In a new study, researchers found a strong link between diet and prostate cancer.
The research was conducted by a team at Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS).
The Canadian Cancer Society estimates that more than 23,000 Canadians will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2020.
Among other risk factors, more and more studies point to diet as a major factor in the development of prostate cancer, as it is for heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.
In the study, the team compared three diets: a healthy diet, a salty Western diet including alcohol, and a sugar-rich Western diet with beverages.
The first profile leans heavily towards fruits, vegetables, and plant proteins like tofu and nuts. The salty Western diet with alcohol includes more meat and beverages such as beer and wine.
The third profile is rich in pasta, pizza, desserts, and sugary carbonated drinks.
The team found a link between a healthy diet and a lower risk of prostate cancer.
Conversely, a Western diet with sweets and beverages was linked to higher risk and seemed to be a factor in more aggressive forms of cancer.
The study did not show any clear link between a Western diet with salt and alcohol and the risk of developing the disease.
The team says it’s not easy to isolate the effect of a single nutrient. For example, foods rich in vitamin C, such as citrus fruits, promote iron absorption. Calcium is often found in dairy products, which also contain vitamin D.
Rather than counting on one miracle food, people should look at their overall diet.
One author of the study is Professor Marie-Élise Parent ofhas.
The study is published in Nutrients.
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