A systematic review has revealed that plant-based or plant-heavy diets may offer a level of protection against prostate cancer and other male sexual health issues according.
The analysis included 23 studies, 12 of which included prostate cancer, and suggested a link between a plant-based diet and reduced prostate cancer risk. Some evidence also suggested benefits for erectile dysfunction and benign prostate hyperplasia. The findings were reported at the Sexual Medicine Society of North America (SMSNA) annual meeting.
“Medicine has moved to a more holistic approach overall, and with that, more researchers have started to look into [the question of] ‘Can we use these plant-based diets to help manage and prevent conditions like prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction [ED], and benign prostate hyperplasia [BPH]?’ Nathan Feiertag, MD, a medical student at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, told MedPage Today. “There were relatively few studies that we were able to find for this literature review, but that’s the current state.”
With the growing popularity of plant-based diets, studies have shown their benefits for patients with hypertension or diabetes. Dr Feirtag said that less is known about their effect on prostate cancer, ED and BPH.
Dr Feiertag told MedPage Today that “Urologists can maybe consider our review as an opportunity to incorporate or modify existing diet counselling for their patients, especially the ones who are eager to implement lifestyle changes, particularly as it pertains to prostate hyperplasia, ED, and prostate cancer.”
The review mostly consisted of cohort studies, along with cross-sectional studies, and a handful of randomised controlled trials. Studies included those on vegan diets, vegetarian diets, and plant-heavy diets, such as the Mediterranean diet. In a number small cohort studies, there was a significant decrease in prostate cancer velocity, though not sustained at six months, Dr Feiertag said.
Two of the five ED studies found a link between plant-based diets and improved International Index of Erectile Function scores, though one reported worsening scores. The two studies included on ED reported a reduced relative risk of ED for patients on plant-based diets. For BPH, five of six studies reported an inverse relationship between plant-based diets and developing BPH.
Limitations including not being generalisable due to the number of observational and cohort studies that relied on patient-reported evaluations of diet. Additional high-quality studies are needed to confirm the link between diet and urological conditions.
Fortunately, the studies all reported no non-association or no harmful effects of following a plant-based or plant-forward diet. “For the patients who want to change their diet, this is useful for them. It definitely won’t hurt,” Dr Feiertag told MedPage Today.
Source: MedPage Today
