The Power of a Plant-Based Diet for Men Over 50
It is well-established science that plant-based diets have health benefits. Research published last year by the American Medical Association showed that people who followed diets built around whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes reduced their chances of dying from cancer, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory and neurodegenerative conditions.
A 2021 study published in The Journal of the Missouri State Medical Association concluded that plant-based diets were associated with a significantly reduced risk of negative health outcomes, including the flexitarian diet, which allows for some occasional meat, dairy, and seafood among its definitions of a plant-based diet.
Now, there is even more evidence that shows the benefits of a plant-based diet, research that will be of special interest to men over 50.
In the May issue of the JAMA Open Network, scientists from the University of California, San Francisco reported that eating a plant-based diet reduced the risk of prostate cancer progression by almost 50%. Their study concluded that “consuming a primarily plant-based diet may be associated with better prostate cancer-specific health outcomes among men with cancer.” They noted that plant-based diets are associated with primary prevention of fatal prostate cancer.
The purpose of this latest study was to examine post-diagnostic patterns among men with prostate cancer. The significance is found in the statistics on prostate cancer. According to Zero Prostate Cancer, prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among American men, with the exception of skin cancers.
As men age, the risk increases significantly. According to the American Cancer Society, 6 in 10 prostate cancers are found in men older than 65. While family history has an impact on a man’s risk of prostate cancer, most prostate cancers occur in men without a family history.
What is a plant-based diet?
Harvard Medical School explains that following a plant-based diet doesn’t mean being boxed into a vegetarian or vegan diet and never eating meat or dairy products. Rather, you proportionately choose more of your foods from plant sources.
Semi-vegetarian or flexitarian includes eggs, dairy foods, and occasionally meat, poultry, fish, and seafood.
Pescatarian includes eggs, dairy foods, fish, and seafood, but no meat or poultry.
Vegetarian (sometimes referred to as lacto-ovo vegetarian) includes eggs and dairy foods, but no meat, poultry, fish, or seafood.
Vegan includes no animal foods.
I follow a Mediterranean Diet, which would be considered flexitarian as it’s built on a platform of plant-based foods but also allows for fish, poultry, eggs, cheese, and yogurt a few times a week, with meats and sweets less often.
What makes plant-based diets so healthy?
The University of California, San Francisco says fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds with demonstrated effectiveness in cancer prevention. Columbia University describes plant-based diets as nutrient-dense and packed with fiber, healthy fats, protein, vitamins, and minerals.
To get a feel for the challenges of getting men to adopt a plant-based diet from the frontline of medical care, I reached out to Dr. Allen Seftel, a board-certified urologist and surgeon at Cooper University Health Care’s Prostate Cancer Center.
Though the focus of this new study is prostate cancer, the benefits extend to other diseases and conditions.
Take control of your health
The predominance of prostate cancer among men, particularly older men, is a reason to get regular screenings. And if you really want to take control of your health and do everything you can to prevent the disease, try a plant-based diet. It’s not as onerous as it may sound, particularly given the options spelled out here. You may just come to like it.
Louis Bezich, senior vice president and chief administrative officer at Cooper University Health Care, is the author of “Crack The Code: 10 Proven Secrets that Motivate Healthy Behavior and Inspire Fulfillment in Men Over 50.” Read more from Louis on his website.