Plant-based diet linked to lower prostate-specific antigen levels

Adhering to a healthy plant-based diet may lead to lower prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, a study has found.

The study used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and included 1,399 men (median age 54 years).

Researchers extracted demographic information, diet, and PSA levels. They also calculated plant-based diet index (PDI) and healthful plant-based diet index (hPDI) using food frequency questionnaires, with a higher score on PDI and hPDI indicating higher intake of plant foods or healthy plant foods, respectively. They performed multivariable logistic regression analysis to determine the association between elevated PSA, clinical variables, demographics, and plant-based diet indices.

The median PSA level of the population was 0.9 (0.6–1.5) ng/dL, and 69 (4.9 percent) men had a PSA level ≥4 ng/dL. On analysis, patients with increased consumption of healthy plant-based diet (high hPDI scores) had a lower likelihood of having an elevated PSA (odds ratio, 0.47, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 0.24–0.95; p=0.034).

On the other hand, there was no association between elevated PSA and PDI.

The present data may be incorporated into the shared-decision making process with patients to promote healthier lifestyle choices, which in turn can lead to the reduction in the likelihood of prostate biopsy and potential treatment-related morbidity, according to researchers.