A high-fiber diet may inhibit the development of prostate cancer in patients diagnosed with early-stage cancer, according to a study published in the journal Cancer Prevention Research.
Researchers at the University of Colorado Cancer Center in Aurora (USA) came to such conclusions based on experiments in mice, which are a model for studying prostate cancer.
At 4 weeks of age, males began to add a compound to the water called inositol hexaphosphate (also known as phytic acid, IP6 for short), the source of which is high-fiber foods, such as bran. It was added to obtain different concentrations – 1%, 2%. or 4 percent The animals were on an IP6 enriched diet until 28 weeks of age. For comparison, a control group of animals received drinking water without this compound.
The volume and vascularization of prostate tumors were checked during the MRI (conventional and so-called dynamic resonance with contrast-enhanced – DCE-MRI) examinations.
We have observed an amazing reduction in the size of the tumors, mainly due to the anti-angiogenic (inhibiting the development of blood vessels in the tumor – PAP) effect of IP6 – comments Dr. Komal Raina, who leads the study. In other words, IP6 inhibited the formation of new blood vessels in prostate tumors that provide the nutrients the tumors need to grow.
Moreover, the addition of IP6 to the diet significantly slowed down glucose metabolism in prostate cancer cells (by reducing the production of GLUT-4 glucose transporting protein) and thus could also inhibit its growth.
Researchers recall that the percentage of men with prostate cancer in Asia is comparable to the percentage in Western countries. However, in Westerners, cancer tends to grow more, while in Asians it grows more slowly.
Scientists have long searched for the genetic differences between people in Asia and Western countries that could explain the differences in the rate of development of prostate cancer. Now it seems that they may not be related to genetics, but to a different diet, comments Dr. Raina. As she explains, the eastern diet contains more fiber, and thus it contains more IP6.
According to the authors of the study, the latest research suggests that a supplement containing IP6 could be used in the future to inhibit the development of prostate cancer in patients (PAP).
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