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3 Simple Things You Can Do To Reduce Your Risk Of Prostate Cancer

2 April 2015 by Julia Gregory

Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers around, second only to skin cancer. It affects as many as one in every seven men, so it's something that men should take very seriously. The good news is that prostate cancer is a very treatable cancer as long as it's caught in the early stages, but of course it's better to avoid developing it if you can. You can't control every possible risk factor, but there are some things that you can do to reduce your chances of getting sick. Take a look at a few simple things you can do to prevent prostate cancer.

Eat Plenty of Tomatoes

You probably already realize that a healthy diet that includes lots of fruits and vegetables is the best way to prevent all kinds of illnesses. But when it comes to preventing prostate cancer, the tomato may be an especially important factor. Studies done in the United Kingdom show that men who ate ten servings of tomatoes a week had a 20% lower risk of prostate cancer.

Researchers believe that the power of tomatoes can be attributed to their high levels of lycopene, an antioxidant that prevents cell damage. Keep in mind that you shouldn't take this as your cue to go on an all-tomato diet – other fruits and vegetables are healthy too, and your body needs a variety of foods to be healthy. But it can't hurt to add a few more servings of tomatoes to your diet.

Exercise Regularly

If you needed an incentive to get up off the couch and start an exercise routine in your spare time, this might do it. Studies show that men who are moderately active are less likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer.

What constitutes a moderately active lifestyle? Walking a few hours every week at a moderate pace will do it. Try adding an after dinner-walk to your daily routine. You'll walk of some of the calories for dinner and help preserve your own good health.

Take Vitamin D

So far, no one is claiming that Vitamin D will prevent prostate cancer, but it's still a good idea to take a vitamin D supplement if you're not getting enough of it from other sources. Why? Because if you do get prostate cancer, Vitamin D may be able to keep you from dying of it. Studies have shown that men with high levels of Vitamin D are 57% less likely to die of prostate cancer than men with low levels of vitamin D. Lab studies show that Vitamin D has cancer-fighting abilities.

Your doctor can help you figure out if you're getting enough Vitamin D on your own, or if you should take supplements. You can also add Vitamin D-rich foods like salmon, tuna, milk, and fortified cereals to your regular diet.

Don't forget the most important thing you can do to protect yourself from cancer – visit your doctor regularly. You and your doctor can go over your risk factors and decide when you should start seeing a urologist for prostate cancer screenings. Early detection can save your life.

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