Does eating less red meat help reduce risk prostate cancer recurrence?

Posted by love06092025 @love06092025, Sep 20 11:43am

Hi !
My husband had a successful radical prostatectomy . I think it would benefit him (as in prevent a recurrence or future cancer of another type) to drastically reduce his red meat consumption or even better yet, STOP it but he feels otherwise. I am curious if anyone can refer me to documentation or medical journal article to support my theory.
Thank you!

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Profile picture for surftohealth88 @surftohealth88

I agree with Jeff 100% ! 👍

I read a lot about meat consumption in general, not only "red" meat and also eggs and many articles and all research points to Mediterranean diet as one that is very beneficial. Countries that base their diet on plants have drastically less cancers cases in their population , and especially breast and prostate cancer.

My husband's PSA in February was 7.6 and I put him on supplements and excluded meat from his diet and in just 2 mos his PSA went down to 5.1 ! We tested PSA every 6 -8 weeks till surgery happened in August and his PSA stayed in 5.1 to 5.6 range even though his cancer turned out to be super aggressive gleason 9. Also, most old-timers here who are successfully controlling their cancer against all odds changed their diet - that is for me the biggest confirmation that diet has an impact and also exercise and keeping weight down.

Luckily my husband is the same as me - we love vegetables and fruits and we do not miss meat one bit. Do we love meat - yes , can we live without it - yes . What is necessary should not be hard IMHO.

Somebody mentioned UCSF - actually they recommend lowering meat, eggs and milk products. They did not say "exclude 100%" but that is because they know most people will find an excuse not to do it, so what they said is : eggs - limit, milk and cheese -reduce or eliminate, red meat- reduce , etc. And IT IS NOT all about fats, the problem with meat and eggs is complex and unfortunately I have no time to write all that I read and know and it will not make any difference anyways. People will eat what they want to eat and making diet modification is for most people impossible feat since they just do not want to do that. If they could do it there would be no diabetes, CV disease and so much cancer around . Even we did not change all of our diet before PC happened since we thought that we eat "healthy enough" (Mediter. diet) but - it was not enough !

Happy "vegging" everybody ; ) !!! 💖💗💖

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If I may ask, what supplements was he taking?

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Yes , absolutely try to stay away from BBQ and processed meats - those are definitely proven to be really bad. Red meat is not beneficial in any shape or form, but processed meat (and anything else processed) is REALLY bad.

The healthiest way to prepare meat is to simmer on low heat (stews etc), and after that roasting (do not broil). Any time you expose meat to any kind of high heat carcinogenic chemicals form, primarily heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). These chemicals are linked to an increased cancer risk.

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Profile picture for ucla2025 @ucla2025

If I may ask, what supplements was he taking?

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Yes you may : ))),
Now that he is without prostate he is taking less of them and those are :
Curcumin
VitD +vit K
Maitake D-fraction (drops)
White Button Mushroom extract (powder) plus fresh mushrooms
Turkey Tail Mushroom
Organic Supergreens (by Zena) mixed with soy milk - he drinks it as a shake, me too by the way lol since it is yummy.
Green tea extract and drinks tea regularly
Broccoli supplement and also eats roasted broccoli or steamed ones couple of times a week
Probiotics
Pectasol
Doctor told him to take L-citruline for penile rehabilitation (it promotes better blood flow)
My husband lost a lot of blood during surgery so I added sublingual B12 vit and Iron since he still has low hemoglobin

Phill will say that it does not matter ; ), I love Phill, but I think that it matters, at least somewhat 😜. Small steps add up , I think, I hope ...🥰. If nothing else it can make body stronger and healthier so it can withstand all of that on-sloth of surgeries and treatments.

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Forgot to say, I found those two books very useful :

"How to Prevent and Treat Cancer with Natural Medicine".
It was written by doctors and is endorsed by Cancer Treatment Centers of America

"Beat Cancer Kitchen" by Chris and Micah Wark - this book also gives detailed food plan for patients going through chemo and radiation.

Both are available on Amazon and very affordable 😊.

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Profile picture for surftohealth88 @surftohealth88

Yes you may : ))),
Now that he is without prostate he is taking less of them and those are :
Curcumin
VitD +vit K
Maitake D-fraction (drops)
White Button Mushroom extract (powder) plus fresh mushrooms
Turkey Tail Mushroom
Organic Supergreens (by Zena) mixed with soy milk - he drinks it as a shake, me too by the way lol since it is yummy.
Green tea extract and drinks tea regularly
Broccoli supplement and also eats roasted broccoli or steamed ones couple of times a week
Probiotics
Pectasol
Doctor told him to take L-citruline for penile rehabilitation (it promotes better blood flow)
My husband lost a lot of blood during surgery so I added sublingual B12 vit and Iron since he still has low hemoglobin

Phill will say that it does not matter ; ), I love Phill, but I think that it matters, at least somewhat 😜. Small steps add up , I think, I hope ...🥰. If nothing else it can make body stronger and healthier so it can withstand all of that on-sloth of surgeries and treatments.

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Thank you for all the great info! I have been researching like crazy and came up with most of the same items as you. My husband’s PSA unfortunately has been rising since his RARP so he went on ADT and will be having salvage RT soon. We are doing the food thing now, broccoli, mushrooms, tea, greens, etc. and I plan to add the powdered supplements after the radiation.

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Profile picture for ucla2025 @ucla2025

Thank you for all the great info! I have been researching like crazy and came up with most of the same items as you. My husband’s PSA unfortunately has been rising since his RARP so he went on ADT and will be having salvage RT soon. We are doing the food thing now, broccoli, mushrooms, tea, greens, etc. and I plan to add the powdered supplements after the radiation.

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You are very welcome 💗. I completely understand your worries and panic and endless reading etc. because I am doing it since February. My husband was initially diagnosed with 4+3, did all the reading and learning about that but than after surgery gleason was upgraded to 9 🥺, so now I study all about THAT level and stage 😔. One of the margins is iffy and there could be one tiny EPE so we are waiting for the first PSA with great worry and apprehension (next week). He might need RT also depending of PSA and doctors willingness to do or not do adjuvant RT anyways. Initially PSA test was ordered for November but we managed to move it for next week since PSA falls by half every 3 days and IF it falls to 0.01 it should be that number next week 🙏🤞🍀. We shall see ...

I am wishing your husband super successful RT and complete eradication of cancer ✨🍀✨. He is now on ADT and his PSA will drop very fast and cancer is now stopped from growing. 👍
Your love and support will definitely accelerate his healing too : ))) !

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Profile picture for heavyphil @heavyphil

Nothing you add OR subtract completely from your diet is going to guarantee cure, remission or relapse. A well balanced diet with all things in moderation is easy to follow and healthful as well.
You shouldn’t be pounding down red meat every day anyway; but once or twice per week is not going to tip the scales either way in my opinion.
Eat lean red meat - NOT charred on the grill since this one factor has been shown to be carcinogenic - and stay away from highly processed meats loaded with nitrates.
Meat CAN be good for us if eaten correctly. Best,
Phil

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@heavyphil
Your post mirrors what my dietician and cardiologist tell me at Mayo Jacksonville. It is all about moderation and balanced diet. I was given a diet recommenations from UFHPTI when I met for my pre radiation treatments. I had already gone through diet consuling with my cardiologist but UFHPTI was geared to address diet issues during radiation. Like "don't eat beans."

I have heard the charred association many times. I don't grill meat so have never had to worry.

The highly processed foods usually are full of salt also. Although I have never heard and association with salt and PC it sure is linked to high blood pressure.

I think a lot of meat regardless of red or white can be detrimental if full of chemicals and injections. When you consume it you consume what the animial ate and what the animal was given to eat or injected. I think the growth hormones injected into meat would be much more of a concern. Maybe HHS will look into this someday. But even eating fish comes with threat of too much mercury especially in some types of fish.

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Profile picture for surftohealth88 @surftohealth88

You are very welcome 💗. I completely understand your worries and panic and endless reading etc. because I am doing it since February. My husband was initially diagnosed with 4+3, did all the reading and learning about that but than after surgery gleason was upgraded to 9 🥺, so now I study all about THAT level and stage 😔. One of the margins is iffy and there could be one tiny EPE so we are waiting for the first PSA with great worry and apprehension (next week). He might need RT also depending of PSA and doctors willingness to do or not do adjuvant RT anyways. Initially PSA test was ordered for November but we managed to move it for next week since PSA falls by half every 3 days and IF it falls to 0.01 it should be that number next week 🙏🤞🍀. We shall see ...

I am wishing your husband super successful RT and complete eradication of cancer ✨🍀✨. He is now on ADT and his PSA will drop very fast and cancer is now stopped from growing. 👍
Your love and support will definitely accelerate his healing too : ))) !

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I did feel tremendous relief when the ADT started. We have another PSMA scan this week I presume to get a better idea of what is going on before scheduling the radiation. Three positive lymph nodes were found during the surgery in June so we know it’s on the move. We are also Gleason 9 with some other aggressive signs thrown in to freak us out even more. The endless tests and scans and appointments are so stressful. Thanks for taking the time to chat with me. Wishing you both only good results. 😊

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Profile picture for dailyeffort @dailyeffort

Great post!

I not only consider my dietary choices in terms of reducing the possibility of recurrence, but also as a critical component to being at the peak of health in order to be able to qualify for and survive existing and future treatments for recurrence.

Health benefits aside, I'll take the multitude of amazing colors, flavors and textures a largely plant based diet delivers through simple recipes from around the globe bursting with flavors from diverse blends of herbs and seasonings. Thanks, PCa, for bringing the most amazing cuisine into my life! It sounds silly, but it's how I feel because I love to eat tasty well-seasoned foods! At 6'4" and 190 lbs, 120 g of plant based food (no powders or supplements) and 10 cups of mostly fresh fruits and veggies per day accompanied by nuts and whole grains calls for a wide variety of tasty recipes!!
Bill

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I am with you, Bill! I was veering towards veganism for a number of years, anyway, for a variety of reasons -- primarily, my personal health. Once I read about my elevated PSA in mid-May and researched optimal diet/nutrition for addressing prostate cancer, I happily made the switch. I learned that dairy products are not helpful, may even play a role in causing cancer to become aggressive. Giving up cheese and yogurt was the hardest for me, but at this point in time, I am fine and happy. Increased my daily exercise practices, added meditation, and revamped my "diet" accordingly. Pura Vida!

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Profile picture for steveapplebaugh @steveapplebaugh

I am with you, Bill! I was veering towards veganism for a number of years, anyway, for a variety of reasons -- primarily, my personal health. Once I read about my elevated PSA in mid-May and researched optimal diet/nutrition for addressing prostate cancer, I happily made the switch. I learned that dairy products are not helpful, may even play a role in causing cancer to become aggressive. Giving up cheese and yogurt was the hardest for me, but at this point in time, I am fine and happy. Increased my daily exercise practices, added meditation, and revamped my "diet" accordingly. Pura Vida!

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I'm with you. Steve. I miss the Swiss! For me, it is harder too eat just a bit, so I am better forgoing the cheese altogether....

Thanks for the "Pura Vida" reference. I had to look it up, but I love the philsophy it represents.
Bill

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