The Prostate  |  Aging  and Prevention of Prostate Cancer Donald Saunders Although there is a great deal of debate concerning the subject of preventing prostate cancer there is no doubt that the best place to start is to clearly understand the risks involved.  Once you've done this, there are then many steps one can take to  reduce prostate cancer risks. In spite of this debate, prostate cancer and the subject of prostate cancer prevention in particular remains somewhat controversial. As with many cancers, men do not always cause the onset of prostate cancer.   There are a number of risk factors for developing cancer of the prostate and there is quite a bit that can be done to reduce the risk of developing it, or hopefully, to prevent it. The first step in preventing prostate cancer is to understand that , as a man, you are at risk of developing it and to know just why you are at risk. You must determine whether or not you have a hereditary risk. It is a fact  that men with a family history of prostate cancer are at greater risk and, in general, the risk for a man with one close relative having prostate cancer is about twice that of a man without any family history. With two close relatives this risk rises to about five times that of someone with no family history.   If  three close relatives have had it, the risks can be staggering -- possibly as high as 97 percent. The problem here is that most men know little of their family history related to prostate cancer mainly because many grandfathers, fathers or brothers have died from other illnesses and were perhaps never even aware of the fact they had prostate cancer. This happens because prostate cancer often develops late in life and is generally a very slow growing  cancer.  The consequence is that there is a good chance that individual men will develop other conditions in conjunction with prostate cancer. In these cases, attention is focused on the other symptoms, whic sometimes results in an otherwise preventable death from prostate cancer. If you are not sure of your family history, then it's a good idea to ask guestions of the spouses or other close relatives to find out if any of the tell-tale symptoms, like difficulty urinatin or erectile dysfunction existed before  these men passed away. If this is not possible, then it's probably a good idea to err on the side of caution and assume that the risk might be there rather than assume that you're safe. Another important factor is race.  African American men and men of African descent, are at a greater risk than Hispanic men who, in turn, are at more risk than Caucasian men. The risk for an African American man is about sixty percent higher than that of a Caucasian man.  No one knows why this is the case, but it could be related to genetics or diet. The next risk factor is diet. Men living in western countries such as the United States or the United Kingdom are at increased risk because of the high levels of fat in many western diets. This is a risk factor that you can actually control.  Lowering the fat in your diet and eating such things as more fresh fruit and vegetables can have a profound impact in lowering your risk of cancer of the prostate.  Beyond reducing fat your diet, opinions differ regarding other dietary changes which may be helpful in preventing prostate cancer. There is little doubt that levels of such things as vitamins and minerals in your diet can have a dramatic effect on your health generally and will certainly have a part to play when it comes to prostate health. However, determining just which vitamins and minerals play a part is not an easy matter and is certainly a subject all of its own. ABOUT THE AUTHOR For more information about prostate cancer prevention and the search for a prostate cancer cure please visit ProstateCancerExplained.com