Friday, March 29, 2024
News

Mediterranean diet helps prevent prostate cancer: Research

   SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend    Print this Page   COMMENT

Melbourne | March 11, 2023 11:34:41 PM IST
Men who regularly consume colourful fruits and vegetables have been shown to have a lower risk of acquiring prostate cancer, according to research from the University of South Australia (PC).

Men undergoing radiation therapy for the illness heal more faster, and a range of diets high in particular micronutrients can prevent prostate cancer (PC).

The findings, from two studies published in the journal cancers, highlight the importance of a Mediterranean or Asian diet that includes these foods.

Researchers compared micronutrient plasma concentrations of prostate cancer patients with a healthy control group, revealing low levels of lutein, lycopene, alpha-carotene, and selenium in PC patients and high levels of iron, sulphur, and calcium in the same group, relative to controls.

Increased DNA damage after radiation exposure was also associated with low lycopene and selenium in blood plasma.

Men with plasma concentrations lower than 0.25 micrograms (ug) per millilitre (mL) for lycopene and/or lower than 120ug/L for selenium have an increased risk of prostate cancer and are likely to be more sensitive to the damaging effects of radiation.

Foods that are rich in lycopene include tomatoes, melons, papayas, grapes, peaches, watermelons, and cranberries. Selenium-rich foods include white meat, fish, shellfish, eggs, and nuts.

Study co-author Dr Permal Deo says eating foods that are naturally rich in lycopene and selenium is preferable to taking supplements, where the benefits are limited, according to previous studies.

"Our recommendation is to adopt a Mediterranean diet enlisting the help of a dietician because people absorb nutrients in different ways, depending on the food, the digestive system, the person's genotype and possibly their microbiome," Dr Deo says.

Prostate cancer remains one of the most common and fatal cancers in men, but the nutritional deficiencies associated with it remain largely unknown, hence this study.

Other risk factors, such as ethnicity, family history and age have previously been linked to prostate cancer.

"There is strong evidence that being overweight and tall increases the risk of prostate cancer. Diets high in dairy products and low in vitamin E may also increase the risk but the evidence is less clear."

Vitamin E is found in plant-based oils, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables.

The research is the first to evaluate plasma concentrations of micronutrients and trace elements with respect to prostate cancer in the South Australian population. (ANI)

 
  LATEST COMMENTS (0)
POST YOUR COMMENT
Comments Not Available
 
POST YOUR COMMENT
 
 
TRENDING TOPICS
 
 
CITY NEWS
MORE CITIES
 
 
 
MORE HEALTH NEWS
Study finds how childhood sedentariness ...
Longer genes are associated with ageing...
Dr. Dangs Lab aims to revolutionise heal...
Researchers find ways to reduce side eff...
Study gives insight into role of specifi...
Collaborative study between bariatric, t...
More...
 
INDIA WORLD ASIA
'I am the spider of Guna-Shivpuri:' Unio...
'Today justice has been served': Wife of...
BJP's Ravi Shankar Prasad backs letter b...
Madhya Pradesh: Crime branch confiscates...
'ED wants AAP's Lok Sabha strategy from ...
J-K: LG Manoj Sinha expresses deep shock...
More...    
 
 Top Stories
"Honoured to be nominated for Upcom... 
Rahul Gandhi promises 50 pc reserva... 
Punjab police bust criminal network... 
Defence secy Giridhar Aramane inaug... 
Nippon Group's Sahiba Oils Makes Wa... 
Inorbit Mall and Making The Differe... 
Nick Jonas gets new haircut by Tige... 
ED attaches flat worth Rs 86.18 lak...