Last week, it was revealed that prostate cancer has overtaken other types of the disease as being the most diagnosed in the UK. A significant 25 percent rise in cases from 2019 to 2023 was reported, attributed largely to greater disease awareness, according to Prostate Cancer UK.
This increase has sparked calls for an effective screening programme to detect more cases before symptoms appear. In light of these statistics, there’s been a surge in individuals looking up information on prostate cancer and ways to lower their risk, including through diet.
NHS doctor Professor Hashim Ahmed, who is also the chair of urology at Imperial College London, spoke to The Times about dietary measures to reduce the risk. He listed six beneficial foods, highlighting cooked tomatoes, brassica vegetables like kale and cauliflower, green tea, pomegranates, and mixed nuts.
These foods are rich in antioxidants, which Professor Ahmed says can lead to fewer genetic mutations and soothe tissues. Kale and cauliflower, in particular, were termed “power foods” with potential benefits for prostate health.
Professor Ahmed noted: “There’s really good evidence to show if you make those dietary changes it reduces the chance of the cancer getting worse.”, reports Surrey Live.
Professor Ahmed weighed in on the issue of prostate cancer, which has recently been recognised as the UK’s most prevalent cancer. This comment followed the disclosure by journalist Giles Coren of his own struggle with the disease.
In an article for The Times, Coren divulged: “How about this for a piece of couldn’t-make-it-up professional timing: in the very week that it was announced on the front page of The Times that prostate cancer is now the commonest cancer in England … I have been diagnosed with it! “
Coren, joining the ranks of famous figures like Stephen Fry and Sir Chris Hoy who’ve dealt with this condition, discussed the obstacles he faced in obtaining the prostate specific antigen (PSA) test that confirmed his diagnosis.
He advocated for changes to NHS policy, saying: “I had to demand, literally demand, a prostate specific antigen (PSA) test along with my annual cholesterol check, because not only is it not mandatory on the NHS but your GP is not even allowed to suggest it unless you have symptoms.”