A healthy diet and physical activity can benefit your general health and reduce your risk of medical problems such as heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, etc.
There are many studies currently being conducted to further understand the link between diet and prostate cancer. Results suggest that nutrition and exercise play a role in the development of prostate cancer. Although prostate cancer has various facets and is a complex disease, it seems that having a good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle may reduce the incidence of prostate cancer, slow down its progression and help with some of the side effects of treatment.
Benefits Stage by Stage
When prostate cancer is detected early, primary surgical or radiation treatment is often enough, but taking additional steps to prevent the growth of the cancer might be beneficial. Maintaining a healthy diet and regularly exercising can help you regain some control, and make you feel better in the process.
Patients with more advanced prostate cancer are highly encouraged to incorporate a healthy diet and physical activity into their regular routines to help slow the progression of the disease. In this phase, dietary and exercise changes are seen as a complement to the treatment.
For men who have received hormonal treatments, physical activity and a healthy diet are often directly incorporated into the treatment plan. These patients have a higher risk of developing weaker bones and muscles and it is therefore highly important to keep the cardiovascular system and muscles strong.
Nutrition and physical activity is most important for men with metastatic or advanced prostate cancer. At this stage of the disease, weight loss and loss of appetite is common. It is therefore critical to have a good nutrition to ensure a healthy immune system and the success of the treatment.
The next series of articles will focus on Adopting a Healthy Approach, based on the Prostate Cancer Foundation’s free guide called “Nutrition, Exercise, and Prostate Cancer“.
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