Study Findings an Association Between Diet and Prostate Cancer - DocWire News

There exists a correlation between diet and prostate cancer, according to the findings a recent Canada-based study published in the journal Nutrients.

This study was based on the analysis of three dietary profiles: a healthy diet; a salty Western diet (including alcohol); and a sugar-rich Western diet with beverages. The healthy diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, and plant proteins such as tofu and nuts.  The salty Western diet with alcohol consists of more meat and alcoholic beverages such as beer and wine, while third profile comprises pasta, pizza, desserts, and sugary carbonated drinks.

The researchers accounted for age, ethnicity, education, family history, and date of last prostate cancer screening into account. “It’s not easy to isolate the effect of a single nutrient,” said Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) PhD student Karine Trudeau, the lead author of the study in a press release. “For example, foods rich in vitamin C, such as citrus fruits, promote iron absorption. Calcium is often found in dairy products, which also contain vitamin D. Our more targeted approach takes this synergy into account to produce more meaningful results that public health authorities can use to formulate recommendations. Rather than counting on one miracle food, people should look at their overall diet.”

According to the results, there was a link between a healthy diet and a lower risk of prostate cancer. The researchers observed that a Western diet with sweets and beverages was correlated with an augmented risk of prostate cancer and may be a factor in more aggressive forms of cancer. However, the study did not show any clear link between a Western diet with salt and alcohol and the risk of developing the disease.

“For a long time we’ve suspected that diet might play a role in the development of prostate cancer, but it was very hard to pinpoint the specific factors at play,” said lead researcher Professor Marie-Élise Parent of (INRS). “This study is significant because it looks at dietary habits as a whole. We’ve uncovered evidence that, we hope, can be used to develop prevention strategies for prostate cancer, the most common cancer among men in Canada and many other countries.”