Do you need to protect yourself from prostate cancer? If you're a man, the answer is "yes." This frightening disease is a very common cancer among men 50 years old and older.

How would you know if you have prostate cancer? Take a look at this list and see if any of the following symptoms describe what you're experiencing right now:

1. You have to run to the bathroom to urinate a lot more frequently than you did in the past. Men especially notice this at night.

2. While you're urinating, you experience pain. There may be a burning sensation as well.

3. You notice that after you think you've stopped urinating, there's dribbling afterwards.

4. You have trouble completely voiding your bladder.

5. Starting and stopping urination is difficult.

6. Men notice that the flow of their urine is unsteady and weak.

7. Impotence or impaired function may be present.

8. Blood may be present in urine or semen.

9. There may be back pain as well as pain in the surrounding areas.

The development of prostate cancer is so slow that symptoms might not show up until the disease has done significant damage.

Since other illnesses have similar symptoms, seek medical care from your doctor.

Prostate cancer can be fatal, so why not do all you can do to help protect yourself. Here are some health weapons for you:

1. Use food as a primary health weapon.

Be sure to eat a lot of different types of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Some foods are more powerful than others in preventing the growth of cancer.

When it comes to fighting cancer, eating fish is highly recommended. Research has shown that fish oils tend to reduce the risk of prostate cancer. Studies show that among cultures where the population eats a lot of fish, there is less prostate cancer.

Try to include soybean products such as soya milk and tofu as well.

Tomato products, such as fresh tomatoes and tomato sauces, are very good additions to your meals. Be sure to take advantage of the lowly tomato's cancer-fighting properties by eating lots of fresh tomatoes and tomato sauces. Tomatoes contain a lot of lycopene. It's the lycopene in tomatoes that make the lowly tomato king of foods, since tomatoes can help prevent prostate cancer.

Eat whole grain bread and cereals and avoid food choices made of white flour.

Eat foods rich in calcium. This is especially important for men who suffer from advanced prostate cancer.

2. Don't harm your health by eating foods that tear your body down instead of building it up.

Fatty foods and processed sugars are especially dangerous to your health.

Eating too much red meat is harmful to your health.

3. Take vitamins and mineral supplements.

Selenium has been found to be a powerful cancer fighter, so be sure to include it as a supplement.

Vitamin E has a reputation for helping protect those who take it from cancer.

Even though lycopene is found in tomatoes, be sure to take it as a supplement as well. There is good news for men who have already had prostate cancer surgery. Lycopene seems to help prostate surgery patients experience less pain and may even help them to live longer.

4. Try to maintain your ideal weight instead of letting yourself become obese, so be sure to exercise regularly.

It's true that prostate cancer is a life-threatening disease, so do all you can to protect your health.

Author's Bio: 

Learn how to protect yourself from prostate gland cancer . Patricia Wagner provides a variety of health and wellness tips to help you be healthier at http://www.azhealthtips.com .