A NEW RISK ASSESSMENT

CAN YOU REDUCE CHANCES OF PROSTATE CANCER THROUGH LIFESTYLE CHANGES? ASKS CAMILLA FOSTER

- CAMILLA FOSTER

NEW research suggests that a vegetable-rich diet alongside probiotics could help slow the advancement of low-risk prostate cancer.

The four-month study followed 212 men with low-risk prostate cancer, and half were given a plant-based supplement (made from broccoli, turmeric, pomegranate, green tea, ginger and cranberry) and a placebo, while the other participants took the supplement and a specially formulated probiotic.

Researchers from the University of Bedfordshire, in collaboration with Cambridge University Hospitals, Bedford Hospital, and international teams in the US and Australia, tracked prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels in the blood.

Although they found that PSA progression slowed significantly in both groups, the results showed that the rate of change was significantly greater in the men who received both the supplement and the probiotic.

Here, Dr Jeff Foster, medical director of Manual and a GP with a specialist interest in men's health, highlights the role lifestyle factors can also play in reducing prostate cancer risk.