Now there's another good reason to eat your vegetables. A recent study suggests that a high intake of vegetables such as spinach, peas, and Brussels sprouts can reduce your risk of prostate enlargement (BPH).
Eating more vegetables each day may help stave off benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). That’s the conclusion of a new analysis of data from the long-running Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Volume 85, page 523).
The study, which began in 1986, enrolled more than 50,000 men between the ages of 40 and 75. The men provided information on their medical histories, lifestyle, and dietary habits. This information was updated every four years. Beginning in 1992, every other year the men reported whether they had undergone surgery for an enlarged prostate. They also filled out the American Urological Association’s BPH symptom index on three occasions.
A man was considered to have BPH if he had undergone surgery for an enlarged prostate or had a BPH symptom score of 15–35. In the current analysis, men who ate the most vegetables had a lower risk of developing BPH than men who ate the least. Total fruit consumption was not related to BPH risk. But men who frequently ate fruits and vegetables rich in beta-carotene, lutein, or vitamin C, including spinach, peas, Brussels sprouts, and peaches, did have a reduced risk of developing BPH.
This study provides further evidence of the value of eating a well-balanced diet that includes a variety of fruits and vegetables.
