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Tips on preventing prostate cancer

Tips on preventing prostate cancer (Getty Images photo)
Tips on preventing prostate cancer (Getty Images photo)

Prevention is better than cure. There may not be any scientifically proven sure-fire ways to prevent prostate cancer, but there are things you can do to reduce your risk of prostate cancer such as maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Here are some tips based on information from the Mayo Clinic.

Eat healthy
A healthy diet full of greens may help reduce risk of prostate cancer. Although this hasn’t been proven scientifically, males who want to prevent prostate cancer can consider trying to have a healthy diet by:

Choosing a low-fat diet
Males who eat the highest amount of fat per day increases the risk of getting prostate cancer, according to some studies. Although it hasn’t been proven that too much fat can cause prostate cancer, eating a smaller amount of fat per day has other benefits, such as controlling your weight. It also helps keep a healthy heart.

Eating more plant-based fat than animal fat
Some studies on fat consumption and prostate cancer risk show that fats from animals had the highest likeliness to be associated with increasing the risk of prostate cancer.

Piling on the fruits and greens
Fruits and vegetables are full of nutrients associated with reducing the risk of prostate cancer, although no research has proven any specific nutrient that would definitely reduce your risk of prostate cancer.

Having more greens in your diet also leave less room for other foods, such as foods with a lot of fats, thus ensuring that you can have a healthy diet.

Eating fish
Omega-3 fatty acids is a type of acid that has been associated with reducing the risk of prostate cancer. Fish that contain omega-3 acids are salmon, tuna and herring.

Reducing the amount of dairy products you eat per day
Some studies show that males who eat the most dairy products like milk, cheese and yogurt everyday had the highest risk of prostate cancer. However, there have been mixed results and the risk linked with dairy products is thought to be small.

Keep a healthy weight
Obese males with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher may have a higher risk of getting prostate cancer. Overweight or obese males can reduce weight by reducing the amount of calories intake each day and exercising more.

Males can work on maintaining a healthy weight by trying to exercise most days of a week and having a diet that’s full of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

Exercise
Studies have shown that males who exercise have a lesser chance of being diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Besides reducing the risk of prostate cancer, exercising also has many other health benefits, such as reducing one’s risk of heart disease and other cancers.

If you haven’t already been exercising, you should start slow by adding physical activity to your day in your daily routine. For example, you can try taking the stairs instead of the escalator after alighting from the MRT train.

For those still unsure about the chances of getting prostate cancer, you can discuss about it with your doctor. Some males may have a higher chance of getting prostate cancer and can try other options to reduce your risk such as taking medications.