Mediterranean Diet Cuts Aggressive Prostate Cancer Risk
Author: Elsevier
Published: 2018/01/21 - Updated: 2026/01/06
Publication Details: Peer-Reviewed, Findings
Category Topic: Prostate - Related Publications
Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main - Insights, Updates
Synopsis: This research represents peer-reviewed findings from the MCC-Spain study, published in The Journal of Urology, examining dietary patterns and prostate cancer risk among 733 patients and 1,229 healthy men across seven Spanish regions. The study stands as authoritative work because it employed rigorous case-control methodology and statistical analysis to demonstrate that high adherence to a Mediterranean diet - specifically one rich in fish, boiled potatoes, whole fruits, vegetables, legumes, and olive oil - correlates with reduced risk of aggressive prostate cancer, particularly tumors with Gleason scores above 6 and advanced clinical stages.
This information proves especially valuable for older men, those managing chronic conditions, and individuals with disabilities who may face elevated cancer risks or seek evidence-based dietary approaches to complement conventional treatments. The findings fill a critical gap in prostate cancer prevention research by moving beyond individual food components to examine complete dietary patterns, offering practical, accessible lifestyle modifications that simultaneously address cardiovascular health and other common age-related conditions without requiring expensive supplements or restrictive eating plans - Disabled World (DW).
Defining Mediterranean Diet (Mediet)
- Mediterranean Diet (Mediet)
The Mediterranean diet is a heart-healthy eating plan inspired by the traditional dietary patterns of countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. It emphasizes the consumption of plant-based foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts, along with healthy fats from olive oil. It also includes moderate amounts of fish and seafood, occasional poultry and dairy, and limited red meat. This diet is rich in antioxidants, healthy fats, and fiber, and is associated with numerous health benefits, including improved cardiovascular health, reduced inflammation, and a lower risk of chronic diseases like diabetes and certain cancers.
Introduction
In a new study published in The Journal of Urology, researchers determined that men who followed a Mediterranean diet, rich in fish, boiled potatoes, whole fruits, vegetables, legumes, and olive oil, and low consumption of juices had lower risk of aggressive prostate cancer (PC) than those who followed other dietary patterns like Prudent or Western diets.
Main Content
Although PC is the most common type of cancer in men and can have a high mortality rate, evidence linking PC to specific environmental, occupational, or dietary exposures has been limited. Recent studies have investigated whether certain dietary patterns impact cancer risks, but the results have been inconsistent.
"This study adds important evidence to the scarce information regarding the association of diet with PC, and highlights the relevance of focusing on global dietary patterns," explained lead investigator Beatriz Perez-Gomez, PhD, Cancer and Environmental Epidemiology Unit, National Center for Epidemiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Madrid).
"Our results show that a diet oriented towards the prevention of aggressive tumors in the prostate should probably include important elements of the Mediterranean diet such as fish, legumes, and olive oil, and suggest that a high intake of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains might not be enough."
The authors explored the relationship between the risk of having PC and dietary patterns as part of the MCC-Spain study, a Spanish case-control study that involved 733 patients with histologically confirmed PC and 1,229 healthy men with a mean age of 66 years from seven Spanish regions. Anthropometric, epidemiologic, and dietary data were collected.
Adherence to the three dietary patterns of Western, Prudent, and Mediterranean, which characterize the dietary habits of the Spanish population, was evaluated:
- The Western pattern includes consumption of large amounts of fatty dairy products, refined grains, processed meat, caloric beverages, sweets, fast food, and sauces.
- The Prudent pattern involves consumption of low-fat dairy products, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and juices.
- The Mediterranean pattern consists of high consumption of fish, boiled potatoes, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and olive oil, and low consumption of juices.
The diets were graded according to the degree of adherence to each pattern and assigned to four quartiles from lower to higher adherence within each pattern.
Only a high adherence to Mediterranean dietary pattern appeared to be associated with a lower risk of aggressive PC. Prudent and Mediterranean dietary patterns showed different effects in low and high grade tumors.
PC was assessed using Gleason scores of tumor aggressiveness (<6 or ?6) and clinical stage (cT1b to cT4). A Gleason score of <6 typically indicates a less aggressive tumor with generally good prognosis. Lower clinical stage (cT1-cT2a) indicates a tumor that has not spread. Results indicated that for more aggressive and more extensive tumors (Gleason >6 and stages cT2b to cT4), only high adherence to the Mediterranean diet showed a statistically significant protective effect. All other dietary patterns and tumor characteristics showed little or no correlation and did not achieve statistical significance.
Emphasizing the findings that the degree of adherence to a particular diet can affect the risk for PC, co-author Adela Castelló. PhD, Cancer and Environmental Epidemiology Unit, National Center for Epidemiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Madrid), commented, "There is a striking contrast between the relevance of prostate cancer in terms of public health and the evidence regarding its primary prevention.
If other researchers confirm these results, the promotion of the Mediterranean dietary pattern might be an efficient way of reducing the risk of developing advanced PC, in addition to lowering the risk of other prevalent health problems in men such as cardiovascular disease. Dietary recommendations should take into account whole patterns instead of focusing on individual foods."
Insights, Analysis, and Developments
Editorial Note: What makes these findings particularly significant is the stark contrast they reveal between different dietary approaches: while the Western pattern showed no protective effect and even the health-conscious Prudent diet failed to demonstrate benefits against aggressive tumors, the Mediterranean pattern's superiority suggests that the synergy of specific foods - not merely the inclusion of fruits and vegetables - drives cancer prevention. The implications extend beyond prostate health, as this same dietary pattern has demonstrated protective effects against cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cognitive decline, making it a practical public health strategy that addresses multiple age-related conditions simultaneously. For men over 50, especially those with family histories of prostate cancer or existing health challenges, these results offer something rare in cancer prevention: a pleasurable, culturally rich eating approach backed by solid epidemiological evidence rather than yet another list of restrictions or expensive supplements to incorporate into daily life - Disabled World (DW).Attribution/Source(s): This peer reviewed publication was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World (DW) due to its relevance to the disability community. Originally authored by Elsevier and published on 2018/01/21, this content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity.