According to a recent study published in the July issue of Harvard Men's Health Watch, lifestyle changes can help men with newly-diagnosed prostate cancer of low to moderate grade that is localized to the prostate gland.Half of the 93 men who were in the trial were assigned to a lifestyle program, and others were not. The program included an ultra-low-fat vegan diet, supplements including soy, fish oil, vitamin E, C, and selenium, walking 30 minutes a day for six days of the week and a stress reduction program of an hour a day including yoga, stretching, breathing and meditation.
Within a year, a small but statistically significant difference was evident in terms of average PSA. The average PSA in the lifestyle change group fell while the PSA in the untreated men increased.
While more research is needed before such lifestyle therapy can be recommended in a clinical setting, the journal notes that men with prostate cancer may not want to wait, particularly since these measures are beneficial for general health anyway.
