Rick Liva RPh, ND

Wives, daughters, sisters, fiancés, and mothers give this information to your husbands, brothers, fathers, husbands to be, and sons. 

Researchers reported in October 2012 that men who consume the most ground beef more than double their risk of aggressive prostate cancer. Interestingly, the consumption of rare or less cooked meat was not associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer.  Seems like well cooked or charred beef is the problem. 

There are other dietary factors associated with prostate cancer.  A study by Stott-Miller* et al published in Prostate January 2013 reported significant associations between fried food consumption and prostate cancer. Eating French fries once a week or more increased risk of prostate cancer by 37%. Fried chicken once a week increased risk by 30%, doughnuts by 35%, and fried fish by 32%. Aggressive disease risks increased slightly more; for example, eating fried fish increased risk of aggressive disease by 41%.  While these associations do not speak to risk of progression or fatality, they do further define the dietary advice we should provide to prostate cancer patients and patients at large.

A study published in Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev in 1999 linked greater consumption of fat from animal sources to increased risk for prostate cancer among American blacks and to advanced prostate cancer among American blacks and whites. A reduction of fat from animal sources in the diet could lead to decreased incidence and mortality rates for prostate cancer, particularly among American blacks. 

We know that patients rarely want to know all these details; instead they want a clear bottom line.  CCH Naturopathic Physicians have expansive food and dietary knowledge that will provide a certain level of protection against many diseases and we admit the science is still a work in progress.  Please make an appointment if you’d like to review and discuss how changing your food choices may increase your health or provide some protection for future quality of life. 

*Stott-Miller M, Neuhouser ML, Stanford JL. Consumption of deep-fried foods and risk of prostate cancer. Prostate. 2013 Jan 17.