Just as it is with your overall health, the type of foods you eat can have a great impact on your prostate health. When you incorporate prostate-friendly and healthy foods into your diet, you would actively lower your chances of developing prostate conditions, which include prostate cancer. Research has revealed that prostate cancer is the number one cancer among men and this increased rate of prostate cancer may be due to high sugar, high-fat diet. If you are looking to make changes to your diet, keep in mind that you still need to visit your healthcare provider for prostate cancer screenings regularly. With that in mind, you can also start improving your prostate health at home by incorporating the following foods into your diet.
Soybeans and legumes
Legumes are a group of foods that include lentils, peanuts, and beans. Phytoestrogens, which are biologically active plant compounds can be found in legumes. One of those phytoestrogens includes isoflavones. A study showed that people that consumed the most phytoestrogens had about a 20% reduction in their risk for prostate cancer when compared to people that consumed the least. These cancer-fighting properties are thought to have come from their effects on cell death, hormone regulation, and antioxidant effects.
While there are still other research ongoing, a lot of other studies have shown a connection between soybean isoflavones and a lower risk for prostate cancer. Soy has been proven to be most effective when it is consumed in combination with other cancer-fighting foods.
Adding soybeans and legumes to your diet
If you want to add more soybeans and legumes to your diet, you should consider consuming plant protein instead of meat in some of your meals. This means that you could lean towards a vegan diet or you can try meatless Mondays.
Green tea
A lot of people around the world have been utilizing green tea thanks to the benefits it has for overall health. Many studies have been carried out to look at its effect on cancer. Research has suggested that it is because of the special compounds in green tea that it is able to lower the risk of prostate cancer by influencing hormone signaling, cell death, and tumor growth. The compounds that help us understand the health benefits of green tea include epicatechin, xanthine derivatives, and catechin.
Adding green tea to your diet
If you are a fan of the green tea taste, you can opt to drink one cup every morning instead of your regular cup of coffee. If you cannot take caffeine, you can opt for the decaffeinated one. Also, if you are not a fan of warm tea, you can turn it into a refreshing beverage by adding ice. You can opt for green tea powder or cooled green tea for your smoothies if you don’t like the taste of green tea.
Broccoli
Broccoli is a 
vegetable that packs a lot of complex compounds that can be essential in the fight against cancer. A number of studies have linked a reduced prostate cancer risk to the number of cruciferous vegetables you consume, which is a group that includes broccoli. The reason is not fully understood, but research suggests that few phytochemicals present in these groups of vegetables, which includes sulforaphane, targets and kills cancer cells, and leaves the regular prostate cells unaffected and healthy.
Adding broccoli to your diet
It is easy to add broccoli to your diet as you can eat it raw, cooked with some dip, or add it to salads, soups, and stir-fries. If you are concerned about your vegetables going bad, you can opt for frozen broccoli, which gives you the option of cooking it at any time.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, which is a very powerful antioxidant. It can help to prevent prostate cancer in addition to reducing tumor growth in people that have cancer. Other research is still ongoing to confirm its benefits. However, studies have shown that men who consumed a higher portion of tomatoes had a reduced chance of developing prostate cancer.
The lycopene in tomatoes helps to slow down the production of cancer cells as well as reduce cell damage. As an antioxidant, its responsibility is to protect the cells from damage.
Adding tomatoes to your diet
You can add more tomatoes to your diet by eating foods like pasta and pizza. You can focus on Italian-style foods that have a tomato base such as a Caprese salad or spaghetti Bolognese. When it’s summer, you can buy fresh tomatoes and add to sandwiches.
