Foods Vs. Prostate Cancer

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You may have gotten promotional mailings for pills that supposedly prevent prostate cancer. These pills are expensive, to compensate for the enormous expense of these mass mailings. And very little of the material is based on what scientists have actually proved. Rather, they are based on how to make the pitch more convincing.

Fortunately, the science is available. A study of the diets of Canadians both with and those without prostate cancer was initiated by hospitals* there and the School of Public Health at Columbia U., N.Y. There were some surprises.

They studied the diets of both the cancer cases and the non-cancer-afflicted men, and found that green vegetables were the most protective, with beans, lentils, nuts and seeds also ranking high, after which came tomatoes and bread.

The most surprising finding was that among individual foods, tomatoes, which have been reputed to be highly protective were good, but ranked behind spinach. One possible explanation may be that for the active ingredient in tomatoes, lycopene, to be utilized most effectively, some fat must be present in the food (as in pizza and spaghetti,) and that many of the subjects may have had the less-effective uncooked plain tomatoes. Fish also rated highly. Cheese was good, but cooking fat was not.
The ingredient most helpful in preventing prostate cancer turned out to be selenium -- not too surprising, based on prior reports of its efficacy.

* The U. of Toronto, U. of Montreal, British Columbia Cancer Agency, and Col. U.

Foods Vs. Prostate Cancer Bibliography

Nutrition and Cancer, vol. 34, l999.