Veggies Team Up Against Enlarged Prostate
It’s a common problem for older men—an enlarged prostate, or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH.) It can restrict the flow of urine, make you need to go more often, and make you feel like you can’t empty your bladder completely.
Now, a new study shows that diet may play a role in preventing BPH. Researchers at Harvard’s School of Public Health found that men who ate lots of vegetables were 11 % less likely to develop BPH than men who ate few vegetables. The men eating lots of vegetables consumed an average of almost 10 servings a day. Those eating least got just under three servings a day.
No particular types of vegetables stood out as particularly protective, but those containing antioxidants beta carotene, lutein and vitamin C were most strongly associated with reduced risk of BPH. They include a wide array of green, orange and yellow veggies: kale, spinach, sweet potatoes, corn, broccoli, winter squash and the like. (Rohrmann, S et al. Amer J Clin Nutri 2007;85:523-9.)
