September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, and a new survey suggests that many men remain unaware of a potential dietary risk factor. Just 20% of respondents knew that consuming milk and other dairy products can increase the risk of prostate cancer. Once told about the increased risk, 66% said they would be likely to avoid dairy products.<\/p>\n
The survey<\/a> was conducted by Morning Consult for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and included 1,102 U.S. men. It also found that only 20% had received information from a healthcare professional about the relationship between nutrition and prostate cancer risk.<\/p>\n \u201cPhysicians and other healthcare professionals need more education on the dangers of dairy products and the benefits of a plant-based diet for prostate cancer,\u201d says Noah Praamsma, MS, RDN, a dietitian and nutrition education coordinator with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.<\/p>\n Research Links Dairy to Prostate Cancer Risk<\/p>\n Previous research has associated higher consumption of dairy products, including milk and cheese, with an increased risk of prostate cancer. A meta-analysis that included 32 studies<\/a> found evidence of an elevated risk among people consuming larger amounts of dairy.<\/p>\n One study found that people who consumed at least one serving of skim or low-fat milk each day had a 19% increased risk of prostate cancer<\/a> compared with those who rarely drank it.<\/p>\n Another study tracked 3,612 men for 8-10 years. Men with the highest consumption of low-fat dairy (about 3 servings per day) were more than twice as likely to develop prostate cancer<\/a> as those consuming the least dairy (less than 1 serving per day).<\/p>\n Dairy intake may also be associated with the risk of dying from prostate cancer. A meta-analysis of 11 studies involving more than 700,000 participants examined dairy consumption and cancer mortality. Among the men studied, those who consumed the most whole milk had a risk of death from prostate cancer by as much as 50%<\/a> higher than those who consumed the least amount.<\/p>\n Awareness of these findings appears to influence attitudes toward food labeling. Among the men surveyed, 76% supported requiring warning labels on dairy products to inform consumers about prostate cancer risk.<\/p>\n Plant-Based Diets Show Potential Benefits<\/p>\n \u201cThe good news is that most men surveyed knew that consuming fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans can help protect them against prostate cancer,\u201d adds Praamsma, \u201cand research shows that consuming a 100% plant-based diet is the most beneficial.\u201d<\/p>\n Research has also linked diets rich in plant foods with a lower risk of prostate cancer. The Adventist Health Study-2 found that men following a vegan diet had a 35% lower prostate cancer risk<\/a> compared with men following a nonvegetarian, lacto-ovo-vegetarian, pesco-vegetarian, or semi-vegetarian diet.<\/p>\n Plant-focused eating patterns may also be beneficial after a prostate cancer diagnosis. In a study involving more than 2,000 men with prostate cancer, those who consumed the most plant-based foods had a 56% lower risk of prostate cancer progression<\/a> and a 59% lower risk of prostate cancer recurrence compared with participants who consumed the fewest plant foods.<\/p>\n Prostate Cancer Remains a Major Health Threat<\/p>\n Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society\u2019s 2024 annual report<\/a>, and it is also the second most common cause of cancer death among men.<\/p>\n