Prostate Cancer Risk Linked to Diet High in Meat, Dairy Products

Men who eat the most meat and dairy products are the most likely to die from prostate cancer, while those who eat plenty of grains, nuts and oil seeds (such as soy) are the least likely to succumb to the disease, according to an international study. A survey of prostate cancer deaths in 59 countries showed that diet is strongly linked to mortality from the disease, the second-biggest cancer killer of men, after lung cancer.

Dr. James Hebert of the University of Massachusetts Medical School and his colleagues report in today’s Journal of the National Cancer Institute what many others have found--that the plant-based diets found in many less-advanced societies are the healthiest, as long as people get enough to eat. They speculate that animal fats increase prostate cancer risk by increasing hormone levels in the blood.

Compiled by Times medical writer Thomas H. Maugh II