If my family history serves as a predictor for any future health challenges, my prostate does not stand a chance. The prevalence of prostate cancer in prior generations is not enviable and it weighs heavy on my conscience as I age. My hope, however, comes from my belief that most health issues that are passed down are due to familial reasons, rather than from pure genetics, and are therefore preventable.
Regarding issues related to health, familial means the issues run in families and not necessarily related to genetic predispositions. Obesity often occurs in multiple generations not because of genetics, but rather people in the same family tend to eat similarly.
I believe the predisposition to prostate cancer in my family tends to be due to the shared love of preserved meats, especially salami. My parents’ families were from Europe, and times were tough during the periods of war. Preserved meats were very common in their diet and that carried over when they came to Canada. A weekly trip to the local German delicatessen usually resulted in a very dry salami hanging in our cold cellar and afternoon snack trays always had salami on German rye breads. It is fair to say, preserved meats were a staple in our home.
While I may be singling out salami, this food falls into a category of being high on the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII). In recent decades, there is a growing body of evidence relating the role of inflammation in chronic disease like diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Chronic inflammation has also been linked to depression and Alzheimer’s.
The DII was developed to be able to identify which foods stimulated (and to what degree) the formation of inflammatory markers in the blood stream. These markers, which are related to the immune system, such as C-reactive protein, fibrinogen and interleukins, can result in damaging the body’s tissues. Too many of these markers can result in chronic disease states. It has been determined that diet plays a large role in the number of inflammatory markers traveling in the blood.
The body does not like anything it considers foreign or unnatural. Preservatives most definitely fall into this category. The immune system gets ramped up when exposed to things it does not recognize.
Red meats, refined carbohydrates, sugary beverages and fried foods also score high on the DII. The opposite is true for foods like green leafy vegetables, nuts, most fish, most fruits and healthy oils like olive, flax and avocado oil. Just Google “anti-inflammatory diet,” and you will get an excellent idea on which foods will help reduce inflammation and potentially protect you from chronic disease.
Now if you Google “Charcuterie tray,” you will see how my prostate will not be happy with my choice of menu for our Christmas party.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
