Prostate cancer and vegetables:
Cohen, JH et al compared fruit and vegetable intakes in a group of 628 men under 65 years old recently diagnosed with prostate cancer with a matched cohort . The study used questionaires to track dietary habits of the men over 3 to 5 years and compared their dietary intakes. The authors noted the following findings (24):
- 28 servings of vegetables per week vs. 14 servings per week produced an odds ratio of 0.65.
- 3 or more servings of cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, kale, cauliflower) per week compared to under one serving per week resulted in an odds ratio of 0.59.
- Lutein plus zeaxanthin intake of over 2000 mcg daily compared with intake of under 800 mcg daily resulted in a an odds ratio of 0.68.
- There was no improvement in the risk of prostate cancer between the cohorts when comparing different amounts of fruit intake.
Prostate cancer and allium vegetables:
A population-based, case–control study performed on 238 patients with prostate cancer and 471 male control subjects in China investigated the association between intake of allium vegetables including garlic, scallions, onions, chives, and leeks, and the risk of prostate cancer. It was found that men in the category of highest intake of allium vegetables (>10 grams daily) had a 49% risk reduction of contracting prostate cancer than did those in the category of lowest intake (2.2 grams daily). Reductions in risk for men in the highest intake categories (compared to the lowest intake categories) for garlic was 53% (OR = 0.47) and 70% for scallions consumption (OR = 0.30). These benefits were more significant in men with localized, rather than advanced prostate cancer and were independent of body size, intake of other foods and total calorie intake. These results suggested that the allium group of vegetables have cancer preventative properties and it may be worthwhile for patients to increase their intake of these vegetables. (25)