It is certainly one of the most frequent cancers in men over 50: prostate cancer but the survival data are encouraging. Prostate cancer is a common disease in developed countries, but its death rate is actually very low. The therapy is all the more effective the earlier the diagnosis is made, especially if the cancer has not yet spread to other parts of the body (metastasis). And nutrition can be a valid ally to counteract the risks of disease. S.i suggests, for example, to consume fish, fruit and vegetables, to reduce the consumption of red meats, saturated animal or vegetable fats and to prefer unsaturated vegetable fats instead. These rules apply to countless pathologies, such as heart diseases, for example. In these cases it is also suggested to eliminate the habit of smoking, check any genetic predispositions and avoid a sedentary lifestyle.
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But to prevent and contain the progression of prostate cancer now comes the balanced diet. Antioxidants found in different foods, from green tea al cooked tomatopassing through i Red fruitsl’grape and the melograno, can really make a difference in the prevention of prostate cancer, opening a new scenario also as a support to therapy, reducing its toxicity and helping to block the progression of the disease. Within a balanced diet, even supplements can have a preventive and protective role in the male population at risk, if prescribed by the andrologist by identifying the right product and the correct dose, to have the maximum effectiveness and the minimum of side effects.
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The opinion of the experts
From the experts of the Italian Society of Andrology (SIA), gathered in Rome on the occasion of the National Congress, there are recommendations regarding the use of antioxidants, which shed light on the approaches that have shown greater efficacy. According to the conclusions of the experts who have thoroughly analyzed and described the scientific literature on the subject, the most solid evidence concerns some foods that contain substances with antioxidant and antiproliferative action, such as epigallocatechins, lycopene, resveratrol and recently pterostilbene, with a balance advantageous between efficacy and safety. Prostate cancer, “with 36,000 new cases a year, is the most frequent cancer of the male population in Italy – explains Alessandro Palmieri, president of SIA -. It is essential to become aware of the main risk factors, such as having a family history of prostate cancer, advanced age and lifestyles, such as diet. It has been shown that the intake of excessive quantities of alcohol, saturated fats, milk derivatives, can play a role in the genesis of this neoplasm, but research has always tried to identify drugs or natural products capable of preventing the onset of cancer. of the prostate, if administered to individuals at greater risk or to those patients who already had precancerous lesions ».
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Studies
A lot of research has highlighted the preventive power of many compounds of natural origin – explains Davide Arcaniolo, member of the Scientific Commission of the SIA – The most studied are undoubtedly the epigallocatechins and lycopene, substances with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory action, contained in large quantities mainly in green tea and tomato. In a clinical study on a group of subjects at high risk of prostate cancer it was found that those who regularly took epigallocatechins derived from green tea had a 60% reduced risk of getting sick compared to those who took only a placebo substance. The risk can be reduced by up to 80% with an intake of these substances for two consecutive years ». Even lycopene, contained in large quantities in tomatoes, represents another active principle widely studied in prevention strategies. In a meta-analysis of 42 studies with the observation of nearly 700,000 participants, a protective effect of lycopene was shown to be superior to most other compounds, except for green tea.
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Medical advice necessary
Furthermore, new studies have demonstrated the particular effectiveness of resveratrol, contained above all in grapes, not only as a preventive action against prostate cancer but also as a support to anti-tumor treatments due to the very high antioxidant potential that acts both in the initial state of the cancer, through blocking factors, and in the most advanced state through suppression factors that slow its progression. However, Palmieri continues, “we must pay the utmost attention to supplements, which must be prescribed by the specialist to identify the right type of product for each patient, with the right methods of use, so that the correct dose is not too low and therefore ineffective but not too high and therefore at risk of side effects ».