Consumption of fatty foods favors the development of an aggressive form of prostate cancer, scientists from the University of North Carolina warn. This mainly applies to foods rich in saturated fat, especially fatty meat. Consumers of large quantities of cheese are also at risk.
The team's study included 1,854 men who were registered with prostate cancer between 2004 and 2009. They were also included in a diet survey, in addition to noting other factors for their disease.
According to researchers, the higher the consumption of saturated fats , the higher the risk of developing this form of cancer. The aggressiveness of the cancer was determined by the scientists on the basis of clinical studies and a study of a specific marker - PSA.
Along with the unpleasant finding by the team, they found that this risk is significantly reduced under certain conditions. For example, regular consumption of fish and nuts reverses the trend, and these men are less likely to develop prostate cancer. The indicators are better in the group of men taking drugs to control blood cholesterol - statins .
Recently, another team of scientists concluded that these drugs help chemotherapy in the fight against prostate tumors and make treatment more effective.
The results of this study were presented at the annual conference of the American Cancer Society in New Orleans this April. The team is yet to study the mechanism by which saturated fats and high blood cholesterol affect the development of aggressive prostate cancer.
Until now, high cholesterol was thought to be a major cause of cardiovascular disease, and no such link has been suggested in men's health.
In addition to limiting the consumption of foods containing animal fats and the consumption of fish and nuts , regular exercise has a beneficial effect on lowering blood cholesterol and, consequently, on prostate health.