Does zinc have any effect on prostate cancer malignancy?
A. The more aggressive cancers seem to have less zinc. One problem is that the cancer cells have adapted to a low zinc status, so if you give zinc, they are more resistant. We have been a little bit disappointed with the fact that once you have cancer, zinc doesn’t help much. On the other hand, zinc may play an important role in preventing prostate cancer. Q. What are the most effective dietary strategies to protect against prostate cancer? A. There’s no magic bullet, but consumption of fruits and vegetables is associated with decreased risk. Our research suggests that cruciferous vegetables might be helpful. People in Asia have a very low incidence of prostate cancer, but when they move to the United States, it dramatically increases because of dietary changes. Also, there has been a low prostate cancer risk in China, but as they become more industrialized, there is a slow but steady increase in prostate cancer. Eating a lot of fat or red meat seems to increase the risk. Obesity is a
