High Saturated Fat Diet Leads To Serious Form Of Prostate Cancer: Study

It is a common knowledge that too much fat in the diet is harmful for the health. And just recently, a U.S. study done by University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center has found that prostate cancer patients who opt for a high saturated fat diet are more likely to have the most serious form of the illness. Such diet includes food that contains a huge amount of fat from dairy and meat.

According to Reuters, researchers revealed that the risk linked to cholesterol and saturated fat was also greater for patients who don’t take cholesterol-lowering drugs. They reported such findings in the journal Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases. Additionally, lead author Emma Allot said a high saturated fat diet may lead to high blood cholesterol levels.

Moreover, the study suggests that the link between aggressive prostate cancer and high saturated fat diet is more common in men of European descent than African American men. The illness tends to be more common in Western countries due to the fact that the people there opt for more saturated fat. To add more, the American Cancer Society reported that one out of seven men in the U.S. may suffer from prostate cancer.

The study focused on the data of 1,854 men suffering from newly-diagnosed prostate cancer. The respondents also included 321 men with highly aggressive cases. The men answered queries about their medications, diet, and lifestyle and demographic factors like race, age, and activities. Calculating the amount of saturated fat, mono- and poly-unsaturated fat, and fat in fish or vegetable oils in each respondent’s diet, researchers have found that patients with more aggressive cancer have high intake of cholesterol and calories from fat each day. Compared to respondents with less aggressive cancers, they consume a greater amount of saturated fat and less of polyunsaturated.

Earlier this year, there were already discussions about this study. Researchers have presented the preliminary results in New Orleans during the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting held last April 18, as reported by Science Daily.

The findings above show that opting for a high saturated fat diet does not only affect the cardiovascular health, but likewise the risk for prostate cancer. Men, especially the sufferer of the illness, should indeed watch their diets.