Have you ever thought about eating tomatoes to lower your risk of prostate cancer?
Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of death in American men. It is most commonly diagnosed cancer in black men.
All men are at risk for prostate cancer. But black men get prostate cancer at a younger age. They tend to have a more severe type of prostate cancer. They are also more than twice as likely to die from their disease compared to other men.
However, if detected early you are less likely to die because of the many treatments available. Moreover, there is growing evidence that what you eat may lower your risk of prostate cancer.
What The Reports Reveal About Eating Tomatoes and Prostate Cancer
Evidence shows that Lycopene, a naturally occurring chemical that gives fruits and vegetables a red color, may play a role in the prevention of prostate cancer and reduce tumor growth in men with prostate cancer.
Lycopene is found in tomatoes, watermelons, red oranges, pink grapefruits, apricots, rosehips, and guavas. But the best sources of lycopene are tomatoes and tomato products such as ketchup, tomato juice, sauce, or paste. About 80 percent of lycopene in the average American diet comes from tomatoes and tomato products.
Not all tomato products are created equal.
Studies show that cooking tomatoes and eating them with some fat change the lycopene into a more absorbable form. In one study blood lycopene levels increased more when tomato juice was heated and mixed with oil, than when plain, unheated, tomato was consumed. A serving of fresh tomatoes contains between 4 mg and 10 mg of lycopene, while one 8-ounce cup of tomato juice provides about 20 mg.
Ways to Eat More Tomatoes to Combat Prostate Cancer
Here are 10 easy ways to get more tomato in your diet:
- Add tomatoes to sandwiches, wraps, and omelets or scrambled eggs
- Mix sun-dried tomatoes into salads, or add them to sandwiches
- Puree tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, and scallions together in a food processor to make gazpacho soup
- Drink low-sodium tomato juice instead of fruit juice in the morning
- Make a marinara sauce with diced, low-sodium canned tomatoes
- Add ketchup or tomato salsa to your burger
- Add canned tomatoes or salsa to a bean burrito
- Used canned, diced, or stewed tomatoes in soups.
- Add diced tomatoes to rice and beans and succotash
- Drizzle scrambled eggs or roasted potatoes with ketchup
If you are a black man over the age of 65 and have a family history of prostate cancer, you have a higher risk of developing prostate cancer. Symptoms of prostate cancer include difficulty starting urination, weak or interrupted flow of urine, frequent urination—especially at night, difficulty emptying the bladder completely, pain or burning during urination, blood in the urine or semen, pain in the back, hips, or pelvis that doesn’t go away and painful ejaculation.
Not everyone with prostate cancer has the same symptoms, and some men have no symptoms at all.
All symptoms and conditions may not be related to prostate cancer. However, if you have any of the above symptoms that worry you, be sure to see your doctor right away. The goal is to detect prostate cancer earlier. Then, it is easier to manage.
To learn more about prostate cancer click here.
