Dr. Brownstein: 5 Lifestyle Changes for Prostate Health

Prostate cancer is a concern for most men, and with good reason — more than 190,000 new cases are diagnosed each year in the United States, according the American Cancer Society. But there are steps men can take to keep their prostate gland healthy, and try and minimize cancer risk, Newsmax Health contributor Dr. David Brownstein says.

“Unfortunately, most men are susceptible to (prostate cancer),” says Brownstein, editor of “The Natural Way to Health” newsletter. “We have one in three men in the United States with prostate cancer today. It’s occurring at epidemic rates. It generally occurs in older men, but lately we’re seeing younger and younger men being afflicted with this.”

While detection is a key part of fighting cancer, the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test many men have has not been shown to change the mortality rates of prostate cancer, he notes. However, a digital rectal exam can detect bleeding and enlargement of the prostate, and Brownstein recommends men have one yearly after the age of 50.

Five diet and lifestyle habits are particularly important for prostate health, he says. They are:

Staying adequately hydrated Dehydration sets the body up for immune system failure, he says.

Eating a diet of whole, hormone-free foods Consuming lots of fruits and vegetables as well as unrefined foods and oils and hormone-free animal products is especially important.

Staving off iodine deficiency Iodine deficiency has been shown to cause cancer of all endocrine tissue, including the prostate, he says.

Minimizing exposure to estrogens Estrogens are found in pesticides and insecticides, and recent studies show that exposure to them causes many health problems including prostate cancer, he says.

Avoiding plastic food containers Plastics can contain substances known as endocrine-disrupting chemicals that are estrogen mimics that bind with estrogen receptors and cause problems for the prostate and other hormone systems.

Conventional treatment for prostate cancer, usually surgery and radiation, hasn’t “markedly changed the mortality of prostate cancer,” he says.

“The best treatment for prostate cancer may be ‘watchful waiting’ (closely monitoring a tumor’s growth) with changing the appropriate lifestyles that I previously mentioned, such as cleaning up the diet, ensuring adequate hydration, and using iodine.”