This year about 185,000 American men will be diagnosed with the disease and about 40,000 will die from it. Risk increases with age. Men 65 or older account for more than 75 percent of the cases diagnosed. African American men appear to be at greater risk than white men, and an individual's odds may be higher than average if the disease runs in his family. For starters, load up on tomatoes.
Tomatoes are particularly rich in the antioxidant lycopene.
Lycopene may have particular power to stop healthy prostate cells from turning malignant. A study funded by the National Cancer Institute showed that prostate cancer was linked to diets high in this type of fat. Some studies suggest that regular physical activity may lower the risks of all types of cancer, including the kind that develops in the prostate. In early stages, prostate cancer generally has no symptoms, so most cases are detected by screening tests. Some men do notice that they have to urinate more often or that their stream of urine is weaker.