Plant-based diet reduced the risk of prostate cancer progression

A longitudinal cohort study of US physicians found that people with a high intake of plant-based foods had a lower risk of prostate cancer progression compared to those who consumed very little plant-based foods. As reported in JAMA Network Open, diet was assessed using a questionnaire.

Diets and diets in which the majority of daily calories come from plant-based sources are becoming increasingly popular. In addition, such diets high in fruits, vegetables, and grains are recommended for patients with cancer. However, little is known about the impact of such diets on prostate cancer clinical outcomes. Several studies have shown that a plant-based diet is associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer recurrence or prostate cancer mortality.

Due to the growing interest in plant-based foods among the public, a team of scientists led by Stacey Kenfield of UCLA examined the association of plant-based diets with prostate cancer outcomes. The dietary study was conducted using a food frequency questionnaire that asked participants how often on average (ranging from "never" or from less than one serving per month to six servings per day or more) they consumed a standard serving size of 140 different foods and beverages in the past year. A total of 2,062 participants (median age at diagnosis was 65 years) met inclusion criteria.

Over a median follow-up time of 6.5 years, the 2062 participants experienced 190 cases of prostate cancer progression, among which there were 13 deaths. In fully adjusted models, participants with the highest plant-based food intake had a 47 percent lower risk of progression than those with the lowest plant-based food intake (p for trend = 0.003). However, the researchers found no significant differences between the other subgroups stratified by plant-based dietary intake ratio. However, the physicians did not find a statistically significant effect of plant-based diet on prostate cancer mortality.

According to the physicians, these results suggest a favorable effect of a plant-based diet on prostate cancer progression. However, further biochemical studies are needed that could explain the association found.