Prostate cancer: Genetic predisposition does not mean cancer
Prostate cancer can be hereditary in 10 to 20 percent of cases. This could be the case in particular if first or second-degree relatives (father, grandfather, brother) were or are already suffering from prostate cancer ( 2 ).
Nevertheless, such a hereditary predisposition does not mean that one falls ill in every case. Because the presence of certain genes does not mean that they will also become active, at least not in such a way that aggressive or deadly cancer develops, as a study published in the specialist journal in 2022 European Urology was published, yielded ( 1 ).
How to halve your risk of deadly prostate cancer
scientist from Brigham and Women’s Hospital examined the prostate cancer risk and mortality from prostate cancer in 12,000 participants in two cohort studies over a period of 30 years (Health Professionals Follow-up Study and Physicians’ Health Study). They looked at how lifestyle could influence these two aspects – i.e. the risk of contracting the disease on the one hand and the risk of dying from the disease on the other.
It was found that although both groups of men – the healthy and the unhealthy men – were diagnosed with prostate cancer at the same rate, the healthy men had an almost 50 percent lower risk of dying from the disease. Apparently, a healthy lifestyle reduces the risk of aggressive (metastatic) and deadly prostate cancer enormously.
Here you will find all naturopathic measures for Protection against prostate cancer.
Genetic risk decreases to normal values
Anyone who has a high genetic risk for a certain disease often feels at the mercy of fate. However, the present study shows that this is not the case at all. Study author Anna Plym, urologist am Brigham and Women’s Hospital explained:
“Through lifestyle changes, preventive medical check-ups and early treatment, the increased risk due to genetics can be kept well under control.”
How to reduce your risk of aggressive prostate cancer
Lifestyle factors that counteract a hereditary predisposition to prostate cancer include the following:
- Maintain a healthy body weight. It should be below a BMI of 30.
- Do sport regularly (walking is not enough, it has to be “real” sport, i.e. strength and endurance training several times a week).
- Do not smoke!
- Eat a healthy diet (lots of vegetables (especially tomatoes as well Cabbage with turmeric), no processed meat, better Fisch or even better – Soy products as a protein source, reduce animal fat).
Of course, these four measures will not only reduce your risk of aggressive prostate cancer, but also your risk of many other diseases – whether cardiovascular diseases, rheumatic diseases or other cancer diseases. In addition, you will soon feel in top form and experience a whole new sense of well-being.
Note on the study
Since this is an observational study, it is of course impossible to say whether a healthy lifestyle can actually minimize the risk of cancer or whether other coexisting factors are not decisive, e.g. For example, it could be that healthy men in particular go to check-ups regularly, which means that a possible cancer can be detected more quickly and treated better. Although the researchers tried to take these factors into account in the evaluation, their influence cannot be completely ruled out.