Eating to avoid prostate cancer

Unfortunately, no one knows for certain what leads to the growth of cancers in the human body. But it is believed that as many as 70 percent of all cancers can be avoided through a healthy diet and lots of exercise.Of course, the concept of “a healthy diet” can mean many things. There is even a theory among serious scientists and medical professionals that a starvation diet can cleanse the body so completely that cancers won’t grow.But seriously, folks, how do you eat to avoid cancer without taking all the joy out of your life? Many health specialists — including the Mayo Clinic and the Cancer Project of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine — suggest that you make your diet as vegetarian as possible. They recommend following a Japanese-style eating regimen, with lots of soy, green tea, fish and vegetables; or a Mediterranean-style diet with a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables, garlic, tomatoes, red wine, olive oil and fish. Above all, they both recommend, cut back on dairy products and meat. Dairy products produce something called insulin-like growth-factor-1 or IGF-1 that has been found to encourage cancer cell growth. Moderate intake of dairy products is fine, and fat-free or skim milk products are less problematic.Meats, of course, are high in saturated fat, which contributes to cancer growth and is generally bad for your health. Meat also contributes to weight gain; apparently lean is better when it comes to fighting cancer. The Cancer Project has an extensive write-up on its website about diet and prostate-cancer prevention. It describes in a somewhat poetic way how your lifestyle can affect the growth of all cancers.“Cancers are like weeds whose seeds blow from place to place,” the article says. “On moist, fertile soil, they take root and grow uncontrollably. But if the soil is not watered or fertilized, they lie dormant or even wither away.”The foods most likely to make a cancer wither away are ones that have a lot of cooked tomatoes (which are high in lycopene); red grapes (raw or as juice or red wine); dark-green leafy vegetables; and all other fruits, vegetables and seeds. The Mayo Clinic suggests you drink green tea and add isoflavones to your diet, through tofu, kidney beans, chickpeas, lentils and peanuts.Cook with olive oil instead of animal fat. And eat fish, fresh or canned. The best ones, counterintuitively, are the ones with the most fat, such as salmon, sardines, tuna and trout. Their fat comes in the form of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. It’s better to eat fish that’s been poached, grilled or baked; avoid fish that is fried or charred, because these preparations contribute to cancer growth. Something I never make but like to think about is grilling or steaming an entire herb-stuffed fresh fish. This recipe is from Mark Bittman’s indispensable, “How To Cook Everything.” He warns that whole fish is not as easy to grill as you might think (although it looks so great). The best fish to start with, he suggests, is red snapper. Trout is also good. But no matter which fish you use, don’t be heartbroken if some of the skin sticks to the grill.Grilled fishAdapted from Mark Bittman’s “How To Cook Everything”Makes two to four servingsThe juice of one lemon and several lemon wedges, 1/4 cup white wine, 2 tablespoons of olive oil (plus extra for the pan), coarse salt and fresh pepper, 1 whole red snapper or trout (gutted and scaled), sprigs of rosemary or another long herb (to stuff in the cavity of the fish).Mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, white wine and salt and pepper and marinate the snapper for just a short while, long enough for you to heat up the broiler in your oven. As with all broiler projects, you’ll want a rack that’s up as close as possible to the top of the oven and the broiler heating element. Line your broiler pan with foil and then brush it thoroughly with oil. Lay some herb sprigs on the pan under the fish and stuff some sprigs into the fish’s belly. Grill your fish for about 5 minutes on each side. You’ll know it’s done when a sharp knife inserted near the central bone or spine indicates the meat is white and flaky. Remember that fish tends to keep cooking for a few minutes after you take it out of the oven, so don’t overcook it.