Plant-Forward Diets Confer Protective Effect on Men’s Health Conditions

A systematic review of 24 peer-reviewed studies, published in the journal Urology, has found that plant-forward diets confer a protective effect on three common male-specific health conditions: prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction, and benign prostatic hyperplasia – alongside well-established benefits for common chronic conditions.

The researchers, from Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, assessed peer-reviewed cohort and cross-sectional studies using food frequency questionnaires or diet classification indices to quantify plant-based food intake patterns. They found that, overall, the literature suggests plant-forward diets confer a protective effect on the men's health conditions reviewed.

Adding these findings to the already well-established benefits for common chronic conditions – such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer risk – makes the case for centering diets around plant foods to promote health even more compelling.

References:

Feiertag, N., Tawfik, M. M., Loloi, J., Patel, R. D., Green, B., Zhu, M., Klyde, D., Small, A. C., & Watts, K. L. (2023). Should Men Eat More Plants? A Systematic Review of the Literature on the Effect of Plant-Forward Diets on Men's Health. Urology, 176, 7–15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.urology.2023.03.012

Oussalah, A., Levy, J., Berthezène, C., Alpers, D. H., & Guéant, J. L. (2020). Health outcomes associated with vegetarian diets: An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland), 39(11), 3283–3307. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnu.2020.02.037