Men's Health Week

With today through to June 22nd marking International Men's Health Week, it's time for the men in our lives to focus on adopting healthy behaviours to help improve physical, sexual and mental health. One men's health issue that's on the rise in prostate cancer, so I thought it was fitting to discuss this somewhat preventable disease.

Each day, approximately 32 men discover they have prostate cancer. Tragically, one man loses his battle with the disease every three hours. Yearly check-ups are recommended for males over the age of 50 (from 40 for those with a family history of prostate cancer).

Whilst the risk of developing prostate cancer has an ethnic component (dark-skinned people appear to be at a greater risk than white people, and white-skinned people have a higher risk than Asian populations), developing the disease is also strongly linked to lifestyle. Not getting enough physical activity and consuming too many kilojoules, sugar, salt and unhealthy fats means unhealthy weight gain is more likely. Excess fat (especially across the middle of the body) has been associated with many disease including prostate cancer, as fat secretes hormones and specialised proteins that can increase inflammation and oxidation in the body's cells - two natural processes that strongly contribute to the development and progression of prostate cancer. Diet modification and increasing exercise levels might decrease the chances of developing prostate cancer, reduce the likelihood of prostate cancer recurrence or help slow the progression of the disease.

There are many anti-inflammatory and antioxidant substances found in wholefoods. By including plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, wholegrains, fish, nuts and seeds in your diet, you can increase the protective anti-inflammatory components and benefit from their effects. For example, tomato-based products such as soups, pasta sauces and juices contain the antioxidant lycopene, which helps to reduce cell damage in the body by fighting against free radicals. Beverages such as green and black tea can increase the levels of polyphenol antioxidants in the body, while cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts and bok choy, all also contain protective substances.

Finally make sure you get plenty of exercise. Regular physical activity helps to control your body weight and influences the hormones believed to stimulate prostate cancer, boost immune function and reduce inflammation. How these factors work together to affect prostate cancer risk is still being studied, but until we know more you can still enjoy the array of health benefits that daily exercise brings.