Mushrooms are one of those polarizing foods – people either love them or hate them. If your older male family member likes mushrooms, using them in more dishes could help to protect them from prostate cancer, the most common kind of cancer among men.
Mushrooms and Prostate Cancer
There’s currently no cure for prostate cancer, though treatments for the disease have been improving over the years. There’s no sure-fire way to prevent cancer, either. However, eating a healthy diet is recommended to reduce the chances of most kinds of cancer, including prostate cancer.
Past studies have indicated that mushrooms have anti-cancer and anti-inflammation properties. In this new study, scientists wanted to know if mushrooms would specifically influence the risks for prostate cancer. To find out, they collected data from more than 36,000 men who were aged 40 to 79. The researchers followed the researchers for about 13 years. Then, participants were divided into groups based on how often they ate mushrooms. The groups were as follows:
- 6.9 percent of the participants almost never ate mushrooms.
- 36.8 percent ate them one or two times per month.
- 36 percent consumed mushrooms once or twice per week.
- 15.7 percent had them three or four times a week.
- 4.6 percent ate them nearly every day.
Within the 13-year follow up, 3.3 percent of the participants developed prostate cancer. The data showed that the group that consumed mushrooms once or twice a week had an 8 percent lower risk for prostate cancer. In comparison, eating mushrooms 3 or 4 times a week lowered the risks by 17 percent.
More Ways to Lower Prostate Cancer Risk
While the study does show an association between prostate cancer risk and mushrooms, more research is needed to make a definitive decision as to whether mushrooms can help to prevent the disease. Though, it certainly doesn’t hurt for your older family to eat more mushrooms if they enjoy them because mushrooms have plenty of other health benefits, such as:
- Healthy Diet: A healthy diet for prostate cancer prevention is one that is low in fat, reduces the amount of dairy men eat, and includes lots of fruits and vegetables.
- Weight Loss: If your older family member is overweight, encourage them to reach a healthy weight and stay there.
- Exercise: Seniors should check with their doctors before they start exercising. Once they are given the okay, they should aim for 30 minutes per day on at least 5 days of the week.
Senior care providers can help your older family member to lower their chances of getting prostate cancer. A senior care provider can offer support and encouragement while the older adult works on losing weight. Senior care providers can also help with weight loss by cooking healthy meals that follow the guidelines for prostate cancer prevention. In addition, a senior care provider can assist older adults to be more physically active through activities at home, by driving them to the gym, or by going for walks with them.
Sources
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/326285.php
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/prostate-cancer/in-depth/prostate-cancer-prevention/art-20045641
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