This week on the Dr. Geo Podcast, I’m diving deep into diet and prostate cancer. 

Prostate cancer affects everyone, not just men. It affects your partner, your friends, and your family. It’s the second leading cause of death of men in the United States, and the older men get, the higher chance they have of receiving a cancer diagnosis. 

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EPISODES NOTES

In today’s age, there is a lot of information surrounding diet and prostate cancer, and it can cause a lot of confusion, so this post is all about setting the record straight on how your diet impacts prostate health. 

Let’s get into it. 

What’s The Best Diet for Prostate Cancer

One of the diets that I don’t think works with anyone who has prostate cancer is the ketogenic diet. I know the ketogenic diet is very popular, and the information about the diet, some written by colleagues, may combat many forms of cancer. The reason being is that many cancers are glycolytic cancers, which means they use glucose as their energy source. These cancers metabolize sugar and help it grow. 

Prostate cancer is not glycolytic cancer, at least the primary prostate cancer. It’s more of lipogenic cancer where it uses certain fats for its energy source so a ketogenic diet would feed prostate cancers more than likely. 

The best diet for prostate cancer that I recommend is a plant-based Mediterranean diet. I have a printout of this diet that you can have for free by visiting xywellness.com.

The core of this diet is plenty of vegetables that help fight prostate cancer, like broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, and kale. These vegetables are called cruciferous vegetables and what makes them so powerful is that they contain not only a good amount of vitamins and minerals but also phytochemicals. Phytochemicals include a lot of anti-cancer benefits, specifically anti-prostate cancer benefits. 

You’ll want to add at least one or two servings a day of cruciferous vegetables. I recommend that you consume mildly cooked vegetables with some olive oil, spices, and garlic, which all contain cancer-fighting benefits. 

Another part of the Mediterranean diet is fish, specifically salmon, so you’ll want to include that in your diet and consumption. Cod and grouper are also solid choices for the Mediterranean diet. Now fish does contain fat, but the type of fat it has is polyunsaturated fat which is considered good fat and is needed by your body to maintain healthy function. Don’t forget that not all fat is created equal so stay away from trans fat. 

Does Sugar Cause Cancer?

Processed sugars and simple carbohydrates are not good for you and are not good for cancers. This includes bread, pasta, and flour. As I mentioned previously at the beginning of this article, most cancers use glucose as energy especially prostate cancer so I highly recommend limiting your sugar consumption. The occasional homemade cookie or treat is totally fine; just watch the dosage of sugar you are taking in regularly. 

You also don’t want to add table sugar to anything, including your coffee or tea. If you’re looking for a way to add sweetener to your tea or coffee, there are many other options you can use that are more natural and healthier. 

I get asked this from time to time about carbohydrates and the impact they have on prostate cancer, so here’s my take:

You don’t need to eliminate carbohydrates from your diet, but you need to watch what type of carbs you are consuming. I recommend staying away from gluten, as I have seen many people do so much better as a whole because gluten seems to be an anti-inflammatory food. 

Whole grains are fine such as brown rice, quinoa, and buckwheat. You’ll want to make sure your grains are organic as grains that are not are more likely exposed to chemicals and pesticides. 

My Number One Rule For Diets

The number one rule I have with diets is that you don’t ever eat anything with guilt. Guilt is more indigestible than any food you ever eat. I firmly believe in practicing mindfulness when eating. Food is addictive, and drinks are as well, and it can be tempting to overconsume especially when attending events. Don’t ever go to an event hungry, as that will make it much more challenging to be mindful of your diet. Eat a high-value and optimal dish before you leave for the party.

You’ll enjoy yourself much more and your life much more. 

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