INFLUENCE OF NUTRITIVE COMPOUNDS ON THE I NCIDENCE OF CARCINOMA OF THE PROSTATE

Among the various factors that could possibly influence the developmen t of prostatic carcinoma, certain dietary factors have recently raised considerable interest. The incidence of prostatic carcinoma is up to 50 times higher in certain parts of North America than in Asia, althou gh the prevalence of the microfocal ''latent cancer'' is approximately the same. The study of Chinese and Japanese migrants to Hawaii and ma inland North America indicates that within one or two generations, the ir incidence of prostatic carcinoma is approaching that of the Causasi an indigenous American males. The data is considered in support of the concept that diet is implicated in disease aetiology and that the typ ical high fibre, low fat, vegetarian style diet of the Asian person ma y contain factors that are protective against prostatic cancer. The hi gh fat, low fibre Western diet would be considered deficient in such f actors. A considerable amount of evidence suggests that the phyto-oest rogens such as the isoflavonoids genistein and daidzein and the lignan enterolactone are derived from various plant foodstuffs of the Asian diet and are formed from the food-precursors by the normal gut micro f lora. They are present in body fluids and tissues and certain isoflavo noids and lignans are reported to be inhibitors of 5 alpha-reductase, the aromatase enzyme system, tyrosine-specific protein kinase and angi ogenesis as well as exercising antioestrogenic properties.