Eat vegies for better prostate and heart health
Important health tips for men if they want the same life expectancy of the women in their lives
We’ve been told that young people don’t eat enough fruit and vegetables. But it’s not just a concern about kids. Experts are concerned that older people are also neglecting their ‘five a day’.
That means at least five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day. That's five portions of fruit and veg in total, not five of each. One portion weighs 80g.
Men in particular fall well short of getting their five a day, while women are routinely found to eat more portions each day than men. That means they get more necessary fibre and nutrients than men, leading to better health.
New evidence suggests an increase of fruit and vegies consumption is critical to improving men’s health, leading to greater immunity and a better sex life, while significantly decreasing their risk of heart disease and cancer.
“Men are statistically more likely to suffer from heart and cardiovascular disease and bowel or colon cancer than women,” Eli Brecher, a registered nutritionist, told The Times newspaper. “A high intake of fruits and vegetables is associated with a lower risk of all of these and more health conditions.”
University of Oxford researchers found that men eating a vegetarian or low-meat diet were at a 31 per cent lower risk of getting prostate cancer. Vegetarian men were 43 per cent less likely to get colon cancer than meat eaters.
Studies in the United States showed:
The more fruit and vegetables consumed by men aged under 65, the lower their risk of fatal prostate cancer during a 28-year follow-up.
Men with localised prostate cancer had a reduced risk of it growing or advancing to a point where they would need treatment if their diet contained more fruit, vegetables and legumes.
Men and women have different gut microbiomes. Studies indicate that females naturally have a more diverse microbiome than males, and that the X chromosome—doubled up in females—carries many immune-related genes.
All of this means that women’s immune systems tend to respond more vigorously to an infection than men’s and underpins why gut and immune-healthy fruit and veg are so crucial for men to consume.
Do I need to take supplements?
Most people can get all the vitamins and minerals they need from eating a healthy balanced diet. You might need extra vitamins and minerals if you:
Are vegan
Have certain medical conditions.
Your doctor may also tell you to take extra iron or Vitamin D. Vegans may need a vitamin B12 supplement, along with extra Vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids and iron.
However, there is no evidence that vitamin and mineral supplements make any difference to the health of most people.
While men are certainly falling behind in looking after themselves, there are foods we all should be eating to improve our health:
Have five or six prunes a day for bone health
A 30g portion of dried fruit counts as one of your five a day, and men should consider eating more prunes. Not only are they rich in fibre, aiding gut health and digestion, but the dried plums are a good source of vitamin K2, which is known to boost bone density.
A 2021 study showed that prunes might benefit bone health in men over 50, helping to protect against osteoporosis.
Eat an avocado a week for your heart
Cutting down on animal products and replacing with two portions of half an avocado a week reduces the risk of heart disease. Avocado eaters were 16 per cent less likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease and were at a 21 per cent lower risk of coronary heart disease over the course of a 30-year study compared with those who never or rarely ate avocado.
Have a bowl of dark berries and cherries every day
Berries are rich in beneficial plant flavonoids, particularly anthocyanins, which give the fruits their red and purple hue and provide potent antioxidant power, helping to protect against dementia and heart disease.
A daily intake of blueberries has been shown to improve blood sugar and cholesterol levels in men with type 2 diabetes, and just a few servings a week of berries and cherries to improve erectile dysfunction by 14 per cent, with the greatest benefit to men under 70.
A serving of cranberries could improve cardiovascular function in men, according to a study that found that an increase of beneficial polyphenols in the bloodstream after eating the berries improved blood vessel function.
Eat 45g a day of broccoli, sprouts, pak choi or cauliflower
Do this for healthy blood vessels and lower blood pressure. There is also evidence to suggest it could lower the build-up of harmful calcium levels in the aorta, the body’s largest artery.
Boost prostate and brain health with more mushrooms
A large study involving more than 36,000 Japanese men aged 40-79 over almost three decades found that eating any variety of mushrooms resulted in lower risk of prostate cancer.
Benefits were particularly strong in men aged 50 and older, thought to be a result of the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants in mushrooms (they are a source of B vitamins, potassium, chloride and copper, as well as selenium).
One antioxidant found in mushrooms, L-ergothioneine, is believed to reduce oxidative stress that leads to the chronic inflammation in the body that is responsible for diseases such as cancer.
Studies have shown about a 10 per cent reduction in the risk of prostate cancer when raw tomatoes are eaten at least four times a week, but that protective element soars when they are cooked.
Eat spinach and kale for strong muscles
One serving of these leafy greens a day provides a source of nitrates, which relaxes and widens blood vessels to boost blood flow to the muscles, build stronger legs, increase walking speed and reduce the risk of blood pressure and heart disease.
For further reading: Vitamins and Minerals Explained; The Australian
