Health and Fitness Vault: Six Tips For Preventing Prostate Cancer as You Age

Prostate cancer is a frightening and potentially life-threatening disease. A positive diagnosis can leave you stressed, fearful and wondering where to turn. While there are successful treatments for this condition, prevention is always preferable to medical intervention. What should you know about preventing it?

Here are some vital tips to help ensure that you protect yourself.

Get Your Dose of Java
We've been hearing for years now about the potentially harmful effects of coffee – jittery hands are just the beginning.

However, new research shows that not only is drinking coffee not really bad for you, it can actually be enormously beneficial, particularly in cutting your risks for developing prostate cancer. According to research from Harvard, men consuming six or more cups of coffee per day reduced their chances of developing cancer by almost 60%. What’s more, it doesn't matter what type of coffee you consume – even decaf helps.

Make Time for Love
Interestingly, one of the most important tips for preventing prostate cancer is actually to spend more time in the bedroom. Sex, or more correctly, orgasm, can reduce prostate cancer risks by 30% or more. However, to see these benefits, you have to have an orgasm almost daily – the study showed that those men who saw the most benefits were those who had an orgasm 21 days out of every 30. If nothing else, that should be plenty of encouragement to convince your significant other to spend more time in the bedroom.

Get Up and Get Out
Exercise in any form is good for your body. Increasing your fitness has been proven to reduce blood pressure, boost libido, improve metabolism and more. However, it’s also been shown to reduce the threat of prostate cancer in men by over 40%. Even men who have already been diagnosed with prostate cancer can slash their risks of mortality from the disease by 56% with just five hours of rigorous exercise per week.

Know Thy Enemy
The modern world offers a host of enemies to your health. However, one of the most insidious is fat, specifically trans fats. It’s insidious because some of the most tempting, delicious foods are loaded down with it. Take donuts for example – they’re saturated in it. Essentially, anything that contains hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils should be avoided completely (and yes, that means not stopping at the donut shop for a cup of Joe and a bear claw).

Stock Up on Green Veggies
Green veggies have been touted as healthful food for years now, but some of us are slow to listen. However, if you’re concerned about prostate cancer, getting your fill of green vegetables every day can provide some powerful protection for your glands. Specifically, broccoli has been shown to help reduce the risk for cancer, but you’ll have to eat a minimum of four helpings of broccoli per week. That doesn't mean you have to gnaw on the stems daily – get creative. Juicing is a great way to add vegetables to your diet without you having to eat the same thing day in and day out.

Check Your Testosterone Levels
No man wants to contemplate low testosterone levels – it’s inherent to “manliness”. However, low levels of this hormone have been linked to higher risks for developing prostate cancer. If caught early, hormone supplements can help reduce your risks. As you can see, there are plenty of ways that you can help reduce your risk for developing prostate cancer, but even if you are diagnosed with it, there are treatment options available. Speak with your medical provider to learn more.

Nadya Prieto is the Practice Administrator for Palm Beach Urology, which offers HIFU. To find out more about prostate cancer treatments, please visit www.palmbeachurology.com.