Reduce Prostate Cancer Risk

Making the following changes in your life can improve your overall health and reduce your risk for prostate cancer:

Eat a healthy diet

• Follow Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating
• Eat 7-10 servings of vegetables and fruits each day
• Reduce intake of saturated fat and cholesterol
• Include in your diet fish that is high in omega-3 fatty acids
• Foods high in antioxidants, such as sweet potatoes, spinach, and tomatoes, will destroy free radicals in the body that can lead to cancer
• Further nutrition information

Be physically active

• Follow Canada’s Physical Activity Guide to Healthy Active Living
• Experts recommend 30-45 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity on most days of the week to reduce cancer risk
• Physical activity will also help you maintain a healthy body weight.  Exercise has many health benefits
• Further physical activity information

Discuss prostate health with your health care professional

• Having regular check-ups is important for your prostate health. If prostate cancer does develop, diagnostic testing may discover the problem in its earliest stages, when treatment is most effective
• Stay in regular contact with your health care professional about your risk of developing prostate cancer.  It is recommended that all men over the age of 50 years discuss with their health care professional the potential benefits and risks of early detection of prostate cancer using the PSA test so that they can make informed decisions about screening

Resources:

Canadian Cancer Society, Prostate Cancer

Prostate Cancer Research Foundation