The Cookbook That Helps Fight Cancer?

Healthy Eating: The Prostate Care Cookbook was published in June 2009 in association with the Prostate Cancer Research Foundation. The authors of the new ’super’ book are reported to have called it the first example of “evidence-based cooking”. After many years of research they’ve put together a diet of cancer fighting foods and recipes.

All books that promote healthy eating are welcomed by most as there is now strong evidence that diet influences the risk of many cancers, including prostate cancer. However, the exact reason prostate cancer develops is not well known at present. It is thought that many factors including age, ethnicity and a close family history of prostate cancer all affect the individuals risk. Of the things that individuals can change themselves to avoid any types of cancer, is eating more foods high in lycopenes such as tomatoes as recommended by the World Cancer Fund. There is also limited suggestive evidence that processed meat and dairy products may increase the risk of cancer.

A press release about the book says that “a controlled diet can provide the most effective form of treatment”, however, this claim needs to be treated with caution as there are some  very effective forms of treatment for prostate cancer symptoms, including drugs, radiotherapy and surgery. The relative effectiveness of these treatments when compared to diet has not yet been tested by the researchers.