Dear Living Well Daily Reader,
Being diagnosed with prostate cancer can be terrifying for anyone.
And it only gets worse when you learn about your “murderer’s row” of mainstream treatment options. I’m talking about sickening chemo, manhood-robbing hormone therapy, or surgery that could wreck your sex life forever.
You deserve a safe way to fight prostate cancer… and scientists may have just found one.
According to new research, there’s a tasty, cheap way to lower your risk of prostate cancer and maybe even slow cancer’s growth.
The best part? It doesn’t involve any doctor’s appointments or invasive procedures.
Instead, it only requires you to enjoy some delicious foods like tomatoes, watermelons, papaya and grapefruit.
So what makes all these fruits so prostate-healthy? Their coloring.
More specifically, a red pigment called lycopene, which has been the subject of many health studies over the years. Most recently, it’s been shown to decrease your risk of developing prostate cancer and may even slow the growth of cancer cells.
In this latest study, researchers from the University of Illinois reviewed 66 different studies on lycopene conducted over approximately 20 years.
After crunching the numbers, the scientists made some incredible discoveries…
Men with the highest blood levels of lycopene had an amazing 17 percent lower risk of developing prostate cancer.
Imagine that – a 17 percent lower risk of having your life turned upside down. And all you have to do is eat foods you already enjoy anyway.
Furthermore, when the researchers focused on tomato consumption alone, the men who ate the most had a 10 percent lower risk of developing prostate cancer.
But lycopene’s prostate powers don’t end with your diet.
Another study finds that taking 15 mg of lycopene supplements twice a day may help you fight prostate cancer. Men who were already suffering from prostate cancer took lycopene supplements or placebo for three weeks before having prostate surgery. After the surgery, cancer cells didn’t grow as rapidly in the men who took the lycopene supplements.
If lycopene is this effective in folks who already have prostate cancer — just imagine what it can do for you if you have a healthy prostate.
And the cherry (tomato) on top?
Another study shows that men who suffered from benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH, a condition that enlarges the prostate, benefited from taking 15 mg of lycopene once a day. After six months, men who took 15 mg of lycopene daily saw no progression in the enlargement of their prostate. Plus, the lycopene group saw a decrease in PSA levels, which can be an indicator of serious prostate issues like cancer.
The average tomato has about 3 mg of lycopene. This means you would have to eat at least five tomatoes a day to get the lowest recommended dose of lycopene for healthy prostate, so you might want to consider supplementing. Lycopene supplements are readily available through online retailers and natural health stores.
For optimal prostate health, look for a supplement that also includes other prostate health-promoting ingredients like pygeum and stinging nettle.
Live well,
Natalie Moore
Managing editor, Living Well Daily
P.S. Speaking of prostate problems… we need your advice. We’re putting together something to support your prostate health, and we want YOUR thoughts to make sure our solution is perfect for YOU. Click here to take our short prostate health survey.
Ed. Note: Please send your feedback: nmoore@lfb.org – and click here to like us on Facebook.
Sources
[1] Tomatoes, Other Foods Containing Lycopene May Protect Against Prostate Cancer, Study Finds
[2] Phase II randomized clinical trial of lycopene supplementation before radical prostatectomy.
[3] Lycopene Inhibits Disease Progression in Patients with Benign Prostate Hyperplasia1,2
