Dietary and hormonal evaluation of men at different risks for prostate cancer: plasma and fecal hormone-nutrient interrelationships

Article Abstract:

In men, one of the most common sites for cancer is the prostate gland, yet the risk factors for this disease are not yet clearly understood. An area of much recent interest is the relationship between diet and the secretion, metabolism and excretion of hormones. Vegetarians have a lower mortality from prostate cancer and some other types of cancer. This may be because they eat more or different types of fat and fiber, which may produce an altered hormonal environment. Hormones, specifically testosterone and estrogen, influence the activity of the prostate gland in health and disease. It has been suggested that high levels of testosterone over long periods of time may predispose an individual to developing prostate cancer. Prolactin may also be implicated in cancerous changes of the prostate. A study was performed to examine the associations between diet and hormone levels in the blood and feces of young men. The subjects were Seventh-day Adventists who followed different diets: 18 were nonvegetarians; 20 were lactoovovegetarians, vegetarians who eat eggs and milk products; and 15 were vegans, vegetarians who do not eat any animal foods. The results revealed that the two vegetarian groups ate more fiber than the nonvegetarians, and the vegans consumed less saturated fat than the other groups. Vegans also had more estrogen in the feces, and lower blood prolactin, than the nonvegetarians and lactoovovegetarians. For all three groups combined, higher blood prolactin was linked to more saturated fat in the diet, and larger amounts of both dietary and fecal fiber were associated with greater concentrations of fecal steroid hormones. The data suggest that diet may affect the hormonal balance in men, thus influencing the risk for prostate cancer. This research is considered preliminary; more investigation is needed. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Development and progression, Carcinogenesis

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Epidemiologic evidence regarding vitamin C and cancer

Article Abstract:

Vitamin C is required for many different biological functions. It is required for the proper formation of connective tissue, the synthesis of hormones and neurotransmitters, and it is an antioxidant that protects tissues from oxidation. Many studies have reported that vitamin C reduces the growth of tumors in animals, and some studies have reported that it prolongs the survival of terminally ill cancer patients. A review of the scientific literature indicates that 90 different epidemiologic studies have evaluated the ability of vitamin C and foods rich in vitamin C to prevent cancer. Most of these studies found that vitamin C does have a protective effect against cancer. Low dietary intake of vitamin C has been reported to be associated with an increased risk of developing oral, laryngeal and esophageal cancer. Seven of 12 studies that examined the role of vitamin C in lung cancer reported vitamin C protects against lung cancer. Many other studies have reported that vitamin C provides protection against pancreatic cancer, stomach cancer, ovarian cancer, breast cancer, and cervical cancer. Of 47 studies that examined blood levels of vitamin C, 33 found that vitamin C protects against cancer. Twenty-one of 29 studies that examined the amount of fruit consumed in the diet reported that frequent consumption of fruit reduced the risk and low consumption of fruit increased the risk of developing cancer. Although several different vitamins and nutrients in fruit may contribute to these protective effects, the epidemiologic findings indicate that vitamin C plays an important role in cancer prevention. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Vitamin C

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Dietary and hormonal evaluation of men at different risks for prostate cancer: fiber intake, excretion, and composition, with in vitro evidence for an association between steroid hormones and specific fiber components

Article Abstract:

Various medical and scientific organizations have recently recommended a high-fiber, low-fat diet to protect against diseases such as cancer and heart disease. Fiber may help to prevent breast and prostate cancers, which have been linked to hormone levels, by binding the steroid hormones and thereby reducing their concentrations. Should this be the case, it would be useful to know which component of dietary fiber provides this beneficial effect. One population group that has a high prevalence of vegetarianism is the Seventh-day Adventist church; several different types of vegetarian diets as well as the omnivore (non-vegetarian) diet are followed by members of this church. Fifty-three Seventh-day Adventist men were studied to analyze their dietary fiber and the fiber excreted in the stool. Of the 53 subjects, 20 were lactoovovegetarians (LOVs), who consume a vegetarian diet that includes eggs and dairy foods. Eighteen were non-vegetarians (omnivores) and 15 were vegans, who follow the strictest form of vegetarianism, eating no animal products at all. Overall, fiber intake and excretion were highest in the vegan group, next highest in the LOV group, and lowest in the omnivore group. In the laboratory (in vitro), the binding of steroid hormones to various fiber components was tested. The binding of testosterone, estrone, and estradiol-17-beta was significantly linked to the fiber component lignin. More research is needed to evaluate associations among dietary fiber, metabolism of steroid hormones, and prostate cancer. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

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