Positive Health Online

Abstract

GRANT, NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Vermont USA. wbgrant@norfolk.infi.net writes that the aetiology of prostate cancer has not yet been fully resolved in the scientific and medical literature. However, the non-fat portion of milk and calcium are emerging as leading dietary risk factors, with lycopene in tomatoes and vitamin D apparently being risk reduction factors .

Background

Methodology

The author conducted an ecologic (multi-country statistical) study to investigate dietary links to prostate cancer . Mortality data from 1986 for various age groups in 41 countries are compared with national consumer macronutrient supply values for 1983 and tomato supply values for 1985.

Results

In 28 countries with more than 5 kcal/day of tomatoes in the consumer supply, a linear combination of non-fat milk (risk factor) and tomatoes (risk reduction factor) had the highest statistical association with prostate cancer mortality rates for men over the age of 35. For 13 countries with fewer than 6 kcal/day of tomatoes, non-fat milk had the highest association for men aged 65-74 years. For 41 countries combined, the non-fat portion of milk had the highest association with prostate cancer mortality rates for men aged 65-74 years.

Conclusion

These results support the results of other cohort studies which have found the non-fat portion of milk to have the highest association with prostate cancer, likely due to the calcium, and tomatoes to reduce the risk of prostate cancer, most likely due to lycopene.

References

Grant WB. An ecologic study of dietary links to prostate cancer. Alternative Medicine Review 4(3): 162-9. Jun 1999.