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Although age is a major risk factor for prostate cancer, your lifestyle also matters. Therefore, if you want to take care of your prostate, start checking yourself regularly today, change your diet to a healthier one, move more, control your weight and waist circumference …
Two risk factors play a key role in prostate cancer. The first is genetics – the risk of developing prostate cancer doubles if it occurred among the closest relatives, of the first degree, e.g. in a brother or a father. In cases of inherited disease, prostate cancer may develop 6-7 years earlier than the average. The second risk factor is the age of the man – prostate cancer is the disease most often diagnosed in men over 65 years of age.
Unfortunately, one of the main problems is still late detection of prostate cancer in men, due to the fact that the disease can develop over the years without showing any specific, recognizable symptoms. Hence, it is so important to perform regular checkups, including PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) and per rectum tests. It is worth remembering that the diagnosis of prostate cancer at an early stage increases the patient’s chances of recovery and a longer life. It also makes it possible to use modern and less invasive therapies.
Experts also emphasize the significant impact of our lifestyle on the risk of this cancer, we are talking about inadequate diet, obesity, smoking and physical inactivity.
Bottom line: regular checkups and a healthy lifestyle are the best ways to prevent prostate cancer. Check out some tips that can help you with this.
First: a healthy plate
The studies conducted so far show that the Mediterranean diet is particularly beneficial for the health of the prostate, based on vegetables and fruits, whole grain cereal products, legumes and healthy fats – especially olive oil and nuts. [1] Instead of red meat, try fish and seafood as often as possible. You should also avoid sugar, saturated fat and highly processed foods, and replace full-fat dairy with dairy products with reduced fat content (yogurt, kefir, lean cottage cheese). It is worth saying goodbye to the pan and making friends with the steamer.
Leading a healthy lifestyle is also associated with reducing alcohol consumption and quitting smoking.
Second: keep an eye on the waist circumference
Some studies have found that men, especially those with abdominal obesity, have a greater risk of developing a more aggressive prostate cancer (2). Therefore, take a tailor’s tape measure today and check whether your waist circumference is within the normal range. If it’s over 94 cm, it’s time to think about your diet. The recommended weight loss rate should be between 0,5 kg and 1 kg per week.
Third: a dose of exercise
In addition to a healthy diet, exercise is also important as it allows us to maintain a healthy weight and strengthens the pelvic floor muscles, which partially control the flow and holding of urine. In addition, regular exercise increases testosterone levels, which is important for men over 40 years of age. According to new recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO), adults (18-64 years) should exercise for 150-300 minutes a week at moderate intensity or 75-150 minutes at high intensity. [3]
Recently, more and more attention has been paid to NEAT (Non-exercise activity thermogenesis), i.e. spontaneous physical activity. It turns out that NEAT has a large impact on the total metabolism, determining the amount of calories burned during the day. If you want to increase spontaneous activity, choose stairs instead of an elevator, park further than usual, and organize conversations and meetings during walks.
Fourth: stay alert!
After turning 45 the basis of prophylaxis in every man is regular visits to the urologist and PSA examination, which allow for early detection of cancer, and thus for more effective treatment. Importantly, men who have an increased risk of developing prostate cancer due to family burdens should have regular examinations from the age of 40.
Read also:
- A few words about the treatment of prostate cancer … What is the situation of a Polish patient?
- Prostate cancer faq, or what you need to know but are afraid to ask …
- Verdict: prostate cancer. And what’s next?
- How to take care of the prostate so that it serves us for many years?