Vegetable Consumption Linked to Reduction in Deaths Due to Prostate Cancer

Vegetables may significantly improve chances of survival for men with prostate cancer, a study led by University of California, San Fransisco found.

Published in the journal JAMA Internal, the study examined the fat intake of nearly 4,600 men with non-metastic prostate cancer between 1986 and 2010, 1,064 of whom had died during that timeframe primarily from cardiovascular disease. In particular, the paper analyzed intake of saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and trans fats as well as fats from animal and vegetables sources.

As they did this, the authors uncovered a striking discovery: men who replaced 10 percent of their total daily calories from carbohydrates with healthy vegetable fats had a 29 percent lower risk of developing lethal prostate cancer and a 26 percent lower risk of dying from all causes.

“Consumption of healthy oils and nuts increases plasma antioxidants and reduces insulin and inflammation, which may deter prostate cancer progression,” lead author Erin L. Richman, a postdoctoral student at UCSF, said in a press release.

To experience these benefits, a person didn’t need to necessarily become a vegetarian, either. By adding a single serving of oil-based dressing a day – the equivalent of one tablespoon – subjects were able to lower their risk of lethal prostate cancer by 29 percent and lower their risk of death by 13 percent.

With nearly 2.5 million men in the United States living with prostate cancer and another quarter-million expected to be diagnosed this year, the study may help with the development of dietary guidelines for men with the disease, researchers said.

And while she argues in further research on the subject, Richman said that, overall, the “findings support counseling men with prostate cancer to follow a health-healthy diet in which carbohydrate calories are replaced with unsaturated oils and nuts to reduce the risk of all-cause mortality.”

A few suggestions the scientists included are replacing a side of white rice or spaghetti with a salad sprinkled with olive oil, or switching out a potato for half of an avocado. In terms of sandwiches, they suggested opting for peanut butter over ham and maybe even forgoing one slice of bread and instead adding another tablespoon of the creamy filling.

Support for the study was provided by the National Institute of Health, the Department of Defense and the Prostate Cancer Foundation.