What is the best diet if you have prostate cancer?

Protein-rich foods If you are having treatment for prostate cancer, you should aim to eat between 1 and 1.5g of protein / kg of body weight a day. Foods high in protein include beans, pulses, fish, eggs and meat. Aim to have 2-3 portions of protein a day.

prostatecanceruk.org - Diet and physical activity for men with prostate cancer

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How can I eat more healthily?

If you decide to improve your diet, remember that food is an enjoyable and often social part of life. You should still be able to enjoy your meals and occasional treats. A healthy diet doesn’t need to be boring. In fact, it’s good to eat a variety of different foods so that you get a range of nutrients. You could try some new foods to add more variety to your meals. For example, you could try a new fruit or vegetable each week. Set yourself realistic goals and start by making small changes that you feel comfortable with. Trying to make lots of big changes all at once can be difficult, and you may find it hard to keep them going over time. Try to cut down on unhealthy foods and drinks, such as those high in sugar, saturated fat, salt, red and processed meat, and those with added flavouring or preservatives. Look at the labels on packaged foods to find out how many calories (energy), and how much fat, salt and sugar are in them. You can then compare different products to find the healthiest ones. Remember that low-fat foods aren’t always the best option – some may still be high in sugar or calories. If you want help to improve your diet, ask your doctor to refer you to a dietitian, they can help you make healthy changes to what you eat. They can also give you advice if you have special dietary needs or other health problems that could be affected by your diet, such as diabetes.

Fruit and vegetables

Fruit and vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet and a good source of vitamins, minerals and fibre. Eating lots of fruit and vegetables helps to lower your risk of health problems, including heart disease and some cancers. It can also help you lose weight or stay a healthy weight. Aim to eat at least five portions (400g) of fruit and vegetables each day. They can be fresh, frozen, dried or tinned with no added sugar or salt. Try to choose tinned fruit in natural juice rather than syrup. One portion of fresh, canned or frozen fruit and vegetables is roughly 80g in weight. One Portion of dried fruit is 30g and should be kept to mealtimes. Try to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables of different colours each day, as they contain different nutrients. Five portions may sound like a lot, but if you try to include one or two portions in each meal, and choose fruit as snacks, this should be enough. The NHS website has lots of examples of single servings.

Starchy foods

Starchy foods are the main source of carbohydrates – they give you energy and help you to feel full for longer, so it’s important to include some starchy foods every day in your diet. Aim to have a portion at each meal. Starchy foods include cereals, potatoes, bread, rice, pasta, plantain, sweet potato and yam. Choose wholegrain (for example, whole rolled oats, corn, quinoa, granary bread, brown rice) and other high-fibre options (for example, potatoes with their skins on, pulses and beans) where possible. As a general rule, a portion of starchy food is about the size of your fist.

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Protein-rich foods

Protein is an important part of a healthy diet. It helps to build and repair body tissue, maintain muscle mass. Protein also helps make new cells, such as blood cells and hormones. If you are having treatment for prostate cancer, you should aim to eat between 1 and 1.5g of protein / kg of body weight a day. Foods high in protein include beans, pulses, fish, eggs and meat. Aim to have 2-3 portions of protein a day. If you eat red meat, try to eat no more than 3 portions per week, which is about 350-500g of cooked red meat (700g to 750g before cooking) a week. This includes beef, pork and lamb. You should also try to avoid processed meat and meat cooked at very high temperatures, as this can increase your risk of bowel and stomach cancer. Processed meat is meat that has been preserved by smoking, curing or salting, or with preservatives. It includes ham, bacon and some sausages (for example hot dogs, salami and pepperoni). You could choose white meat such as chicken with the skin removed or fish instead. Or you could eat beans, peas or lentils, which are lower in fat and higher in fibre than meat.

Dairy and dairy alternatives

Dairy foods are high in calcium. Calcium is important for strong bones and your overall health, so you need some in your diet – around 700mg per day. Some studies suggest that eating a lot of calcium might increase the risk of your prostate cancer growing and spreading. Other studies have found no link, but it may be an idea to avoid eating more than 1500mg of calcium – the amount in about 1.6 litres of milk – a day. If you’re on hormone therapy, you’ll need extra calcium to protect your bones. This is because hormone therapy can cause bone thinning, which means your bones are more likely to break if you fall over. Men on hormone therapy should aim for 1200-1500mg of calcium (about 2-3 portions of dairy) each day. This is still a safe amount. Choose lower-fat options such as skimmed or 1% fat milk and reduced-fat cheese. There have been some studies that suggest high-fat dairy foods might increase the risk of your prostate cancer growing and spreading, but others have found no link. Non-dairy sources of calcium include soya products with added calcium such as plant-based milk and yoghurt, green leafy vegetables, and fish where you eat the bones such as sardines. If you don’t think there’s enough calcium in your diet, speak to your doctor or nurse about taking calcium supplements.

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Semi-skimmed milk (200ml) – 245mg of calcium

Plain low-fat yoghurt (150g) – 245mg of calcium

Cheddar cheese (30g) – 205mg of calcium

Tinned sardines with bones (100g) – 500mg of calcium

Kale (95g) – 145mg of calcium

Tofu (100g) – 110mg of calcium

Kidney beans (60g) – 45mg of calcium

Broccoli (85g) – 35mg of calcium

Non-dairy alternatives, such as soya milk – varies- choose one with added calcium.

High-fat foods

You need to eat some fat for your body to function properly. But eating too much fat can make you put on weight, which raises your risk of being diagnosed with aggressive or advanced prostate cancer. There are also different types of fat – saturated fat and unsaturated fat. Unsaturated fats are thought to be healthier than saturated fats. Unsaturated fats are found in plant foods such as olive oil, vegetable oils, rapeseed oil, avocados, nuts and seeds, and in oily fish such as salmon, mackerel and sardines. Saturated fats are found in meat, cakes, biscuits, pastries, butter, and high-fat dairy products such as cheese. You should aim to eat no more than 30g of saturated fat a day. Replacing animal fats with vegetable oils may help men with prostate cancer to live for longer. There is also some research that suggests eating lots of saturated fat might be linked with an increased risk of prostate cancer coming back after surgery, and of developing advanced prostate cancer. But we need more research to know for sure whether this is the case, as other studies haven’t found a link.

Ways to eat less total fat and saturated fat

Replace fatty snacks such as crisps and biscuits with healthier options such as fruit.

Avoid sausages, burgers and processed meat such as ham or bacon.

Eat less red meat and remove any visible fat. Try eating chicken or fish instead. Remove any skin from chicken or turkey. The skin contains lots of saturated fat.

Grill, bake, poach or steam food instead of frying or roasting.

Choose rapeseed or vegetable oil for cooking and olive oil for salad dressings.

Choose tomato-based sauces instead of creamy ones.

Eat healthy fats from plant foods, such as avocados, nuts and seeds.

Choose low-fat or fat-free dairy products, or dairy alternatives such as soya milk, rice milk or oat milk instead. If you’re struggling to eat because of nausea (feeling sick), speak to your doctor or dietitian. They’ll be able to give you the support and help you need. You may find it helpful to avoid strong smelling foods. Cold foods tend to smell less, use pre-prepared food, or it may help if someone cooks for you.

prostatecanceruk.org - Diet and physical activity for men with prostate cancer

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