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Two studies now strongly suggest that fish and foods rich in the mineral selenium may aid in warding off prostate cancer. (See: BellyBytes.com: Essential Nutrients: Selenium)

Earlier studies already led toward this conclusion and now follow-up studies are confirming the findings. One study involving 53 men who developed prostate cancer and 96 who did not, delved into the selenium levels in the blood tests of these men prior to those that became ill. Those with the lowest selenium levels were four to five times as likely to develop the disease as those with higher levels.

While it is still too soon to recommend selenium supplementation, older men in particular who tend to have low selenium levels, may want to include some of the selenium-rich foods in their diets.

A few excellent sources are:

  • Fish and Seafood
  • Brazil nuts
  • Sunflower Seeds
  • Whole-wheat products
  • Lean meat

In another study, researchers followed 6,300 men for 30 years. Those who ate no fish were two to three times as likely to develop fatal prostate cancer as those who ate at least three or four servings a week were. To explain the findings, researches noted that fatty fish are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which inhibit the cancer in animals. But fish is also high in selenium.

Earlier research suggests that these foods may also help fend off prostate cancer:

To a lesser extent, green leafy vegetables, beans and citrus fruits, all contain the antioxidant quercetin; and cruciferous vegetables, including broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower and kale, all rich in the cancer-fighting substance sulforaphane. For more information on these good-for-you foods, see BellyBytes.com: Good Eats.

See also, Prostate Cancer Update

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