefited by the action of tomatoes you can have tomato based sauces or else you can cook tomatoes in olive oil and consume them twice a week.
3. Eat more fish
The tumor inhibiting omega 3 fatty acids which are present in fishes are seen to be very effective in prevention of prostate cancer. Studies have shown that men who eats fish for 3 times a week have a 25 percent less chance of developing cancer than their non- fish eating counterparts.
4. Consume broccoli
Consuming broccoli is seen to be a very effective step to prevent prostate cancer. By eating broccoli, one can also enjoy the added advantage of an increased protection from heart diseases. This amazing health benefit of broccoli can be attributed to the presence of the compound isothiocyanates, which are seen to activate the genes involved in cancer prevention. To avail the benefits of this healthy vegetable, you can have 4 servings of this vegetable a week, either in the raw form or in the cooked form.
5. Avoid junk food
It is seen that consuming junk foods like doughnuts and cookies increases the risk of development of prostate cancer many times, owing to the presence of trans fat in them. These fatty acids are seen to increase insulin resistance and organ inflammation, which in turn pave way for the development of prostate cancer. To avoid this occurrence, one should avoid consuming packed food items which contain hydrogenated oils and commercially available baked goods.
6. Stay away from selenium supplements
It was believed that the mineral Selenium had prostate cancer fighting properties, which lead to a huge population of men to consume its supplements as a cancer prevention measure. But recent studies have shown that the mineral has no profound effect in reducing the risk of the disease. Not only that, having 200 mg of Selenium supplement a day will make men more prone to the condition of diabetes. Not only Selenium, but even having Calcium supplements may sometimes lead to the development of undesirable situations. Therefore, to be on the safer side, it is recommended that you do not have any nutritional or vitamin supplements without consulting your doctor.
7. Develop an exercise routine
In order to prevent the occurrence of prostate cancer, one can very well follow a regular exercise routine. It is seen that regular exercises reduces the risk of prostate cancer development by around 40 percent. Workouts like jogging and swimming, will help to keep the body weight under control, and will thus reduce the chance of prostate cancer development. Apart from reducing the incidence of the disease, regular exercises also assist in the recovery of prostate cancer survivors and will also help in reducing the risk of death from the disease by about 56 percent.
8. Have an active sex life
Men having an active sex life are found to be less prone to develop prostate cancer. According to research, sexually active men, who have more than 20 orgasms are 30 percentage less risky to develop cancer, than their not so active counterparts.
9. Watch out for STDs
Studies have shown that men, who have the sexually transmitted disease, Trichomoniasis, are at a very high risk of developing prostate cancer. Therefore to cure the infection and to reduce the risk of prostate cancer, it is recommended that you go in for a medical examination. Upon diagnosis of the disease, physicians will usually prescribe a single dosage of the drugs tinidazole or metronidazole in order to curb the STD.
