Eating a calcium-heavy diet can increase your risk of prostate cancer.

There are a number of lifestyle changes you can make to decrease your risk of prostate cancer.

A number of factors can increase your risk of prostate cancer, including an unhealthy diet and smoking.

To help you understand more about the disease ahead of Prostate Awareness Month in March, men’s health doctor Dr Jeff Foster has revealed how your lifestyle can affect your chances of developing prostate cancer.

“Prostate cancer is remarkably sensitive to lifestyle factors,” Dr Foster begins. “By that I mean, for example, testicular cancer is largely just down to bad luck, and there is not much you can do to reduce your risk. BUT prostate cancer is sensitive to loads of external factors. For example, if you smoke and drink, it increases your risk.”

So what changes should you make to your lifestyle?

The expert recommends giving up alcohol altogether to reduce your risk, but if that is not possible, he says you should reduce your intake as much as you can.

In addition, he notes, “If you are overweight, it increases your risk of prostate cancer, and so do diets very high in calcium – but you would have to (consume) 8-10 cups of milk per day for that. A healthy diet is key with limited calcium.”

According to Dr. Foster, chronic prostate infections can also increase your risk, but regular sexual activity can actually significantly reduce it. Age also increases a person’s risk, however, there is not much you can do about that.

The doctor then goes on to explain that many men will have some prostate cancer cells but “it does not mean it will kill you and the key is to monitor and keep an eye on symptoms”.

Dr Foster recommends getting a yearly prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, however, it is not available through the NHS so it should be done with the help of a private doctor.