Diet plays an important role in the overall health of a human being. While an unhealthy diet can cause several health-related issues, some can even be life-threatening. According to a study, a bad diet may raise the risk of getting aggressive prostate cancer. For those unaware, prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in men in the United States. It is behind only lung cancer. About one in every 41 men will die of prostate cancer.
15,296 males recruited in Spain between 1992 and 1996 for study
For the study, whose findings were reported in BJU International, 15,296 males were recruited in Spain between 1992 and 1996. The diets of all these men were evaluated. During the study, researchers found that 609 prostate cancer cases were discovered among these participants over a median follow-up of 17 years. For the study, scientists divided Diets into three types – Western, Prudent, and Mediterranean.
The Western dietary pattern had a high intake of high-fat dairy products, caloric drinks, convenience meals, processed meat, refined grains, sweets and sauces. On the other hand, a low intake of low-fat dairy products and whole grains was associated with the Eastern dietary pattern.
A high intake of low-fat dairy products, juices, green vegetables, fruits and whole grains were part of the Prudent dietary pattern. The Mediterranean diet included vegetables, boiled potatoes, fruits, a lot of seafood, legumes, olives and vegetable oil. The researchers found that the Prudent and Mediterranean dietary patterns had no influence on prostate cancer risk. However, the Western dietary pattern had a negative effect. This effect was only seen in tumours that were aggressive.
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“Our results indicate that the best nutritional strategy to prevent aggressive prostate cancer is to avoid unhealthy dietary habits,” Adela Castello-Pastor, PhD, of the Carlos III Institute of Health and CIBERESP, in Spain and lead author said.
“Substituting a Western-type diet with a Mediterranean diet could also decrease the risk of other chronic diseases,” added co-senior author Marina Pollan, PhD.