Wham: Vitamin C Veggies such as Peppers, Broccoli, and Spinach Reduce Prostate Cancer Risk

An interesting study was recently reported on in the journal Prostate Cancer & Prostatic Diseases which inadvertently found a strong connection between vitamin C-rich vegetables and a reduced prostate cancer risk.

This Australian study was conducted by Dr. Gina Ambrosini, from the University of Western Australia in Perth, and her colleagues. They were studying a large number of men (1,985) who were previously exposed to asbestos and researchers randomly assigned some of these men to receive 30 mg beta-carotene or 7.5 mg retinol supplements daily as part of a cancer prevention program.

However, in addition the men completed a very detailed food frequency questionnaire to assess and average their daily intakes of 43 foods during the previous year, the team reports in this journal.

During the extended follow-up period (12.7 years) 441 men died. There were 97 incident cases of prostate cancer. The study found, taking into account age and source of asbestos exposure, that their original investigation of vitamin A supplementation was not associated with prostate cancer. However, there was a solid link showing that increased intakes of vitamin C-rich foods, such as peppers, broccoli, and spinach, were indeed associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer. Men consuming higher level of these veggies had a relative risk of prostate cancer of about half of those who did not eat these foods.

Dave