13 ways to reduce your risk of prostate cancer and BPH

✔ Choose

1. Plant-based nutrition: The majority of your food choices are minimally processed, whole plant foods. Fill >50% of your daily meals with vegetables, 10% fruits, 15% legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, 25% lean protein such as organic chicken, grass-fed meat, wild-caught fish, organic tofu/edamame
2. Flaxseed 
3. Garlic, onion
4. Lycopene: cooked tomato, watermelon, papaya, guava, persimmon, red pepper
5. Omega 3 fatty acids: fish oil, salmon, sardine, mackerel, tofu, edamame, flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnuts 
6. Catechins: Matcha, green tea, dark chocolate, berries
7. Zinc-rich foods: Pumpkin seeds, legumes
8. Vit E (50mg/day): sunflower seeds, almonds, avocado, leafy greens 
9. Selenium-rich foods: Brazil nuts, eggs, salmon, pumpkin seeds
10. Cruciferous Vegetables, such as broccoli, kale, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, bitter vegetables
11. Vitamin D: 1000-5000 IU/daily or ~15 minutes of sun on the arms, legs, face during midday (10am-2pm), 3-4 times a week
12. Nutritional supplements: Saw Palmetto, Stinging Nettle 
13. Stay active, exercise and maintain healthy weight. Move more and sit less

✖  Avoid/Limit

• Ultra-processed foods, such as Jam with added sugar,  processed meats, sugary granola bars, microwave popcorn, frozen dinner/pizza, instant noodles, margarine, fried foods, dried fruits 
• Smoking or excessive alcohol intake
• Store-bought pickled foods with nitrates or high sodium content 
• Barbecue or grilled meats
  • Cooking meat over high temperature (ex. Pan-frying, grilling, barbecuing) may produce carcinogenic chemicals 
• Processed meats with nitrates, such as sausage, bacon, ham, smoked salmon, pepperoni, roast beef  
  • Processed meats with nitrates and nitrites can form nitrosamines (carcinogenic) in the body 
  • Processed meats, especially red meat contain heme iron, which can enhance the formation of carcinogenic compounds (NOCs) in the body 
• Refined grains, such as white rice, white bread, sugary cereal, regular pasta
• Excessive intake (more than 3 servings/day) of dairy and calcium 

Nutrition Tips

• Replace cookies & crackers with veggie sticks & hummus/plain yogurt 
• Make a veggie omelette/tofu omelette/lentil soup/homemade smoothie for breakfast to boost vegetable intake in AM
• Eat your vegetables and fruits with healthy fats such as avocado, extra virgin olive oil, nuts to maximize nutrient absorption
• If you have BPH, limit red meat, caffeine, alcohol, spicy foods 
  • Excessive intake of red meat is associated with the risk of colorectal cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic diseases 
• Drink green tea with citrus (such as freshly squeezed lemon juice) to enhance catechins absorption
• Replace processed meats and red meat with unprocessed, fresh chicken/turkey and have some meatless days with plant proteins
• Eat a diet high in antioxidants polyphenols and Vitamin C can help reducing the conversion of nitrates and nitrites to nitrosamines 
  • ex. green tea, cocoa powder, berries, red grapes, star anise, flaxseed