HEALING GUIDES FOR COMMON CANCERS- Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer may begin in different areas—the gland, the ducts, the urethra, or tissues around the gland. The most common type is acinar adenocarcinoma.
Best foods to eat
Dean Ornish, M.D., is president and founder of the nonpro t Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, California, and a clinical professor of medicine at the University of Cal- ifornia, San Francisco. He is perhaps best known for his life- style-based approach to ghting heart disease, showing that it can be treated and even reversed through modi cation of the diet and exercise. In the past decade, he has applied a similar approach to research on cancer.
In July 2007, Harvard Men’s Health Watch published a report of a study he and four other researchers conducted to examine the impact of lifestyle therapy on mild to moderate prostate cancer. Ninety-three men participated. None was abusing alcohol, tobacco, or drugs. Half were in a control group and half adopted a program that included an ultra-low-fat diet, nutritional supplements, brisk walking, and stress reduction. After a year, results showed that 70 percent in the lifestyle-modi cation group had blood that inhibited cancer growth as compared to 9 percent of the control group. In other words, a healthy lifestyle sets up your body for health rather than cancer.
Ornish advises limiting calories from fat to 10 percent of your diet. Eat a menu that consists mainly of fruits, vegetables, whole grain products, legumes, and organic soy products.
Physicians measure the presence of prostate speci c antigens (PSAs) as one factor that can help them determine the presence of prostate tumors and the speed at which these may be growing. The slower a tumor grows, the better.25 Research done at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center in Baltimore, Maryland, along with several private clinics, has shown that the phytonutrient-rich pomegranate can reduce the rate of PSA doubling in men with prostate cancer. Similarly, at the University of California, Los Angeles, researchers found that pomegranate juice signi cantly slowed progression and recurrence in men who had already undergone surgery or radiation for prostate cancer. Researchers say: “Overall, the doubling time increased from 11.9 months at baseline to 18.5 months after treatment with pomegranate extract.”26
In my opinion, it’s best to eat pomegranate whole; however, you could instead take a pomegranate powder or supplement if you were determined to avoid the fruit’s sugars.
Another measure that prostate doctors pay attention to is the level of dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT is a hormone that can create abnormal cell growth and cancer production. Testing is done for the biomarker insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). If you needed another reason to eat plant-based foods, here it is! A study in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention reported that IGF-1 levels were elevated among eaters of animal protein but not among eaters of plant proteins (beans, legumes, lentils).27
To prevent or heal cancer, try preparing meals that contain:
In July 2007, Harvard Men’s Health Watch published a report of a study he and four other researchers conducted to examine the impact of lifestyle therapy on mild to moderate prostate cancer. Ninety-three men participated. None was abusing alcohol, tobacco, or drugs. Half were in a control group and half adopted a program that included an ultra-low-fat diet, nutritional supplements, brisk walking, and stress reduction. After a year, results showed that 70 percent in the lifestyle-modi cation group had blood that inhibited cancer growth as compared to 9 percent of the control group. In other words, a healthy lifestyle sets up your body for health rather than cancer.
Ornish advises limiting calories from fat to 10 percent of your diet. Eat a menu that consists mainly of fruits, vegetables, whole grain products, legumes, and organic soy products.
Physicians measure the presence of prostate speci c antigens (PSAs) as one factor that can help them determine the presence of prostate tumors and the speed at which these may be growing. The slower a tumor grows, the better.25 Research done at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center in Baltimore, Maryland, along with several private clinics, has shown that the phytonutrient-rich pomegranate can reduce the rate of PSA doubling in men with prostate cancer. Similarly, at the University of California, Los Angeles, researchers found that pomegranate juice signi cantly slowed progression and recurrence in men who had already undergone surgery or radiation for prostate cancer. Researchers say: “Overall, the doubling time increased from 11.9 months at baseline to 18.5 months after treatment with pomegranate extract.”26
In my opinion, it’s best to eat pomegranate whole; however, you could instead take a pomegranate powder or supplement if you were determined to avoid the fruit’s sugars.
Another measure that prostate doctors pay attention to is the level of dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT is a hormone that can create abnormal cell growth and cancer production. Testing is done for the biomarker insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). If you needed another reason to eat plant-based foods, here it is! A study in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention reported that IGF-1 levels were elevated among eaters of animal protein but not among eaters of plant proteins (beans, legumes, lentils).27
To prevent or heal cancer, try preparing meals that contain:
- Bromelain (pineapple)
- Capsaicin (cayenne pepper)
- Curcumin (turmeric and curry)
- Ellagitannin (pomegranate seeds or juice)
- ECGC and polyphenols (green and black tea, oregano, rosemary, and thyme)
- Lentinan and l-ergothioneine (mushrooms like king oyster, oyster, reishi, maitake, and shiitake)
- Lycopene (carrots, mangoes, tomatoes, and watermelon)
- Lysine (almonds, peanuts, pecans, and walnuts)
- Omega-3 fatty acids (astaxanthin [algae], axseeds, sardines, trout, walnuts, and wild-caught salmon)
- Quercetin (apples, capers, dill, cilantro, cranberries, grapes, kale, radicchio, red onions, watercress, and white grapefruit)
- Selenium (Brazil nuts)
- Sulforaphane and indoles (cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, broccoli sprouts, brussels sprouts, cabbage, collard greens, kale, kohlrabi, mustard greens, turnips, turnip greens, and watercress28)
- Vitamin D3 (beef liver, cheese, egg yolks, and oily sh such as albacore tuna, cod, cod liver oil, herring, mackerel, mussels, salmon, sardines, and trout)
- Zinc (cashews, kale, pumpkin seeds, spinach, wheat germ, and white mushrooms)
Quick tips
- Drink a glass of fresh tomato juice or vegetable juice at breakfast daily.
- Avoid nonfermented soy products like tofu and edamame, which can raise estrogen levels (men have
a small quantity of this hormone). Fermented soy products like miso, natto, and tempeh are acceptable— and good sources of vitamin K2. - Foods that raise PSA levels most are those that contain acrylamide, such as processed French fries, potato chips, cakes, and doughnuts.30 Acrylamides come from heating oil to a high heat in the presence of certain sugars. Make these foods at home so you can control both the cooking process and the quality of your ingredients.
