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1、TomatoSauce Men who eat a lot of tomatoes, tomato sauce, or pizza smothered with the stuff may be giving themselves a hedge against prostate cancer. So say researchers at Harvard, who studied the eating habits of more than 47,000 male health professionals. They found that men who ate tomato sauce two to four times per week had a 35 percent lower risk of developing prostate cancer than men who ate none. A carotenoid called lycopene, which tomatoes contain in abundance, appeared to be responsible. But scientists were puzzled: tomato juice didn't seem to have a protective effect. 2、Oysters Myth has it that oysters arethe food of love. Science may agree. Just two to three oysters deliver afull day's supply of zinc, a mineral critical for normalfunctioning of the male reproductivesystem. Scientistsreport that sperm counts have declined over the last 50 years andthat environmental factors are to blame. Getting adequate zinc issometimes the answer. In onetrial, 22men with low testosterone levels and sperm counts were given zincevery day for 45 mg to 50 mg days. Testosterone levels andsperm counts rose. 3、Watermelon Until the age of 55, more mensuffer from high blood pressure than do women. Research suggeststhat foods rich in potassium can reduce the risk of high bloodpressure. Watermelon, a rich source of this mineral, has morepotassium--664 mg --in one large slice than the amount found in abanana or a cup of orange juice. So cut yourself another slice andenjoy the taste of summer. 4、Broccoli A recent Harvard study findsthat cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli, may protect against bladdercancer. It's one of the most common cancers, and affects two to threetimes as many men as women. Scientists analyzed the diets of nearly50,000 men and discovered that those who atefive servings or more per week of cruciferous veggies were halfas likelyto develop bladder cancer over a ten-year period as men who rarelyate them. And broccoli and cabbage were singled outas the most protective foods. 5、PeanutButter If you want a healthy heart,spread your morning toast with peanut butter. Heart disease is theleading killer of men and women, but men fall victim at an earlierage. Researchers compared thecholesterol-lowering effect with a higher-fat diet based onpeanuts. After 24 days both diets lowered "bad" LDL cholesterol.But the peanut plan also caused a drop in blood fats calledtriglycerides and did not decrease HDL, the "good"cholesterol. Peanut butteris a little higher in fat, but it's the type that's good foryou--monounsaturated fat. Just don't go nuttyplastering on the tasty spread, since it is high in calories. 2010-07-20
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