Fat and prostate cancer

An animal study suggests that cutting down on fried foods and baked goods may reduce men's risk of prostate cancer.

Scientists at the Jonsson Cancer Center at the University of California, Los Angeles, focused on fat from corn oil, which is mainly omega-6 fatty acids, a type of polyunsaturated fat widely used in baked goods and fried foods. Healthy fats include the omega-3s in fish and the monounsaturated fats in almonds, pecans, cashews, peanuts, avocados and olive oil.

They used mice that develop prostate cancer similar to the human disease. One group got 40% of its calories from fat, similar to a typical Western diet; the other got 20%. The study, published in Cancer Research, found 27% less prostate cancer in the low-fat group, and pre-cancerous cells grew more slowly.

The theory is that a low-fat diet raises levels of a protein that slows prostate cancer by blocking a growth factor that lets the cancer grow. "A high-fibre, low-fat diet, together with weight loss and exercise, lowers the risk of heart attacks and strokes, and may help prevent prostate cancer," says Dr William Aronson.