The Prostate Cancer Foundation Challenges Americans To "Eat It To Beat It" During Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

World's leading prostate cancer research nonprofit encourages Americans to eat healthier while raising awareness about health disparities among Black men

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Prostate Cancer Foundation

Aug 24, 2021, 09:45 ET

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) challenges Americans to show their support for men affected by prostate cancer by taking a simple challenge to eat 30 healthy foods during Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in September. PCF's "Eat It to Beat It" campaign is a national effort to raise awareness about prostate cancer, and show that making healthy lifestyle choices can potentially reduce the risk for developing prostate cancer and improving outcomes.

"We know that 30 percent of all cancer is preventable with lifestyle factors. Eating healthy and exercising can prevent any number of chronic diseases, and in some cases can help reverse them," said Howard R. Soule, PhD, Executive Vice President and Chief Science Officer of PCF. "Smart lifestyle modifications can help curtail the onset of cancer and its progression, including prostate cancer. Men who adapt these healthier lifestyle changes can help reduce prostate cancer risk, especially Black men who are at a higher risk for developing the disease."

One in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime, but for Black men, the likelihood increases by more than 75 percent and they are twice as likely to die from it as white men. Lifestyle factors, also known as social determinants of health, play a significant role in cancer risk, health equity, and outcomes. Eating healthy and exercising can lower one's risk of developing prostate cancer. Although PCF has made considerable advances in addressing disparities in prostate cancer among Black men through research and treatment over the past 25 years, more work needs to be done.

To help create awareness about the link between healthy lifestyles and reduced cancer risk, PCF invites the public to join the "Eat It to Beat It" challenge during Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. Campaign participants are encouraged to eat 30 foods selected from its Periodic Table of Healthy Foods and share their journey – whether it is cooking a new recipe or tasting plantains for the first time – on social media via PCF's "Eat It to Beat It" Facebook group and by using #EatItToBeatIt.

All participants will receive a special gift to help chart their progress, and PCF's latest wellness guide, "The Science of Living Well Beyond Cancer: Health, Nutrition, and Wellness Guide." PCF's wellness guide encompasses the latest scientific recommendations for cancer prevention, including actionable tips for optimal health, nutrition, and wellness. It's not just for men with prostate cancer or people living with cancer, but also for anyone interested in living well and reducing their risk for cancer. Participants may set up an optional Facebook fundraiser page to support PCF's cutting-edge research and encourage others to eat healthy during September and beyond.

Join the "Eat It to Beat It" Challenge at https://www.pcf.org/eat/. Connect with PCF at www.pcf.org, on Facebook (facebook.com/pcf.org), Instagram (@prostatecancerfoundation), or Twitter (@pcfnews).

About the Prostate Cancer Foundation
The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) is the world's leading philanthropic organization dedicated to funding life-saving prostate cancer research. Founded in 1993 by Mike Milken, PCF has raised more than $883 million in support of cutting-edge research by more than 2,200 research projects at 220 leading cancer centers in 22 countries around the world. Thanks in part to PCF's commitment to ending death and suffering from prostate cancer, the death rate is down by 52 percent and countless more men are alive today as a result. The Prostate Cancer Foundation research now impacts more than 70 forms of human cancer by focusing on immunotherapy, the microbiome, and food as medicine. Learn more at www.pcf.org.