FOODS TO EAT AND AVOID WITH PROSTATE CANCER

If you're facing a prostate cancer diagnosis, this guide to best dietary practices will help simplify your shopping list

What you eat can affect your prostate health, for better or worse. Prostate-friendly foods can aid in recovery from prostate cancer and help lower your risk for other conditions. Limiting or avoiding some foods may be better for prostate health and your overall health.

Foods to Eat

Cruciferous Vegetables

Cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage are rich in many nutrients, such as fiber, vitamins C, E, and K, folate, and carotenoids. In addition, they contain a group of compounds called glucosinolates, which includes the potential cancer-fighting substance sulforaphane.

Research, mostly on animals or in vitro studies (performed or taking place in a test tube, culture dish, or elsewhere outside a living organism), has shown that sulforaphane may inhibit several types of cancers, including prostate cancer.

Studies have found that people who ate more cruciferous vegetables had a lower risk of prostate cancer. However, while some research suggests that eating more cruciferous vegetables may be linked to reduced prostate cancer risk, more studies are needed in humans to confirm these findings.

Tomatoes 

Tomatoes are high in lycopene, a carotenoid responsible for most red pigment in tomatoes and other red and orange-hued fruits and vegetables. Lycopene may possess antioxidant properties and has been linked to reduced risk of prostate cancer progression.

When tomatoes are cooked, the heat helps make the lycopene more accessible for the body to absorb. Therefore, cooked tomato products such as tomato sauce, juice, spaghetti sauce, and sun-dried tomatoes may provide more lycopene than a raw tomato.

Green Tea

Green tea has long been touted for its many potential health benefits. One such health claim includes decreasing the risk of some cancers as well as helping slow or halt the progression of cancer.

Green tea contains special compounds called catechins that may slow cancer cell growth. Catechins are a type of polyphenol flavonoid that have strong antioxidant properties. A review study suggested that green tea catechins were effective for preventing prostate cancer.

Additional research stated that green tea seems promising in terms of chemopreventive and treatment against prostate cancer; however, there is conflicting evidence, and more studies are needed to confirm these effects.

Fatty Fish

Fatty fish, such as salmon, tuna, sardines, herring, and mackerel, are high in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Aside from being good for your heart, omega-3s may also benefit your prostate. 

A 2023 review of studies found that higher fish intake was associated with lower prostate cancer mortality. Additional studies have similar findings, suggesting an association between higher omega-3 intake and decreased prostate cancer mortality. However, these studies also note that more clinical trials or observational studies are needed to prove these conclusions.

Berries

Berries, such as strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries, are rich sources of polyphenols, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Polyphenols are protective plant compounds that have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. They include flavonoids (such as anthocyanins), tannins, and phenolic acids.

Berries and their bioactive compounds have been shown to suppress the risk of various cancers, including prostate cancer. However, most studies have been in vitro or rodent studies. Future clinical trials in humans are required to verify these potential benefits.

Legumes and Soy

Legumes include beans, peas, lentils, and soy foods, such as tofu, miso, and edamame. Legumes and soy foods contain phytoestrogens (plant-derived compounds with estrogen-like properties), which may protect prostate health.

Some research suggests that isoflavones, a type of phytoestrogen (a plant compound similar to the hormone estrogen), play a role in prostate health. However, experts state that careful consideration should be given when isoflavones are used in the prevention and treatment of prostate cancer due to potential concerns with hormones, as well as interactions with other therapies.

One large cohort study of over 82,000 men noted that legume intake is associated with a moderate reduction in prostate cancer risk. A review of 30 studies found a significant association between soy consumption and decreased prostate cancer risk.

However, early-phase clinical trials with isoflavones, soy, and soy products for the prevention and treatment of prostate cancer have not suggested that they reduce prostate cancer progression. Larger and longer-term studies are needed further to explore the potential benefits of isoflavones on prostate health.

Pomegranate

Pomegranate has been touted as a "superfood" due to its nutrient-rich profile, including several vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, and bioactive polyphenolic compounds.

Pomegranate juice and extract, as well as some of their bioactive components, hinder the growth of various prostate cancer cell lines in vitro and cause cell death in a dose-dependent manner (more effect with higher amounts).

Few studies examining pomegranate's effect on prostate cancer have been conducted in humans. One clinical trial examining the use of pomegranate juice in people with prostate cancer showed that, on average, study participants who drank the juice had improved survival rates and slower progression of prostate cancer.

Foods to Limit or Avoid

Red and Processed Meats

Red meat, such as beef, pork, lamb, and veal, and processed meats, such as hot dogs, sausages, bacon, deli meat, and beef jerky, are known to promote inflammation. Studies have shown that the presence of inflammation in the prostate, particularly in benign tissue, is associated with a higher risk of prostate cancer.

In addition, red meat and processed meats have been classified as probably carcinogenic and carcinogenic to humans, respectively, by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

A 2020 study concluded that higher red and processed meat consumption, and lower poultry intake, either before or after prostate cancer diagnosis, were associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality. A 2022 review of 25 studies concluded that higher consumption of total meat and processed meat may be associated with a possible small increased risk of prostate cancer.

Cooking meat at high temperatures or in direct contact with a flame or a hot surface can produce carcinogens, including heterocyclic aromatic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). In particular, the greatest amounts of carcinogens are created at high temperatures by pan-frying, grilling, or barbecuing, and include charred or fried meats.

High-fat dairy

High-fat dairy, such as whole milk, cream, and full-fat cheese, has been associated with increased risk of advanced prostate cancer.

A prospective cohort study found a positive association between high-fat milk intake and prostate cancer progression in people diagnosed with localized prostate cancer.

Another study found that men consuming more than three servings of total dairy products per day had a 76% higher risk of total mortality and a 141% higher risk of prostate cancer-specific mortality compared to men who consumed less than one dairy product per day. The link between high-fat dairy and mortality risk seemed to be stronger than low-fat dairy; however, the difference was not statistically significant.

Alcohol

High alcohol intake, especially binge drinking, is associated with increased risk for prostate cancer. It is also linked to prostate cancer mortality, possibly increasing the growth of prostate tumors and significantly decreasing the time for the progression to metastatic (spread from its original location to another part of the body) prostate cancer.

For men, heavy drinkers are defined as those who consume more than five drinks a day or more than 15 drinks a week.

Saturated and Trans Fats

Saturated and trans fats can increase cholesterol levels, raising heart disease risk. They have also been suspected to be associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer. 

Saturated fats are found in meat, poultry, high-fat dairy products, tropical oils, and some baked and fried foods, such as processed snacks.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned manufacturers from adding trans fats to their products as of 2021. While trace amounts may still be naturally present in some foods, the ban has virtually eliminated artificial trans fats. Before 2021, trans fats were found in many processed and fried foods, such as donuts, cakes, cookies, crackers, stick margarine, biscuits, and frozen pizza.

Some research indicates that higher intake of saturated fats may be associated with an increased risk of advanced or fatal prostate cancer, while other studies show no association. While more studies are needed to confirm the effects of saturated and trans fats on prostate health, reducing your intake can benefit your heart and overall health.

High-Sugar Foods and Beverages

Excessive sugar intake, particularly from sugar-sweetened beverages and processed foods, like candy and baked goods, may increase the risk of prostate cancer.

Added sugars may increase inflammation, insulin resistance (the cells do not respond well to insulin, raising blood sugar), and obesity, which can then contribute to cancer cell growth and development.

Other Tips

Stay Hydrated

Staying hydrated is important for overall health, and it's especially important for individuals with prostate cancer, as proper hydration supports various bodily functions, including those impacted by cancer treatment and the prostate itself. 

Water is the best beverage for hydration. Try to limit or avoid sugar-sweetened beverages such as soda, fruit drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks, flavored coffee, and sweetened tea. To help stay hydrated, try sipping small amounts of fluid often, or suck on ice chips or popsicles if you're having trouble drinking or eating.

Follow a Balanced Diet

A healthy diet for prostate health includes limiting added sugars, focusing on plant-based foods, incorporating plenty of fruits and vegetables, and ensuring adequate protein intake. Getting a variety of foods from all the food groups is important to help keep your overall health and stamina up, especially if you have prostate cancer. This will help provide your body with the nutrients it needs during treatment and aid in recovery.

Medical Review

Medically reviewed by Doru Paul, MD

Read the original article on People

2025-07-08T15:56:54Z