Walnuts May Lower Prostate Cancer Risk

New research has found that eating walnuts may help reduce the risk of prostate cancer, although the study conducted by the University of California focused on tumors growing in mice.

Nonetheless, the researchers at the university’s Davis and Albany, Calif., campuses said the results of the study suggested that walnuts “may be beneficial both in terms of avoiding cancer and slowing cancer growth” when included in a balanced diet with fruits and vegetables.

The study, which was published in the British Journal of Nutrition, found that the prostate tumors in research mice that were fed the human equivalent of three ounces of walnuts per day were actually 50 percent smaller and grew 30 percent slower than the tumors in control mice.

The researchers said that in addition to lowering the plasma insulin-like growth factor 1, a biomarker associated with prostate cancer, the mice also experienced lower rates of LDL, or bad, cholesterol.

The study’s lead researcher, Dr. Paul Davis, noted that walnuts have long been recognized as a heart-healthy food. But he added that the new prostate research, and previous research suggesting that walnuts slow the growth of breast cancer tumors as well, indicates that it may be a valuable weapon in the fight against cancer overall.

He suggested that the multiple ingredients in walnuts, rather than one isolated component, were the key to the study’s hopeful findings.

“Walnuts are a whole food that provides a rich package of healthful substances, including omega-3 fatty acids, gamma tocopherol (a form of vitamin E), polyphenols, and antioxidants,” Davis said.

Karen Collins, a nutrition consultant with the American Institute for Cancer Research, said the new research offers further evidence about the importance of maintaining a diet that includes plenty of plant-based foods.

“Nutrition is a key factor in the prevention and treatment of cancer,” Collins said in a new release. “A healthy diet, participating in regular physical activity, and maintaining a healthy weight form a three-part strategy recommended to reduce prostate and other cancers.”