Do obese men have a higher risk of prostate cancer?
Overweight men have a higher rate of prostate cancer. There was also a recent study suggesting that levels of PSA, a marker in the blood that is associated with prostate cancer, might be 30 percent lower in obese men. Therefore doctors may be under-detecting or under-diagnosing prostate cancer in obese men. So there might be a double-edged sword where not only is it harder to diagnose prostate cancer in overweight men, but they are also more likely to have prostate cancer. Hormones might play a role in causing raising risk. Also, if you’re overweight, you tend to be in a more oxidative state because the more food you consume, the more by-products of free radicals you produce. That could increase your risk, and that’s where antioxidants may come into play. Also, what you choose to over-consume, such as foods high in saturated fat, could be a problem. What nutritional advice do you have for men concerned about their prostate cancer risk? “I think the bottom line is maintaining a more ide
