New research suggests that men who eat a lot of meat and dairy products are putting themselves at increased risk of developing prostate cancer.
Results of the review of 12 clinical studies with nearly 9,000 participants revealed that men with high blood levels of IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor-1) were up to 40% more likely to develop prostate cancer than men with lower levels of the growth factor.
Study leader Dr Andrew Roddam, says that the degree to which diet influences IGF-1 is unclear. However, he estimates that IGF-1 levels could be as much as 15% higher in men who eat a lot of meat and dairy products.
Roddam AW, Allen NE, Appleby P, et al. Insulin-like Growth Factors, Their Binding Proteins, and Prostate Cancer Risk: Analysis of Individual Patient Data from 12 Prospective Studies. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2008;149:461-471.
Meat ‘ups prostate cancer risk’. BBC Website October 7th 2008.
