A lot of the nutrition advice for prostate cancer sounds like a long list of “don’ts” — don’t eat much red meat, don’t eat processed foods, go easy on high-fat dairy. That’s real, but it’s only half the story. There’s good evidence that what you add in may matter just as much.

Foods with potential benefit:

Fruits and vegetables — especially cruciferous ones (broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts) and tomatoes (rich in lycopene) are linked with lower recurrence risk in some studies.

Legumes and soy — plant proteins bring fiber and phytoestrogens that may support hormone balance.

Whole grains and nuts — help with insulin control and provide healthy fats.

Fatty fish (salmon, sardines, trout) — give you omega-3s, which are anti-inflammatory in the context of whole foods (supplements don’t show the same benefit).

Olive oil and Mediterranean-style eating — associated with lower all-cause mortality, not just prostate cancer.

Why this matters: Nutrition isn’t just about “avoiding harm.” It’s also about giving your body tools to reduce inflammation, improve metabolic health, and possibly create an environment less favorable to cancer growth.

So instead of feeling boxed in by restrictions, it can help to think of diet as shifting the balance — less processed meat and junk food, more plants, fish, and healthy oils. That way your plate still feels full, but full of things that may work in your favor.

General dietary patterns

Mediterranean diet and prostate cancer outcomes:
Kenfield SA, DuPre N, Richman EL, et al. Mediterranean diet and prostate cancer risk and mortality in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Eur Urol. 2014;65(5):887-894. PMID: 23601661

→ Men with higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet had lower overall mortality and lower prostate cancer mortality.

Fruits & vegetables (esp. cruciferous)

Cruciferous vegetables:
Kirsh VA, Peters U, Mayne ST, et al. Prospective study of fruit and vegetable intake and risk of prostate cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2007;99(15):1200-1209. PMID: 17652276

→ Higher intake of cruciferous vegetables was linked to reduced risk of aggressive prostate cancer.

Tomatoes/lycopene:
Giovannucci E, et al. Intake of carotenoids and retinol in relation to risk of prostate cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1995;87(23):1767–1776. PMID: 7473833

→ Frequent tomato/lycopene consumption associated with reduced risk.

Healthy fats & fish

Fish/omega-3s:
Chavarro JE, Stampfer MJ, Li H, et al. A 22-year prospective study of fish intake in relation to prostate cancer incidence and mortality. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008;88(5):1297–1303. PMID: 18996867

→ Regular fish intake was not strongly tied to incidence but was linked to lower prostate cancer mortality.

Olive oil / Mediterranean fats:
Schwingshackl L, Hoffmann G. Monounsaturated fatty acids and risk of cardiovascular disease: synopsis of systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2012;66(7):781–788. PMID: 22491492

→ Not prostate-specific, but underlines why olive oil is part of the “healthier fat” story.

Plant proteins / soy

Yan L, Spitznagel EL. Soy consumption and prostate cancer risk in men: a revisit of a meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009;89(4):1155–1163. PMID: 19211820

→ Soy intake associated with reduced prostate cancer risk in pooled studies.

Processed/red meat (what to cut back on)

World Cancer Research Fund / AICR Continuous Update Project (2018). Diet, Nutrition, Physical Activity and Prostate Cancer.
Link to report

→ Strong evidence: processed/red meat contributes to higher cancer risk; guidance supports limiting intake.