What foods should prostate cancer patients avoid?
There are a number of foods that are not recommended for prostate cancer patients. In this regard, Urology specialists advise avoiding or reducing the consumption of the following foods:
- It is advisable to reduce or avoid the consumption of white or brown sugar, honey, sweets or candies, among others. As a substitute, it is more advisable to sweeten with agave nectar, which is extracted from the cactus and is 3 times sweeter than sugar. However, its glycemic index is very low, being 3-4 times lower than that of honey.
- The consumption of white flour (white bread, pasta or pastries), white rice, refined and sugary cereals at breakfast is also not recommended. Instead, multigrain bread, which contains a mixture of oats, rye, flaxseed and other cereals, can be consumed. Also, brown rice or the basmati variety, as they have a lower glycemic index. It is interesting to know that garlic and onion help to reduce insulin peaks. Refined and sugary cereals can be replaced by oat flakes or whole grain cereals.
- Potato consumption should be reduced, except for the Nicola variety. Starch can be replaced by lentils, peas or beans.
- Jams, marmalades and fruit in syrup should also be replaced by fresh fruit in its natural state. Blueberries, raspberries and cherries are especially recommended as they help regulate blood sugar levels.
- Sugary drinks, such as industrial juices or carbonated soft drinks, should also be eliminated. Instead, the patient can consume water with lemon, green tea without sugar or with agave syrup, which directly fights cancer. In order for green tea to release catechins, it must be left to infuse for about 10 minutes, and it must be drunk within an hour, so that they are not lost. It is recommended that the patient drink about three cups a day.
- Hydrogenated vegetable fats such as margarine and all animal fats with omega 6 should not be consumed either. Olive oil is much more advisable than sunflower or corn oil, as it does not stimulate inflammation.
- Non-organic” red meat, i.e. beef, lamb and pork, should not be consumed. This type of meat or preserved meats (sausages) can increase the appearance of colorectal, breast or prostate cancer, among others. The International Foundation for Cancer Research recommended, in a 2007 report, consuming a maximum of 500 grams of red meat per week, although consumption should be restricted to no more than 200 grams per week. In addition, production should be “organic”, obtained from animals raised outdoors and fed on natural pastures.
- Foods preserved in salt or containing high salt content, such as sausages, bacon or ham, are also not recommended, as they increase the possibility of stomach cancer.
- Very hot drinks are also inadvisable, as they increase the appearance of cancers in the oral cavity, pharynx and esophagus.
- Water bottled in plastic that has been in the sun or in the freezer should not be consumed, as carcinogens such as PVCs are released.
- Conventional dairy products are also not advisable because they contain large amounts of omega-6 fatty acids. Organic or ecological dairy products can be consumed instead.
- Fried foods are not advisable either. Potatoes or fried snacks can be substituted by olives, cherry tomatoes, etc.
- Distilled alcoholic beverages should not be consumed.
- Neither should the patient consume tobacco.
- The intake of vitamin B in tablet or injectable form is not recommended, because it has a potential stimulating effect on the tumor. However, this vitamin can be consumed in natural foods.