Although it receives nowhere near the same amount of media attention as its female equivalent (breast cancer), prostate cancer is a big deal in both Australia and New Zealand. In the latter country, 3000 men will receive a prostate cancer diagnosis this year, and 600 of them will die of their disease.
As with breast cancer, the medical focus is strongly on early detection through regular PSA testing and digital examination. While it's true that early detection is vital, it's also important to know that dietary choices can make a real difference to the chances of getting this cancer.
The type of fats you choose on a daily basis can have a real impact on your risk of prostate cancer and the speed of tumour growth. Men with diets containing plenty of omega-3 fats and light on omega-6 fats seem to have the lowest risk of ever receiving this devastating diagnosis.
Omega-3 fats contain plenty of EPA and DHA, found in oily fish and the algae that they feed on; and ALA, found in flax and other plants. Omega-6 fatty acids are found mainly in vegetable oils such as those derived from corn, soy, sunflower and safflower, and are also found in red meat.
In studies, rats fed a diet containing one part of omega-3 fats for every one part of omega-6 fats showed a 22 per cent average reduction in tumour cell growth rates compared with rats fed predominantly omega-6 fats.
The omega-3 fed rats also had PSA levels (this is a protein found in the blood which can indicate prostate cancer) nearly 80 per cent lower than the other group of rats. (Journal of Clinical Cancer Research, August 2006).
Omega-3 and omega-6 fats are used by your body to produce hormone like substances called prostaglandins. When you eat plenty of omega-3 rich foods, the main type of prostaglandin produced has an anti inflammatory effect in your body.
If on the other hand, you're loading up on omega-6 fats, your body produces a different type of prostaglandin which is inflammatory, and it is these inflammatory chemicals which seem to stimulate and feed tumour growth.
Even when omega-6 fats are added to a culture dish containing prostate cancer cells, they seem to feed the growth of the cancer. In fact, in the presence of omega-6 fats cancer cells grow twice as quickly. (Cancer Research Journal, February 1, 2006).
Omega-6 fats contain lots of arachidonic acid which appears to literally “turn on” a dozen different inflammatory genes know to be important in the development of cancer. Prostate cancer incidence has increased as dietary intake of omega-6 fats has increased.
So how do you translate these studies into practical changes in your diet? Take a good look at the type of dietary fats that you're consuming. The typical western diet contains around 20 times more omega-6 fat than omega-3 fat. Eating a more balanced ratio of these fats could pay huge dividends for your prostate health.
Reduce omega-6 fats by changing the types of oils you use in the kitchen. Get rid of the more traditional soy, safflower, corn and sunflower oils used for frying and replace them with omega-3 rich oils such as extra virgin olive oil; avocado and rice bran oil.
Next take a look at how many processed and packaged foods you are consuming. Snack foods and packeted convenience foods are often high in omega-6 fats. Reduce their consumption while increasing your intake of “whole foods” that haven't seen the inside of a food processing factory.
Then super boost your omega-3 intake by enriching your diet with plenty of oily fish such as salmon, sardines, herrings and tuna. Aim for three to five servings of oily fish a week.
Also, find creative ways of increasing your intake of raw nuts and seeds (not the salted roasted variety!). Sprinkle them through your muesli or porridge in the morning; grind them up and add to smoothies; toast them and mix through salads, or simply grab a handful as a snack.
Other omega-3 superfoods include avocado's and the shiny little brown flax seed. Flax seeds are high in omega-3 fatty acids and a phytoestrogens called lignans. This combination appears to be a powerful inhibitor of cancer cell growth.
The omega-3 fatty acids in flaxseed are thought to halt the cellular activity that leads to cancer growth and spread by modifying the ability of cancer cells to clump together or adhere to other cells. Lignans may also help inhibit the ability of tumours to form new blood vessels.
Buy small amounts of flax seeds as their high fat content makes them prone to rancidity, and keep them in an airtight container in the fridge. Grind enough seeds to last for three or four days (use a coffee bean grinder or food processor). Sprinkle two rounded teaspoons (about 10grams) of ground seeds into muesli, porridge or smoothies at breakfast time.
Lynda Wharton is a health and wellbeing writer, columnist and author. She also practises as an acupuncturist and naturopath.
lynda@lyndawharton.com
www.lyndawharton.com
