As men age and older, they often have to worry about their prostate since prostate enlargement and prostate cancer affect older men compared to younger men. It’s estimated that by the age of 50, about half of all men will show signs of an enlarged prostate. Prostate 911 and other health supplements are beneficial to ensure the longevity of a healthy prostate.

The doctor will do many checkups and lab work to see if there are larger issues with your prostate that need to be examined. 

However, one of the first things they will do is recommend that you change your diet and exercise plan to help you better manage your symptoms and have a higher quality of life. 

This guide will cover the ways that diet and exercise affect the prostate and how you need to ensure you are following a well-thought-out diet and exercise plan. 

Maintain a Healthy Weight 

Having a healthy weight and BMI is one of the best things you can do for your overall health and to decrease your chances of getting a number of different health problems, not just an enlarged prostate. 

When you are at a healthy weight, you are also able to stay more active which allows you to decrease your chances of getting things like diabetes, high cholesterol, and many other problems. 

Limiting Caffeine 

When you have an enlarged prostate, things like caffeine can make you feel like you have to urinate more. This can be really uncomfortable when you have an enlarged prostate so avoiding caffeine can make you feel better and not make you feel like you need to run to the restroom the whole day. 

Eat Less Fat 

As with all health issues, eating less fat can make you feel better and can make all the organs in your body healthier, including the prostate. Try to eat less, especially saturated fat and trans fat. 

Eating healthy fats such as the ones found in olive oil and avocado are okay to consume, but should be a very small part of your diet compared to the amount of vegetables and fruits that you eat. 

Fruit and Vegetables Should Be the Main Part of Your Diet 

When choosing foods at the supermarket or when you are out eating at a restaurant, you should try and ensure that the main part of your diet is fruits and vegetables. So, your grocery cart should be mostly veggies and fruits with some lean meat and small amounts of dairy as well. 

The more colorful your plate the better. This means you want to choose vegetables of all different colors. You should also aim to eat many different kinds of fruits including citrus and other ones that are less acidic like watermelon and bananas. 

Avoid Alcohol 

Drinking alcohol sometimes, especially during special occasions is okay, but you want to limit your consumption of alcohol as much as possible. Alcohol can make you need to urinate more and it can make you feel like you need to urinate all the time. 

By avoiding alcohol, you can be sure you are taking better care of your prostate and that you are avoiding the constant need to urinate. 

Try Not to Drink Before Bedtime 

Although you want to stay well hydrated throughout the day, try and avoid drinking a few hours before you go to bed. If you drink too much before bedtime, you will find that you need to urinate throughout the night while you sleep which can be annoying and it can lessen your quality of sleep. 

Exercise Most Days of the Week 

Finding time to exercise can be hard, but you should try to prioritize your health and exercise most days of the week. Some days you can do light exercise such as going for a walk or lifting some small weights. If you work a full-time job investing in a bike desk or standing desk can be a great way to get some exercise in everyday. 

On other days of the week, you need to aim to do more vigorous exercise like running, cycling, or strength training. 

Try to make a program for yourself so you are doing a good mix of all the activities you need to do. By making a plan, you are also more likely to follow it which means you will meet your weekly exercise needs. 

Foods to Eat for the Prostate 

Your doctor or a dietician might put you on a specialized diet if you have an enlarged prostate or an increased risk of prostate cancer. 

Here are some foods that are shown to help with an enlarged prostate:

• Certain kinds of fish like mackerel and salmon 
• Fruits that contain high levels of Vitamin C like lemons and oranges 
• Fruits and vegetables with high levels of antioxidants like tomatoes 
• Most cruciferous vegetables like broccoli 

You can also incorporate some juices into your diet that contain the above fruits and vegetables, but make sure you are not adding too much sugar to the juices as this can cause more inflammation in the body. 

Foods to Avoid for Your Prostate Health 

There are also a few foods you want to avoid to ensure your prostate health is in the best shape including:

• Red meat: This is because it’s very high in saturated fats and can increase inflammation in the body 
• Sodium: When you have an enlarged prostate, sodium can make the inflammation worse and cause you to feel like you have to urinate more
• Alcohol and caffeine: Caffeine and alcohol both make your body feel like you need to urinate more, especially if you drink them right before bedtime 

The Bottom Line 

Diet and exercise are overall very important for your overall health, not just your prostate. However, there are tons of benefits to eating well and exercising when it comes to your prostate so you can benefit many different organ systems and your body when you choose to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables rather than eating too much red meat or drinking too much caffeine.

If you have symptoms of an enlarged prostate, you might want to consider seeing a doctor and a dietician so you can get the best exercise and diet tips for your unique situation.