Eating Right to Avoid Prostate Hypertrophy

A study conducted in Seattle has examined the role of dietary factors in the causation of benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH), the annoying condition that affects over half the men over 50 in the USA , causing frequent and sometimes painful urination. The results are published in the American Journal of Epidemiology Online.

Over 4,750 men enrolled in the placebo group of the prostate Cancer prevention Trial who were free of BPH were enrolled. Diet, alcohol, and supplement use was assessed using a food-frequency questionnaire. The occurrence of BPH in the next 7 years was defined by the need for medical or surgical treatment, or repeated high scores on a prostate symptom score questionnaire.

Analyzing the 876 men who developed BPH in comparison with the other participants, the researchers found that men who had two or more drinks a day were 33% less likely to develop BPH than teetotalers. Moreover, those who ate at least 4 servings of veggies a day were 32% less likely than those who only ate one serving a day.

We could probably have guessed these results. By now, every reader of this blog knows that you just have to eat lots of veggies and drink a little alcohol to live a little longer. And you can avoid annoying conditions like BPH along the way.