Prostate Cancer Diet Tips: Is There a Benefit to a Healthier Diet?
Will switching to a healthier diet help significantly in fighting against prostate cancer? This is a question often asked by men who have been recently diagnosed with the disease looking to make certain lifestyle changes. Past studies into the subject have shown that men in nations that subscribe to what is typically referred to as “western” diet which involves the consumption of larger quantities of red meat had higher incidences of prostate cancer. This is in contrast to countries whose diet primarily consists of plant based foods. However it should be noted that these studies weren’t intended to demonstrate cause and effect between the two. While active research into the subject is ongoing a conclusive answer to the correlation between prostate cancer and a particular kind of diet designed to benefit those with the disease has yet to be uncovered.
A federally financed nation wide study called Men’s Eating and Living or M.E.A.L. is currently underway to determine whether a diet consisting in higher amounts of plant based foods and lower in animal protein can effectively control the tumor growth in patients diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer. Participants in the study will consist of men between the ages of 50-80 who have opted for Active Surveillance as opposed to receiving treatment. During the two year study participants will be required to consume nine servings consisting of both fruits and vegetables daily. According to current statistics that is at least four servings more than is consumed daily by the average American male. Over the course of the study researchers will collect blood samples from the participants to evaluate the levels of nutrients and antioxidants in their blood. Additionally researchers will also conduct PSA test and prostate biopsies to ascertain whether there has been any progression of their prostate cancer.
Participants of the study are also chosen at random by researchers and provided with advice and support in via phone counseling. An initial trial was conducted prior to the beginning of the research in order to test out certain aspects of the research with positive results. There is still much to learn before science can give us a clear answer as to the whether making healthier dietary choices will help prostate cancer patients, but hopefully the study will yield results that will help doctors towards advancing prostate cancer prevention.
