Apple, coffee save you from prostate problems

A daily dose of apples and coffee can help save you from prostate problems, say doctors.

“Studies show that men with a history of prostate cancer who drank coffee every day could reduce the risk of cancer by 59%. But coffee can’t be recommended as a cancer fighter,” said Dr Vinod Jain, faculty, KGMU.

The disease prevention properties of apple, however, need no explanation, he said.

Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer in males. Nearly a quarter-million men are diagnosed yearly in America, said Dr BS Bansal, of RG Stone Hospital. The cause of prostate cancer is unknown, but hormonal, genetic and environmental. Doctors associate certain risk factors such as age above 40 years, obesity, dietary habits and family history with the development of the condition. They suggest one can always have a healthy diet to avoid this cancer.

September is World Prostate Awareness month and several programmes for awareness are being organised in the city.

The KGMU too dedicated a daylong OPD for the purpose.

The prostate is a gland in the male body that helps in making semen, the fluid that contains sperm. It surrounds the tube that carries urine away from the bladder and out of the body. A young man’s prostate is about the size of a walnut. It slowly grows larger with age. If it gets too large, it can cause problems. This is very common after age 50.