Those With Prostate Cancer May Benefit From A Plant-Based Diet

This study involved over 2,000 men with localized prostate cancer with a median age of 65 years old who were followed to see how dietary factors affected the progression of their cancer over time. The consumption of plant-based food was measured using a plant-based index and then the scores were used to compare those in the highest 20% to those who scored in the lowest 20%. 

The researchers report that eating a primarily plant-based diet was associated with a 47% lower risk of their cancer progressing compared to those who consumed the most animal-based products. This amounted to eating one or two more servings of healthy foods per day, particularly whole grains, fruit, and vegetables while consuming less animal-based products like meat and dairy. 

"These results could guide people to make better, more healthful choices across their whole diet, rather than adding or removing select foods," said Vivian N. Liu, formerly lead clinical research coordinator at the UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Health and first author of the study. 

"Progressing to advanced disease is one of many pivotal concerns among patients with prostate cancer, their family, caregivers and physicians," said Liu. "This adds to numerous other health benefits associated with consuming a primarily plant-based diet, such as a reduction in diabetes, cardiovascular disease and overall mortality."

In America, plant-based diets are beginning to become more popular, and this study suggests that they may be beneficial to those with prostate cancer, which is the most common cancer among men after non-melanoma skin cancer. Additionally, fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds that have been consistently shown to help protect against prostate cancer. Taken together, this serves as a reminder of how important dietary factors can be to overall health and well-being. 

"Making small changes in one's diet each day is beneficial," said senior author Stacey A. Kenfield, ScD, a UCSF professor of urology and the Helen Diller Family Chair in Population Science for Urologic Cancer. "Greater consumption of plant-based food after a prostate cancer diagnosis has also recently been associated with better quality of life, including sexual function, urinary function and vitality, so it's a win-win on both levels."