Vegan Diet’s Benefits In Managing Prostate Cancer
An article published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition indicates that vegan or plant-based diets can address severe forms of prostate cancer and bring down the risk of death due to it.
Vegan Diet’s Benefits In Managing Prostate Cancer
As per records, after skin cancer, prostate cancer is the second most common cancer seen in Americans. Last year the total number of men who were diagnosed with this severe condition was 248,500, while 34,000 died of it.
According to Julie Balsamo, MS, RDN, a registered dietitian from Nutrition By Julie, plant-based diets offer emphasis on whole food and less processed options such as vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, and nuts. Hence, it can lower the risk of prostate cancer, and its severity in men.
Balsamo further explains that Lycopene in red tomatoes and watermelon has been proven for its properties to act against prostate cancer. She further mentions research data, which suggest that high fiber diets can reduce the levels of hormones that are responsible for the progress of prostate cancer cells. In that case, foods that are naturally rich in fiber include beans, nuts, fruits vegetables, and whole grains can greatly help in managing prostate cancer.
This particular study was based on the data collected from Health Professionals Follow Up Study. It came after 47,239 men over 28 years, in which their dietary habits were regularly tracked by the study authors every four years.
Through the examination, the researchers aimed to find connections between vegan diets and the risk of advanced lethal and fatal prostate cancer in men. For this, the study selected men of different age groups. Eventually, the researchers came up with the conclusion that eating more vegan meals or plant-based food varieties could bring a lower risk of prostate cancer among men aged 65 and less. But among men above the age of 65, researchers failed to trace a similar connection.
The study authors suggest that men who are less than the age of 65 and take the most plant foods have a significant reduction in the risk of advanced prostate cancer when compared to those who eat less vegan. The incline of this risk was more than one-third as per the reports.
Later on, it was also found that conditions like lethal prostate cancers as well as death from prostate cancer can have the same difference among people with similar diets.
Rayna McCann, MS, RDN, CSO, CDN, a board-certified specialist in oncology nutrition and the founder of Happy Healthy Nutrition, LLC in Long Island, New York, says, these data from the study clearly shows the link between lower risk of prostate cancer and vegan dietary practices, and it is not a bit surprising. She says it is because of the higher amounts of fiber, phytochemicals, vitamins, and minerals present in plant-based foods.
Experts also suggest plant-based diets are beneficial against conditions like cancer as they are packed with essential vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytochemicals. Specifically compounds like flavonols, carotenoids lycopene, and indoles play key roles in this.
