Eat less red and processed meat
Many people, especially men, like a tender piece of steak, a juicy hamburger or a roast chicken. But what effect does meat actually have on your health? And more specifically: does eating meat increase the risk of getting prostate cancer?
To get straight to the point: we don’t yet know whether eating meat increases the risk of prostate cancer. The World Cancer Research Fund’s largest ever study into nutrition, lifestyle and cancer looked at all available scientific evidence. This shows that not enough is known yet whether eating meat has an influence on the risk of prostate cancer.
Red meat, such as beef, pork and sheep meat, is a good source of protein, iron and zinc. That is why red meat in small portions fits into a healthy diet, but in moderation. It has been scientifically proven that eating too much red meat increases the risk of developing colon cancer. It is therefore better not to eat more than 350 to 500 grams of red meat per week (weight after preparation). The evidence for the relationship between processed meat and the development of colon cancer is even stronger. That is why it is better to eat processed meats such as cold cuts (ham, salami, bacon, etc.) and certain types of sausages as little as possible.
Meat substitutes and prostate cancer
There are several meat substitutes that you can alternate with red meat. For example, cheese and other dairy products are a good substitute for meat. In recent years it was sometimes thought that dairy products would increase the risk of prostate cancer because of the relatively large amount of calcium. The World Cancer Research Fund’s largest study on diet, lifestyle and cancer shows that there is no strong evidence to say that calcium increases the risk of prostate cancer.
In addition, there is now a wide range of vegetarian products. Many of these products are made from soy. There is early evidence that soy may lower the risk of prostate cancer. More research is needed before recommendations can be made on this. For now, the advice is to take a maximum of two to three servings of soy products per day (one serving is one cup, one glass or one meat substitute).
Finally, legumes such as kidney beans, marrowfat peas, chickpeas, lentils and white beans are good meat substitutes. Legumes are packed with protein and dietary fiber. These fibers are important for a healthy gut and reduce your risk of colon cancer. Legumes also contain few calories, which makes it easier to maintain a healthy weight. An maintain a healthy weight is one of the most important steps you can take to reduce the risk of (prostate) cancer. Being overweight increases the risk of no fewer than twelve cancers, including prostate cancer.
Read more tips to eat less meat here.
This article was produced in collaboration with the World Cancer Research Fund. World Cancer has been the authority in the Netherlands in the field of nutrition, exercise, body weight and cancer for more than 25 years. There are no guarantees against cancer, but by eating and living healthily we can reduce the risk of cancer.
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