More Confirmation That Diet Influences Prostate Cancer Risk

Earlier this year, researchers Robert W.-L. Ma and K. Chapman conducted an evidence-based review of dietary recommendations in the prevention of Prostate Cancer as well as in the management of patients with Prostate Cancer.  The review was published in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics.   Although numerous studies have been published that have evaluated the role of diet in both the prevention and management of Prostate Cancer; it is important to remember that review studies are particularly salient in that they enable us an overview of the “totality” of the evidence thus far with respect to an association under study.

It is often easy to forget the results of review studies, as new and more compelling studies often tend to make the news headlines.  For this reason, the results presented by critical review studies are often forgotten, but are worth reiterating.  Ma and Chapman’s paper entitled A systematic review of the effect of diet in prostate cancer prevention and treatment  reviewed the data for dietary-based therapy in the prevention of Prostate Cancer with an aim to provide clarity surrounding the role of diet in preventing and treating Prostate Cancer.  Salient conclusions derived from this review indicated that a diet that may be effective in preventing Prostate Cancer is one that is:

1.  Low in fat

2.  High in vegetables and fruits

3.  Low in an overall energy intake

4.  Low in meat consumption, and

5.  Low in dairy products and calcium intake.

More specifically, according to the review – the consumption of tomatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, green tea, and vitamins including Vitamin E and selenium seemed to propose a decreased risk of Prostate Cancer; whereas the consumption of highly processed or charcoaled meats, dairy products, and fats seemed to be correlated with Prostate Cancer.

Although no single study – or even one that is a systematic review of other studies – can generally give us all the information we may want to have in order to make an unequivocal connection between the variables of interest; the point of this post is this:  In Epidemiology, as in many other fields, researchers look for “consistency of evidence.”  This means that as we gather together a body of scientifically sound studies, we look for valuable corroborative information that often supports previously obtained results.  In the case of the association between diet and Prostate Cancer, it now appears quite clear that undertaking dietary modifications in line with the guidelines suggested above generally has a beneficial effect for most individuals – both with respect to the prevention of this cancer, as well as in its management in the event of an occurrence. 

Finally, although the above guidelines are useful, they are cursory in nature, and there is certainly a lot more to learn about how to prevent Prostate Cancer pro-actively, or manage it effectively in the event it has already occurred.  An excellent book that may benefit many to that end is Dr. Katz Guide to Prostate Health – From Conventional to Holistic Therapies (Author: Aaron Katz, MD/Freedom Press).  

In the final analysis, being truly well-informed, well-read, and therefore, well-equipped is perhaps the best aresenal to beat most any chronic disease.  Take the time to become so equipped.

Notes:

Ma et al. A systematic review of the effect of diet in prostate cancer prevention and treatment. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, 2009; 22 (3): 187 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-277X.2009.00946.x