Diet not only plays a role in preventing prostate cancer, but also during the disease and treatment.
This is shown by a study that observed that a
diet rich in foods of plant origin
and limiting meat and dairy products is associated with less sexual dysfunction and urinary incontinence, among other quality of life indicators.
"Plant-based diets have
many health benefits
, including reduced risk of aggressive prostate cancer and greater environmental sustainability," said researchers at New York University (NYU) School of Medicine and the School of Health. Harvard University in an article published in
Cancer
magazine
.
However, they countered, "less is known about the impact of plant-based diets on the quality of life of
people diagnosed
with prostate cancer."
As a result, they set the goal of examining whether diet continues to play a role even during the disease and treatment.
Video
When faced with an enlarged prostate, the diet recommended by specialists.
To try to answer that question, they analyzed data from more than 3,500 participants in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (conducted between 1986 and 2016) with
non-metastatic prostate cancer
(meaning the tumor did not spread to other organs and tissues).
83% of patients received treatment and completed food frequency questionnaires every four years.
Based on that, they were
divided into five groups
according to the proportion of foods of plant and animal origin they consumed.
In addition, every two years they answered another survey that evaluated aspects related to quality of life and adverse effects that frequently occur during prostate cancer treatment, including urinary incontinence, erectile dysfunction, intestinal problems, energy problems,
and mental health. mood
(the latter linked to hormonal health).
Broccoli, an ally of prostate health.
Photo Shutterstock.
When examining the associations over time between indices of a plant-based diet and factors that affect quality of life, they found that the quintile that consumed a plant-based diet (which emphasizes the consumption of fruits, vegetables, cereals and nuts ) scored between
8% and 11% better on measures of sexual function
compared to the group that consumed the least.
Likewise, the results revealed scores of up to 14% better in urinary health, with fewer reports of incontinence,
obstruction and irritation
.
Hormonal health, which evaluates symptoms such as lack of energy,
depression and hot flashes
, also benefited among those who most adhered to a plant-based diet.
Compared to the lowest quintile, the score was 13% higher.
Better life quality
The researchers concluded that the study provides evidence that higher consumption of
healthy plant-based foods
is associated with "slightly higher scores" on aspects of quality of life among patients with prostate cancer.
"Our findings offer hope to those looking for
ways to improve their quality of life
after undergoing surgery, radiation and other common therapies for prostate cancer, which can cause significant side effects," said study lead author and urologist Stacy Loeb. , in a statement released by the New York University School of Medicine.
"Adding
more fruits and vegetables
to your diet, while reducing meat and dairy, is a simple step patients can take," said Loeb, a professor in NYU's Departments of Urology and Population Health.
Previous studies by the same team had already observed that consuming plant-based diets can help reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer.
Other research, meanwhile, had linked this diet with better prostate health,
lower risk of sexual dysfunction
in general, but not specifically for men with this type of cancer, who have a particularly high risk of experiencing these problems.
"These results add to the long list of health and environmental benefits of eating more plants and fewer animal products," Loeb said, adding that they also "clearly challenge
the misconception that eating meat improves sexual function."
in men, when in fact it seems to be the opposite.
A healthy lifestyle helps in prevention and improves quality of life during illness.
Photo Shutterstock.
In the future, according to the NYU statement, she and her team plan to expand their research to a group with more diverse ethnic and demographic characteristics (in the current work the majority of participants were white health professionals) and to patients
in more advanced stages. advanced stages
of the disease.
Diet for prostate health
Consulted by
Clarín
, Gonzalo Vitagliano, head of Uro-Oncology of the Urology service of the German Hospital of Buenos Aires, stated that scientific evidence has already shown that diet "plays
a fundamental role in prostate health
and could contribute to the reduction of risk of cancer."
In relation to the conclusions of the work, it stands out that they show that a plant-based diet contributes to
improving the quality of life of patients
with prostate cancer.
Both for prevention and in patients undergoing treatment or monitoring for prostate cancer, it is recommended to follow a dietary plan that includes:
✔Vegetables from the cruciferous family, such as broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower
✔Vegetables rich in omega-3
✔Foods rich in vitamin E such as vegetable oils, nuts and seeds, wheat germ and whole grains
✔Foods rich in fiber, such as whole grains
✔Foods rich in lycopene such as tomatoes, pink grapefruit and watermelon
✔Foods rich in selenium such as nuts, seafood, fish, wheat bran, wheat germ, oats and brown rice
✔Soy: its isoflavones help reduce levels of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a male hormone that promotes excessive growth of prostate tissue
Besides:
✔Avoid spicy foods, alcohol, caffeine and substances that irritate the urinary tract
✔Reduce consumption of red meat and saturated fats
✔Drink plenty of fluids to keep the bladder clean
Better to prevent
Vitagliano, however, clarified that, at least until now, it could not be demonstrated that changes in diet contribute to improving the prognosis of the disease.
"The malignancy or lethality of the disease is not going to change, because that is
marked by tumor biology
," he stated.
"A study published in 2021 showed that a plant-based diet, or more than anything increasing the intake of vegetables and
avoiding excess dairy, fat and meat
, is associated with a lower rate of total incidence and aggressiveness of the prostate cancer in those under 65 years of age, but not in those over that age," he commented.
"What this suggests is that evidently the molecular changes that trigger prostate cancer
occur very early
," he highlighted.
That's why it's important to start taking care of yourself early in life.
"If you completely change your life at age 65, the molecular deterioration that contributed to the development of the tumor occurred during the previous years and cannot be changed. However, nutritional and lifestyle modifications do have an
impact on the quality of life and in the state of health
," he encouraged.
Along the same lines, in a recent note with
Clarín
, Juan Pablo Sade, head of the Genitourinary Tumors area at the Alexander Fleming Institute (IAF) and at the Austral University Hospital, highlighted that during the surveillance and treatment of prostate cancer, "The patient is actively followed and we try to influence him to make behavioral modifications that not only result in
better prostate health
, but also in better general health, such as doing physical activity on a regular basis, losing weight and having more muscle mass and less body fat, and increase the intake of some specific foods such as tomatoes, broccoli, pomegranate, turmeric, green tea, all within the framework of a healthy diet.
***
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