Starting off 2015, I went in to Quest Diagnostics for my yearly PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen) blood test. Within a day, I had my results: 1.1. My urologist was delighted. Over the past 15 years or so my PSA has hovered around 1.0. Sometimes a little higher, sometimes a little lower. My secret: pizza. The lycopene in the pizza sauce protects the prostate. I also like ginger which recent studies say also is good for a healthy prostate. If you’re a guy 50 or older or you care about someone in that age range, I strongly recommend the PSA. Early detection of problems is a key factor. And, then there’s the relief when you find out you’ve scored well on the PSA test.
I’m sorry, were you saying something?
Bob, I was saying you need to go get a PSA blood test. Pronto.
Good for you, George. I don’t like pizza very much but if it helps keep prostate problems at bay, then I’ll start tucking into them more often. I did my very first PSA test last year and it came out normal. My path lab reads out the numbers on the phone within hours of the blood work.
Prashant, congratulations! Any food with tomatoes in it should provide prostate protection.
Nice, George. I don’t know if it’s pizza or what but mine, which had been creeping up by 0.1 percent the last few years, dropped 0.6 points last time. It’s still not close to your 1 range but doing OK.
Jeff, any PSA score under 4.0 is good. Plenty of variables affect the PSA so the scores do move around.
Something to keep in mind is that the PSA is not the only thing that needs checking. You also need to have the prostate examined for nodules. We had a friend with a PSA in the ten range, and he did not have prostate cancer. But Phil’s jumped from 1.0 to 4 in a year so that big of a jump is a warning. Half of men over sixty will have prostate cancer but usually it is small, slow-growing, and never detected.
And it’s the tomato sauce not the pizza, Prashant. So if you eat a diet with lots of tomatoes, especially cooked, you don’t need to eat pizza. According to an article in the NYT this week most cancers are just bad luck. Not caused by diet or genetics.
Sorry I am becoming an expert on this.
Patti, I’ll have the tomato sauce with the pizza!
Patti, thanks for that valuable information! I was struck by the “cancer is just bad luck” theory. Obviously, the CDC should be focusing on cancer prevention more.
Maybe pizza also helps prevent early onset of Alzheimer’s…that would be nice.z But truth is pizza has to many bd things in it – the fat, cholesterol and carbs, to be allowed more that once every month or two here. I do eat cherry tomatoes just as a snack, though.
Rick, I’m a big fan of ginger, too. Recent studies have shown ginger protects the prostate, too.
FYI, I get a PSA test twice a year (along with other blood-related testing) and the results are fine.
Bob, good to hear that news!
Cooked tomatoes as in tomato sauce or pizza sauce. Italian food has long been my favorite and if pressed to eat only one type of food that would be it.
Jeff, same with me. Italian and pizza are my go-to favorite foods.
George, many Indians, including me, eat cooked food containing tomatoes, onions, garlic, ginger, and turmeric almost every day.
Prashant, that might explain India’s lower rates of cancer. In the U.S. cancer is at epidemic proportions!
*eating ginger pizza* (not the model’s real name)…the judicious usage of your favorite sort of cheesecake never hurts, either…if it does, seek medical attention…
Todd, the PSA is a key indicator for prostate heath. But a lot of guys get lax about getting the test.
congrats, and we have to heed patti’s advice…
Todd, Patti knows what she’s talking about.