| Researchers from Canada have found that having a | | | | a good source. Soy and nuts contain a type of |
| diet of red meat, organ meats, soft drink and bottled | | | | phytoestrogen called isoflavones, whilst berries and |
| water increased the risk of getting prostate cancer. | | | | seeds contain lignans. Foods could include peanuts, |
| They compared the diets of 80 men with prostate | | | | sunflower seeds, peanuts, and berries. |
| cancer, and 334 healthy men, and the diet just | | | | The only possible concerns with soy is that a study in |
| described more than doubled the risk of developing | | | | mice found that male mice that had a type of heart |
| prostate cancer. | | | | disease that people also have, suffered heart failure |
| So what prostate diet can reduce the risk of | | | | when fed a soy based diet. Whether this |
| prostate cancer? Swedish researchers examined the | | | | extrapolates to the human population is yet to be |
| diet of 1499 men with prostate cancer and 1130 men | | | | established. But it may be wise for those me who |
| who were healthy, and they published their findings in | | | | have this particular genetic heart condition, dilated |
| the Cancer Causes and Control journal. They found | | | | cardiomyopathy, to be cautious about soy products |
| that eating foods rich in phytoestrogens decreased | | | | in their diet. |
| the risk of prostate cancer. | | | | But for other men, soy products could be good |
| Phytoestrogens are plant molecules that have a | | | | news. A meta analysis, which is a study of related |
| weak estrogenic effect. They are made converted in | | | | studies, published in the International Journal of |
| the intestines from plant precursors by bacteria as | | | | Cancer, found that diets high in soy lowered men's |
| they digest food. They are taken up by the same | | | | risk of prostate cancer by 30%. |
| parts of the body that process the hormone | | | | Another important mineral to consider for men is zinc. |
| estrogen. | | | | Zinc is used by men's bodies to make some of the |
| Interestingly, one of the treatments for prostate | | | | male hormones, and for general prostate health. A |
| cancer by doctors involves using estrogens to reduce | | | | deficiency in zinc can lead to problems with the |
| the level of testosterone in men with advanced | | | | testicles, the prostate, and the health of the sperm. |
| prostate cancer. It does this indirectly, through its | | | | Foods that are great sources of zinc include seeds |
| effect on the hypothalamus, as less luteinizing | | | | like pumpkin, sesame, and sunflower; nuts like |
| hormone releasing hormone is produced by the | | | | almonds, brazil, cashews and walnuts; and foods like |
| hypothalamus. This means not as much luteinizing | | | | lettuce, oats and onions. Raw onion is particularly |
| hormone is released by the body, which suppresses | | | | suggested by Paul Bedson, a natural therapist. He also |
| the production of testosterone. | | | | suggests vegetable juice made of equal parts of |
| High doses of estrogens for men can lead to | | | | beetroot, carrot, and cucumber in cases where the |
| cardiovascular complications. But phytoestrogens | | | | prostate gland is enlarged. Cranberry juice, a cup |
| obtained from diet, in less quantities than a drug, and | | | | drunk three times a day, is also recommended in this |
| with a milder effect to start with, should not pose a | | | | case. |
| problem. And researchers don't yet know what | | | | References: |
| exactly causes phytoestrogens to have such a | | | | 1. phoenix5.org/Infolink/advanced/estrogen.html |
| protective effect, whether it is similar to that of the | | | | 2. Australian Healthy Food, March 2006 |
| estrogen treatment for advanced prostate cancers. | | | | 3. Australian Healthy Food, November, 2005 |
| And they don't know which phytoestrogens are the | | | | 4. Paul Bedson, The Complete Family Guide To |
| most active. | | | | Natural Healing |
| So what phytoestrogen foods could you include in a | | | | 5. nutraingredients.com/news/ng.asp? |
| diet for a healthy prostate? Soy beans and nuts are | | | | |