There is no proven prostate cancer prevention strategy. But you may reduce your risk of prostate cancer by making healthy choices, such as exercising and eating a healthy diet.
Choose a healthy diet
There is some evidence that choosing a healthy diet that is low in fat and full of fruits and vegetables may contribute to a lower risk of prostate cancer, though research results have been mixed and this hasn’t been proved concretely.
If you want to reduce your risk of prostate cancer, consider trying to:
- Choose a low-fat diet. Foods that contain fats include meats, nuts, oils, and dairy products, such as milk and cheese.
In some studies, men who ate the highest amount of fat each day had an increased risk of prostate cancer. This doesn’t prove that excess fat causes prostate cancer. Other studies have not found this association. But reducing the amount of fat you eat each day has other proven benefits, such as helping you control your weight and helping your heart.
To reduce the amount of fat you eat each day, limit fatty foods or choose low-fat varieties. For instance, reduce the amount of fat you add to foods when cooking, select leaner cuts of meat and choose low-fat or reduced-fat dairy products.
- Increase the number of fruits and vegetables you eat each day. Fruits and vegetables are full of vitamins and nutrients that are thought to reduce the risk of prostate cancer, though research has not proved that any particular nutrient is guaranteed to reduce your risk.
Eating more fruits and vegetables also tends to make you have less room for other foods, such as high-fat foods.
You might consider increasing the number of fruits and vegetables you eat each day by adding an additional serving of fruit or vegetable to each meal. Consider eating fruits and vegetables for snacks.
Maintain a healthy weight
Men who are obese, with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher may have an increased risk of prostate cancer. If you are overweight or obese, work on losing weight. You can do this by reducing the number of calories you eat each day and increasing the amount of exercise you do.
If you are at a healthy weight, work to maintain it by exercising most days of the week and choosing a healthy diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Exercise most days of the week
Studies of exercise and prostate cancer risk have mostly shown that men who exercise may have a reduced risk of prostate cancer.
Exercise has many other health benefits and may reduce your risk of heart disease and other cancers. Exercise can help you maintain your weight, or it can help you lose weight.
When you start exercising, go slowly. Add physical activity to your day by parking your car farther away from where you are going, and try taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
Aim for 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week.