Healthy living
Body matters
Diet link to prostate cancer
A study on mice suggests that following a low-carb diet might slow prostate cancer growth
Eating a diet low in carbohydrates may slow the growth of prostate cancer, according to research carried out by scientists at Duke University Medical Centre in the US. ‘This study showed that cutting carbohydrates may slow tumour growth, at least in mice,’ said lead researcher Stephen Freedland. ‘If this is ultimately confirmed in human clinical trials, it has huge implications for prostate cancer therapy through something that all of us can control, our diets.’
The study, published in the journal Prostate, compared the progression of prostate cancer in 75 mice that were fed different kinds of diet. One group ate a low-carbohydrate diet, one a low-fat but high carbohydrate diet and a third a typical Western diet, high in fats and carbohydrates. The team found that those mice on the low carb diet had smaller tumours and longer survival rates.
The scientists believe that the benefits may arise from a reduced level of insulin in the body possibly caused by consuming less carbohydrate – insulin has been linked to prostate tumour growth in previous studies. The team are planning to start clinical trials next year to see whether the same benefits are seen in humans.
‘This is early research and it is much too soon to recommend that men should eat a low carbohydrate diet,’ says Dr Joanna Owens, Cancer Research UK's science information officer. ‘The laboratory study is interesting - although it is only in mice. The results add weight to a possible link between insulin production and prostate cancer and raise the possibility that tumour growth might be slowed by making simple dietary changes. But it is important to wait for the results from the planned clinical trials in humans before reaching a conclusion.’
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men generally affecting men over 65. Every year nearly 35,000 men in the UK are diagnosed with prostate cancer and each year 10,000 sufferers lose their lives to the disease.
As men age it is common for the prostate to become enlarged. This is a gland found only in men that lies just beneath the bladder and helps to produce semen.
As it enlarges, it can cause a number of urinary problems, such as difficulty passing water. Most cases are benign (non-cancerous) and can be treated quite easily. However a small number of men will develop prostate cancer and may require treatment.
If you do develop symptoms it is best to go to your doctor immediately for a check-up.
Symptoms may include:
- Difficulty passing water
- Poor urine stream
- Needing to pass water more often than normal
- Urgency - You may have to get to the toilet quickly
- Inability to empty the bladder
The Prostate Cancer Charity - www.prostate-cancer.org.uk
Tel: 0800 074 8383
Cancer Research UK - www.cancerresearchuk.org
Tel: 0808 800 4040
Information on this site is for interest only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should consult your own doctor about any specific health concerns.