A new study from The Journal of Urology says that switching to a high-fiber, plant-based diet and participating in a stress reduction program may slow the growth of prostate tumors.

Researchers from the University of California, San Diego, evaluated 10 men with recurrent prostate cancer over a four-month period. The men switched from eating a high-fat, low-fiber Western diet based on high meat consumption to a plant-based, low-fat diet, because researchers theorized that a plant-based diet could slow the rate of tumor development. In addition to diet changes such as consuming more fruits, vegetables and whole grains and limiting caffeine, animal products and processed foods, the men participated in mindfulness-based stress reduction, a meditation technique that is said to improve awareness of the present and reduce physical and emotional stress. The men's prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels were measured before and after the study. PSA is a protein produced by the prostate that is used to screen for cancer.

After four months, three of the men experienced decreased PSA, and the tumor progression of eight of the 10 men had slowed. Although the number of participants in this study was small, the findings indicate that eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains and limiting animal and processed foods as well as reducing stress may slow prostate tumor growth.

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Sources:  Saxe GA, Hebert JR, Carmody JF, Kabat-Zinn J, Rosenzweig PH, Jarzobski D, Reed GW, Blute RD. Can diet in conjunction with stress reduction affect the rate of increase in prostate specific antigen after biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer? Journal of Urology 2001 Dec;166(6):2202-7.