Positive Health Online

Abstract

ROHRMANN and co-workers, Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA, have investigated the connection between fruit and vegetable intake and prostate enlargement in men in the USA.

Background

Nutrients with antioxidant properties or that influence cell growth and differentiation might reduce the risk of benign prostatic hyperplasia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of fruit, vegetable, and micronutrient intakes with benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Methodology

The participants were members of the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study and were aged 46-81 y in 1992. In 1992 and biennially thereafter, the men reported having surgery for an enlarged prostate, and in 1992 and on 3 subsequent questionnaires they completed the American Urological Association symptom index. Prostate hyperplasia cases were men who reported having surgery or who had an AUASI score of 15-35 (n = 6092). Control subjects were men who had not had surgery and never had an AUASI score >7 (n = 18 373). Intakes of fruit, vegetables, and antioxidants were assessed with a food-frequency questionnaire in 1986.

Results

Vegetable consumption was inversely associated with prostate enlargement (fifth compared with first quintile-odds ratio: 0.89; p for trend = 0.03), whereas fruit intake was not. Consumption of fruit and vegetables rich in beta-carotene (p for trend = 0.004), lutein (p for trend = 0.0004), or vitamin C (p for trend = 0.05) was inversely related to benign prostatic hyperplasia. With increasing vitamin C intake from foods, men were less likely to have prostate hyperplasia (p for trend = 0.0009). Neither alpha- nor gamma-tocopherol intake from foods was associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (p for trend = 0.05 and 0.84, respectively).

Conclusion

These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that a diet rich in vegetables may reduce the occurrence of benign prostatic hyperplasia.

References

Rohrmann S, Giovannucci E, Willet WC, Platz EA. Fruit and vegetable consumption, intake of micronutrients, and benign prostatic hyperplasia in US men. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 85 (2): 523-529, Feb 2007.