Can eating a fatty diet put me at risk for prostate cancer?

Fat in the diet is thought to play a role in the development of prostate cancer for two reasons: (1) when countries are compared, there is a strong relation between the amount of fat in the diet and the incidence of prostate cancer, and (2) when men from countries with low rates of prostate cancer move to the U.S. and adopt a more Western diet, the rates of prostate cancer in their sons and grandsons increase to levels similar to those in American men.

Studies that compare men who develop prostate cancer with similar men who do not have been inconsistent in their findings. Some show that the men who developed prostate cancer had higher fat diets, while others have found no differences in diets. This type of study really offers little help in sorting out the relationship between fat and prostate cancer. A better way to examine such relationships is to use a prospective study, which gathers information on a large group of men and then follows them into the future to see what outcomes are associated with which men. A handful of prospective studies have investigated the link between dietary fat and prostate cancer. Their results, however, are also inconsistent. Some have shown that dietary fat does not appear to be related to a greater risk of prostate cancer, while others show that it is related.

Based on the available evidence, it cannot be said for sure whether a low-fat, plant-based diet will reduce prostate cancer risk. However, even if it doesn't affect prostate cancer risk, there are other proven benefits that can result from such a diet, including lowering cholesterol, better control of blood pressure, better weight control, and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and other forms of cancer.

Take the RealAge Test!