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Dairy and prostate cancer: Conflicting information
Prostate Cancer | Last Active: Feb 7 10:59am | Replies (132)Comment receiving replies
My apologies for this late follow-up report on my consultation with a Mayo cancer dietitian on animal-based proteins for prostate cancer patients.
Three weeks ago I had a video conference with a Mayo cancer dietitian to address whether the protein trio of "dairy, eggs and red meat" represented a legitimate concern for prostate cancer patients. His short answer was "yes and no" with the devil being in the details.
The cancer dietitian was aware of the controversy. However, he also acknowledged prostate cancer patients on androgen deprivation therapy have significant needs for consuming quality protein sources. So how did he recommend navigating this controversial path? By focusing on minimizing the common thread amongst these three types of quality protein - animal fats.
More specifically, the dietitian asserted his belief that inflammatory omega 6 animal fats are the primary problem for prostate cancer patients. If animal-based proteins were to be selected he encouraged me to consider (1) lower animal fat alternatives and, where available, (2) selecting omega 3 anti-inflammatory animal fats instead of omega 6.
From a practical perspective, if animal sources of protein were selected then he suggested focusing on the following:
- grass raised beef sources (high in omega 3 fats),
- pasture raised chicken eggs (high in omega 3 fats),
- skim milk (no fat),
- whey protein (very little fat).
The cancer dietician liked plant-based protein sources, but noted it's significantly harder to combine plant-based protein sources in a manner that achieves a high quality, complete amino acid protein profile. It can be done, but it's often difficult.
Replies to "My apologies for this late follow-up report on my consultation with a Mayo cancer dietitian on..."
You know, that’s the single best explanation I’ve heard when it comes to all these dietary taboos.
We live in a total Omega 6 world with seed oils going into many processed foods and animals being fed with high omega 6 grains instead of grasses.
Chickens too are fed mostly crap and hormones - no matter what that label says!- to fatten them up. If you can adhere to your dietician’s advice, I think you’ll be in a good place, enjoying high quality foods and denying yourself nothing.
The Mediterranean diet is really all about QUALITY, freshness and non GMO foods; and olive oil, a big part of that diet, is probably the best fat you can consume- 75% is monounsaturated fats (oleic acid), and very little omega 6 and saturated fats. Portion control is also a huge factor - no ‘supersizing’ in the tavernas or trattorias!
Thanks for the informative post!
Phil
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I know I'm three weeks late commenting on this, but was reading this thread since a friend suggested a vegan diet for PC.
In any case, must comment on your final paragraph about what the cancer dietician said.
I became a vegetarian the same year, 1971, that the book
"Diet for a Small Planet" was published, and it described how to "combine plant proteins" such that you get all the amino acids, basically eating grains and legumes at the same meal. It really isn't all that "difficult", and I'm surprised a dietician, over fifty years later, is espousing that tired trope. There was also a book some fifteen later, also something of a best seller, called "Diet for a New America", and it was noteworthy, as I recall, for showing newer research that revealed that it wasn't actually necessary to consume "all" the amino acids at the same meal; just within the same day was sufficient.
I was for decades a "lacto-ovo" vegetarian, which made protein consumption a no-brainer, in any case. In fact, eggs have the most ideal proportion of amino acids to comprise a complete protein. I've since become a pescatarian (although I prefer to call it "vegequarian"), but if I choose to go purely vegan, I'm absolutely undaunted, and merely need to pay a modicum of attention to the protein issue. I WILL, I must say, quite miss cheese...
Both books, by the way, also stress the point that dairy and meat put a significant strain on Earth's resources, which is another motivating factor.