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Vegan Diet and Lifestyle Changes Slow Prostate Cancer
A new study by Dean Ornish, M.D., shows the power of diet
and lifestyle changes to improve cancer survival. In a group of men
with prostate cancer, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels—a
marker that tracks prostate cancer growth—decreased by 4 percent
after one year on a low-fat vegan diet, complemented by moderate
aerobic exercise and stress management. (The diet was supplemented
with soy, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E, selenium, and vitamin C.)
It is unusual for PSA levels to decrease without treatment. A control
group saw its PSA levels rise by 6 percent. In addition, six of the
men in the control group needed treatment during the one-year study
period because their prostate cancer was progressing, but no one
in the experimental group needed treatment. Previous studies have
shown that the consumption of dietary fat and dairy products increases
prostate cancer risk, while compounds in tomatoes, soy, and cruciferous
vegetables protect against the disease.
Ornish D, Weidner G, Fair WR, et al. Intensive lifestyle
changes may affect the progression of prostate cancer. J Urol.
2005;174:1065-1070.
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