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- Consuming too much dairy foods may increase your prostate cancer risk.
- People in North America are at higher risk of developing prostate cancer.
- Using your smartphone until late night may also raise your risk of getting prostate cancer.
There are several things you can do to help you lower your risk of prostate cancer. Here are some of them:
1. Ditch the cheeseburgers, fries, and soda.
According to research, too much calcium and dairy foods may slightly increase your prostate cancer risk. The red meat in burgers is also cooked at high temps to char-level, which creates chemicals that modify DNA and increase the risk for cancer of the prostate, breast, colon, and other organs.
Fries and soda are packed with calories, and too many calories can lead to weight gain. Obesity can lead to many different types of cancers. According to studies, obese men have a lower risk of getting a less dangerous form of prostate cancer but a higher risk of developing a more aggressive form of the disease.
2. Know your family history of prostate cancer.
When talking about cancer, knowing your family history can give you a hint of your risk. While most prostate cancer cases occur without a family history, your genes still affect your chance of developing it. If you have a family member diagnosed at a younger age, it puts you at higher risk than if the cancer was diagnosed after age 65. Further, having genes that increase the risk of breast cancer (BRCA1 or BRCA2) or a family history of breast cancer increases your prostate cancer risk.
3. Change your lifestyle.
Residents of North America may be at a high risk of developing prostate cancer. Other regions with high rates include Australia, Northwestern Europe, and the Caribbean islands. According to experts, diet and other lifestyle factors may play a role. It may also be because people in these regions have more opportunity for screenings than less developed regions where prostate cancer is found less.
4. Start exercising.
Regular physical activity improves overall health, boosts your mood, and helps with weight management. According to some evidence, exercising may also help lower your prostate cancer risk. Research also shows that if you have prostate cancer, exercising regularly may increase your survival rate.
5. Limit exposure to artificial light.
Several studies suggest that exposure to artificial light at night, like the light that comes from your smartphone and TV, may increase prostate cancer risk. More studies are needed, but scientists think the exposure to light prevents melatonin production. Melatonin is a hormone that helps regulate sleep. According to Harvard research, men who sleep well at night had higher melatonin levels and had lower chances of having advanced prostate cancer than those with less melatonin.
6. Quit smoking.
While not yet confirmed, some research has linked smoking to a slight increase in prostate cancer mortality risk. But while most studies don’t show a link between smoking and developing prostate cancer, the habit may still lead to several other cancer types, including lung, mouth, throat, esophageal, stomach, colon, kidney, liver, and pancreatic cancer.
Source: The Healthy