There are approximately 220,000 cases of prostate cancer diagnosed each year. Men have a 1 in 6 chance of developing prostate cancer over a lifetime. When the cancer is localized to the prostate the five-year survival rate is 100%. Fortunately, due to early detection and new treatments the death rate is 1 in 35 and is going down. There are some things that men can do to decrease their chance of getting prostate cancer or decreasing the spread if they have it. The place to start is by eating cancer-fighting foods.
These include:

• Beans
• Berries
• Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and kale
• Dark green leafy vegetables
• Ground flaxseed
• Garlic
• Grapes
• Soy
• Tomatoes
• Whole Grains and…

Green Tea

Green tea is packed with polyphenols. The one most commonly studied is Epigallocatechin gallate or EGCG. The catechins found in green tea such as EGCG have been found to stimulate the death of cancerous cells, act as an anti-inflammatory agent, and prevent the genetic expression of some of the more aggressive prostate cancers.

There have not been a lot of studies looking at the prevention of prostate cancer using green tea. However, there was a trial of 60 volunteers with a precancerous condition for prostate cancer. They were given 200 mgs of green tea extract capsules (the mgs refers to the polyphenols that were contained in the whole plant) three times a day. After one year only 3% of the treated group vs. 30% in the control group developed prostate cancer.

Three cups of green tea provides between 240 and 320 mgs of polyphenols and as much caffeine as one cup of coffee. It can be taken in tea or in supplements. If you want to use the extracts make sure they are standardized to contain at least 25% polyphenols and you take 600 mgs a day in divided doses. It can affect the liver over time, so it is important to let your doctor know what you are doing and have your liver enzymes checked periodically.

Eating healthy foods and drinking green tea are just couple of ways to keep your prostate healthy. So, eat your fruits and veggies and when it comes to green tea…drink up!