You are what you eat: Low-fat diet changes prostate cancer tissue

This study is a follow-up to a 2011 study by Aronson and his team that found that compared to a traditional, high-fat Western diet, a low-fat diet with fish oil supplements eaten for four to six weeks prior to prostate removal slowed the growth of cancer cells in human prostate cancer tissue.   That short-term study also found that the men on the low-fat fish oil diet were able to change the composition of their cell membranes in both the healthy cells and the cancer cells in the prostate. They had increased levels of omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil and decreased levels of the more pro-inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids from corn oil in their cell membranes, which may directly affect the biology of the cells, Aronson said.   "These studies are showing that in men with prostate cancer, you really are what you eat," Aronson said. "The studies suggest that by altering the diet, we may favorably affect the biology of prostate cancer."   The men in the previous study were placed into one of two groups: the low-fat fish oil diet or the Western diet. For the Western diet, 40 percent of the calories were from fat, generally equivalent to what many Americans consume today. The fat sources also were typical of the American diet and included high levels of omega-6 fatty acids from corn oil and low levels of fish oil that provide omega-3 fatty acids.   With the low-fat diet, 15 percent of the calories were from fat. Additionally, the men on this diet took five grams o...
Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news