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Diets rich in fat, sugar and red meat, and low in fiber, fruits and vegetables, contribute to being overweight or obese, and are linked to many cancers. The type of fat consumed in your diet also influences your risk. High intake of saturated fat in particular has been linked to increased risk of prostate cancer in several studies.

A diet that is higher in fruits, vegetables, fish, and some kinds of seeds and nuts (such as walnuts and flaxseed) will contain more healthy fats (called omega-3 fats) than a diet full of red meat and dairy foods (which contain more omega-6 fats). You need both kinds of fat in your diet, but the balance is what is important to protect against diseases such as prostate cancer. Increasing the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fats might reduce prostate cancer tumor growth and PSA levels.

Exercise Supports the Prostate

Exercise has become the solution for just about every ailment, and prostate disease has been added to the list. According to a new study, older men who exercise regularly have a much lower risk - nearly a 70 percent decrease - of developing advanced prostate cancer or dying from the disease.

There is a lot you can do to protect yourself from prostate disease. Be proactive. Eat whole foods, exercise, take whole-food supplements and speak with your doctor about getting tested. This is your best defense against developing any type of prostate disease.

QUICK FACTS

• The American Cancer Society recommends that most men get a prostate test beginning at age 50. Men at high risk, such as African-American men and men with a strong family history, should begin testing at age 45.
• Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) affects 433,216 people in the U.S. each year and caused 430 deaths in 1999. It also accounts for 350,000 to 400,000 operations per year in America.
• There were 218,890 new cases of prostate cancer and 27,050 prostate cancer-related deaths in the United States in 2006.
• It is estimated that approximately $8 billion is spent on prostate cancer treatment each year in the U.S.

Kelly Kwiatkowski has worked as a communications professional and project manager in the academic and corporate health care research sectors for the past seven years. She currently is a scientific writer for a whole-foods supplement company in Palmyra, Wis.

Joe Leonard is manager of outcomes research and scientific communications for a nutritional supplement manufacturer. Together with Kelly Kwiatkowski, they generate scientific documentation on the role of nutritional supplements in health and wellness.