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Prostate Complexities - Pleasure and Pain

Posted by HIM on Wednesday February 23rd, 2011

As gay men, most of us are probably very familiar with the intense, euphoric, eye-rolling sensation that our prostate can give us when it’s rubbed the right way. But besides sending some of us into a full fledge orgasm, what exactly is a prostate and why should we care? Well first off, prostate is a small walnut-shaped gland that is located under the bladder and in front of the rectum. It is exclusive to men, which is probably why women don’t enjoy anal sex as much as we do, and it produces seminal fluid, which helps to nourish and transport the little guys once they leave the penis.

Then there’s the pain. Currently, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in Canadian men and the incidence has been rising 1.7% per year for the last 15 years. According to the Canadian Cancer Society, some of the risk factors may include age (men over the age of 50 are more susceptible), family history, diet (notably high in animal fats), obesity and genetics (especially men of African descent). Prostate cancer progresses slowly and people normally don’t experience any symptoms until the disease is advanced. Like any other cancer, prostate cancer can be life-limiting and may potentially lead to erectile dysfunction. While the cause of prostate cancer is multi-factorial, there are some things you can do with your diet to help decrease your risk.

Go pink

As if most of us need another reason to add pink into our life! Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant that is found naturally in red and pink-colored fruits and vegetables and is shown to reduce the risk of prostate cancer. To increase the amount of lycopene in your diet, enjoy tomatoes (tomato paste, tomato sauce, cooked/canned tomato, tomato juice, fresh tomatoes), papaya, pink guava, watermelon and pink grapefruit at least two times a week.

Enjoy foods high in selenium

There is some promising research out there that shows that a diet high in selenium can help protect against prostate cancer. Selenium is found abundantly in many foods, including sunflower seeds, seafood (fish and shellfish), turkey, chicken, eggs, whole grain products, couscous, and garlic.

Boost your vitamin E intake

Vitamin E is another antioxidant that has been shown to help fight and protect against prostate cancer. Some of the sources include nuts and seeds (particularly sunflower seeds and almonds), tomato sauce and dark green leafy vegetables.

Experiment with vegetarian options

Vegetarian proteins, such as beans, lentils and soy products (ie. Tofu) are high in fiber, low in fat and more importantly, they are a lot cheaper than most meats! Enjoy vegetarian options a couple times a week; the next time you make a stir-fry, try using tofu and legumes instead of beef or pork,

Be cautious with supplements

While supplementing yourself with selenium and vitamin E may seem the easy way out, there is no evidence to suggest that these can help prevent prostate cancer. In fact, “SELECT,” a large prostate cancer prevention study was stopped because they didn’t think that selenium and vitamin E supplements have any beneficial effects in preventing prostate cancer and early results even seem to suggest that high doses of these nutrients may increase the chances of getting other diseases, such as diabetes! Besides that, supplements, depending on the type and brand, can become quite pricey. You are much better off getting these nutrients from your foods and spending that extra money you save on good quality fresh produce.

It is never too early or too late to start taking care of your prostate. In addition to working towards having a healthy diet, remember that getting plenty of exercise and having regular check ups* are going to help with decreasing the risk of getting prostate cancer.

Jacky Lo
UBC Bachelor in Food, Nutrition and Health
Dietetics Major

*Most prostate exams are detected by screening with digital rectal exam (a finger up your bum!) and serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, which are normally performed as part of an annual physical check up in men over 50. While the level of PSA naturally increases with age, the amount of PSA will change dramatically in men with prostate cancer. To confirm a diagnosis of prostate cancer, a tissue biopsy has to be conducted. Depending on the stage of the disease, treatments can include radiation and hormonal therapy or even surgery (radical prostatectomy or removal of the prostate gland).