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10 Top Causes of Prostate Cancer and How to Avoid Them by www.SixWise.com Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer among men
(skin cancer is the first), according to the American Cancer
Society (ACS). In 2007 alone, nearly 219,000 new cases of
prostate cancer are expected in the United States, and over
27,000 men will die from the disease.
Vigorous exercise can help to prevent prostate cancer,
particularly in men over the age of 65.
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However, although one in six men will get prostate cancer
during his lifetime, only one in 34 die from the disease.
This is because prostate cancer is often slow growing (though
it can at times grow quickly), and men may have the disease
and not even know it.
Though it's not known exactly what causes this disease, there
are several known risk factors, some of which you can easily
control to reduce your risk of prostate cancer.
The Top Causes of Prostate Cancer
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Age: Your risk of prostate cancer increases with
age, particularly among men over 65 years old.
-
Family history: If a close relative (father,
brother) had prostate cancer, it will increase your risk.
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Diet: Men who eat a lot of processed meat, bad
fats and refined grains have an increased risk of prostate
cancer, particularly if they don't eat a lot of fruits
and vegetables.
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Exercise: Exercise is generally known to reduce
the risk of all types of cancer, however men over 65 who
exercise vigorously have been found to have a lower risk
of prostate cancer, specifically.
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Ethnicity: African-American men have the highest
rates of prostate cancer in the world, according to the
Harvard Center for Cancer Prevention.
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Environmental chemicals: Researchers are focusing
increasingly on the potential chemical causes of prostate
cancer. Exposure to pesticides has been linked with an
increased risk, as has in-utero exposure to the plastics
chemical bisphenol
A (BPA) and other hormone-mimicking environmental
contaminants.
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Cadmium: Exposure to excess levels of cadmium
is also known to increase prostate cancer risk. Cadmium
is found in foods (shellfish, liver and kidney meats have
the highest levels), cigarette smoke, and contaminated
air and water (particularly if you live near, or work
in, a facility that manufactures batteries, pigments,
metal coatings or plastics).
Men can reduce their risk of prostate cancer by eating
a lot of cooked tomato-based foods, like pizza sauce.
Why? They're rich in the antioxidant lycopene.
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Too many vitamins: Men who take excessive levels
of vitamins -- more than seven multivitamins
a week -- may be increasing their risk of prostate cancer
by 30 percent, according to researchers at the National
Cancer Institute.
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Too much, or too little, vitamin D. Men who had
vitamin D deficiency, or excess vitamin D, both had an
increased risk of prostate cancer, according to a study
in the International Journal of Cancer.
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Vasectomy: Several studies have suggested that
men who have had a
vasectomy have a slightly higher risk of prostate cancer.
How to Lower Your Risk of Prostate Cancer
Although some risk factors of prostate cancer, like age,
ethnicity and family history, are obviously beyond your control,
there are plenty of factors that you DO have control over.
Making the following changes may help to reduce your risk
of this widespread cancer:
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Eat more tomato-based foods. Tomatoes (particularly
cooked varieties such as tomato sauces, paste and ketchup)
are rich in the antioxidant lycopene, which is known to
prevent damage to DNA and fight prostate cancer. Pink
grapefruit and watermelon are also good sources of lycopene.
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Eat less processed meat and bad fats. Limiting
your intake of processed meats like bacon, sausage and
luncheon meats, along with your intake of bad fats, like
trans fats, may also help reduce your risk.
-
Watch your calcium intake. Getting too much calcium
(beyond the recommended 1200 milligrams per day) could
actually increase your risk of prostate cancer, according
to the Harvard Center for Cancer Prevention.
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Consume more selenium. Selenium
is thought to protect against cancer through its antioxidant
content. It also may slow or prevent tumor growth by enhancing
the immune system and suppressing blood vessels to the
tumor. Foods rich in selenium include Brazil nuts, tuna,
chicken, turkey, beef, brown rice, eggs and sunflower
seeds.
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Exercise regularly. Exercise will not only reduce
your risk of prostate cancer, but just about every other
type of cancer as well.
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Don't smoke. This will increase your levels of
cadmium.
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Avoid exposure to environmental chemicals. As
much as possible, try to limit your exposure to pesticides
and BPA (found in tooth sealants, plastic containers and
bottles, microwave ovenware and more).
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Get the proper amount of vitamin D. Vitamin D
inhibits the development and growth of prostate cancer
cells. Experts say 15-20 minutes of sunlight a day is
an ideal amount for a light-skinned person to produce
the right amount of vitamin D.
Recommended Reading
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Common Actions and Habits That Can Lower Men's Sperm Count
Eight
Key Nutrients to Help Prevent Breast Cancer -- and Where to
Find Them
Sources
International
Journal of Cancer 2004 Jan 1;108(1):104-8
American
Cancer Society
Harvard
Center for Cancer Prevention
The
Collaborative on Health and the Environment
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