Super Bowl Foods To Avoid If You Have Prostate Problems

With the Super Bowl right around the corner, your brain might be focused on what you'll be eating that day. The Super Bowl is basically a second Thanksgiving for football fans, as they gorge on food and drink probably more than they should, all while feeling grateful that their favorite team made it to the big day. Or, at the very least, feel relieved that their least favorite team didn't make it to the game.

But as much as the Super Bowl is a major celebration for sport fans, if you have prostate problems, you can't just roll into a party and eat whatever you want. Whenever you're trying to maintain the health of any body part, it starts with eating right; the same goes for the prostate. "There is plenty of strong evidence that good nutrition and an active lifestyle can reduce the likelihood of prostate cancer and slow its progression," urologist Mitchell Sokoloff, MD, told the Prostate Cancer Foundation.

While no one can blame you if you indulge in a couple things that aren't exactly boosting your prostate health, for the most part, you want to stick to the healthier options. In other words, here are the Super Bowl foods to avoid or, at least, consume very minimally.

In some fairly stressful news, especially around game day, if you have prostate problems, you better steer clear of red meat and, because that's not frustrating enough, processed meats too. That means sausages, hot dogs, pigs in a blanket, deli meats on foot-long subs, cheeseburger sliders, and so many other things that fall into that category need to be left on the table for others to eat. (Unless you think you can have one bite-size piece and put the rest back.)

According to a 2022 meta-analysis in Frontiers in Nutrition, those who eat processed meat and red meat are at an increased risk of prostate cancer. But it's worth noting that these foods have also been associated with bowel cancer, colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, and possibly stomach cancer. So it's not that you should be avoiding certain foods because you have prostate issues, but you should be avoiding them because of the possible carcinogens contained in these products.

When it comes to trying to avoid saturated fats during any event, especially at a Super Bowl party, you definitely have your work cut out for you. Meats, dairy products, baked treats, anything fried, dips and dressings for those fried things, and, of course, processed foods should all be avoided if you have prostate problems.

According to a 2014 study published in Nutrients, regular consumption of animal and saturated fats can possibly increase the risk of prostate cancer. In fact, the same study noted that it's paramount that those who survive prostate cancer stick to a low-fat diet, especially staying away from saturated fats. Another 2014 study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers, and Prevention found that specific saturated fats, like alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and eicosapentanoic acid (EPA), not only contribute to one's risk of prostate cancer, but are also more likely to cause advanced and even fatal prostate cancer.

Although not technically a food, it would be remiss to not mention just how bad alcohol is for those with prostate problems. In our culture, celebration and alcohol go hand in hand, so because of this, wanting to drink at a Super Bowl party makes perfect sense. But if you have prostate problems, you better think long and hard about your alcohol consumption. According to a 2009 study of over 10,000 men published in Cancer, alcohol plays a major role in the possible development of prostate cancer. As the study found, heavy drinkers, meaning those who drink more than 20 alcoholic beverages a week, are twice as likely to develop prostate cancer as moderate drinkers.

If you're thinking that you can make an exception because it's the Super Bowl, then that's your choice — and one you have to live with, all while knowing that's not the best decision for your body. No amount of alcohol is healthy, but if you want to avoid drinking too much, two or fewer drinks a day (if you're a man) is all you should be having, based on the U.S. Dietary Guidelines. It definitely isn't a lot, but think of it this way: you won't be hungover Monday, you'll remember the entire game, you won't drunkenly text an ex, and your prostate will be better off because of it.