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Prostate cancer is a very real risk for men above 50. Although the chances of developing prostate cancer in Asian men are less than that in men of western countries, the risk is still there.  Different studies have been conducted about the topic and no consensus has ever been reached. However, all the doctors agree that working towards a healthier you will protect you from a lot of diseases, prostate cancer included. And that means a healthy diet, healthy lifestyle and regular exercise.

Healthy lifestyle means:

• You need to quit smoking
• Stop alcohol abuse
• No excess drug abuse
• Good and regular exercise

Rigorous exercise is ideal but moderate exercise is better than none at all. Moderate exercise should make your breathing faster and your heart rate speed up. Try starting with something simple and then making it more strenuous as your stamina develops.

Healthy diet refers to a balanced diet. A balanced diet is one which has all the nutrients in the correct amounts according to what the human body needs. Read on to know about the diet that you need to choose in order to reduce the risk of cancer of prostate glands.

• FAT: Increased amount of fat in diet may increase the risk towards prostate cancer. In some studies, men who ate the highest amount of fat per day were at the highest This does not necessarily mean that reducing fats in diet will reduce the risk of prostate cancer. However, reducing the fat in diet also has other benefits like helping your heart, and controlling your weight.
• PLANT FAT IS BETTER: Fats from plants sources are healthier than animal fats. Animal fats include butter, meat, cheese, etc. To reduce the intake of animal fats, try using more of olive oil instead of butter. You can also sprinkle nuts over salad instead of cheese.

• FRUITS AND VEGGIES: Fruits and vegetables are full of nutrients, vitamins and minerals that are thought to reduce the risk of prostate cancer. Also, if you eat more of fruits, you have less room left for high-fat items.

• FISH: Fatty fish such as salmon and tuna contain a type of fatty acid – omega-3 – which has been linked to reduced risk of prostate cancer. Consider adding fish to your diet if it is not already a part of it.
• FLAXSEED: If you don’t like fish, you can try flaxseed as it also has omega-3 fatty acids.

• REDUCE DAIRY ITEMS: although the risk associated with dairy products is thought to be small, try and decrease dairy intake because, hey, every little counts, right?
• GREEN TEA: men who take green tea extracts, or green tea supplements are at a lesser risk of prostate cancer.

• ANTIOXIDANTS: the one thing that fights everything. Antioxidants reduce the risk of everything, as they scavenge free radicals that can cause anything ranging from cancers to delayed wound healing, decreased immunity, and aging.

Click here to know more about reducing the risk of prostate cancer.