It is well-established science that plant-based diets have health benefits.

Research published last year by the American Medical Association showed that people who followed diets built around whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes reduced their chances of dying from cancer, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory and neurodegenerative conditions.

A 2021 study published in The Journal of the Missouri State Medical Association concluded that plant-based diets “were associated with a significantly reduced risk of negative health outcomes” and included the flexitarian diet, which allows for some occasional meat, dairy and seafood among its definitions of a plant-based diet.

Now, there is even more evidence that shows the benefits of a plant-based diet, research that will be of special interest to men over 50.

In the May issue of the JAMA Open Network, scientists from the University of California, San Francisco reported that eating a plant-based diet reduced the risk of prostate cancer progression by almost 50%. Their study concluded that “consuming a primarily plant-based diet may be associated with better prostate cancer-specific health outcomes among men with cancer.” They noted that plant-based diets are associated with primary prevention of fatal prostate cancer.

The purpose of this latest study was to examine post-diagnostic patterns among men with prostate cancer. The significance is found in the statistics on prostate cancer. According to Zero Prostate Cancer, a national nonprofit organization with a mission to end prostate cancer, prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among American men, with the exception of skin cancers. 

As men age, the risk increases significantly. According to the American Cancer Society, 6 in 10 prostate cancers are found in men older than 65. While family history has an impact on a man’s risk of prostate cancer, the American Cancer Society says that most prostate cancers occur in men without a family history.

What is a plant-based diet?

Harvard Medical School explains that following a plant-based diet doesn’t mean being boxed into a vegetarian or vegan diet and never eating meat or dairy products. Rather, you proportionately choose more of your foods from plant sources. Here’s how Harvard breaks down your choices:

• Semi-vegetarian or flexitarian includes eggs, dairy foods and occasionally meat, poultry, fish and seafood.

• Pescatarian includes eggs, dairy foods, fish and seafood, but no meat or poultry.

• Vegetarian (sometimes referred to as lacto-ovo vegetarian) includes eggs and dairy foods, but no meat, poultry, fish or seafood.

• Vegan includes no animal foods.

I follow a Mediterranean Diet, which would be considered flexitarian as it’s built on a platform of plant-based foods, but also allows for fish, poultry, eggs, cheese and yogurt a few times a week, with meats and sweets less often. I find this effective and practical and a practice that I’ve been able to follow for many years.

What makes plant-based diets so healthy?

The University of California, San Francisco says fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds with demonstrated effectiveness in cancer prevention. Columbia University describes plant-based diets as nutrient-dense and packed with fiber, healthy fats, protein, vitamins and minerals that can provide all your needed nutrients.

To get a feel for the challenges of getting men to adopt a plant-based diet from the front line of medical care, I reached out to Dr. Allen Seftel, a board-certified urologist and surgeon at Cooper University Health Care’s Prostate Cancer Center. 

While Dr. Seftel acknowledged the quality of the JAMA study and others that support the benefits of a plant-based diet, his experience is that it is very hard to get men to change their diets. Despite the challenge, he maintains a consistent recommendation to patients to cut down on fats and encourages his colleagues in primary care to do the same for their male patients.

Though the focus of this new study is prostate cancer, the benefits extend to other diseases and conditions. If you need further convincing that a plant-based diet is worth considering, note that the science associates plant-based foods with a better quality of life that includes sexual function, urinary function and vitality, all points of interest to 50-plus men.

What’s old is new

While this latest research on plant-based foods and prostate cancer is new, the underlying impact of our behavior on our health is not. As early as 2001, the Institute of Medicine examined the relationship between health and behavior. 

In 2013, in a study that generated much attention, the National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine concluded that “Americans die younger and experience more injury and illness than people in other rich nations, despite spending almost twice as much per person on healthcare.” Among their conclusions was that our health is not solely dependent on medical care but is also influenced by our behaviors including diet and physical activity.

Last year, when comparing the U.S with other industrialized nations, the Commonwealth Fund reported that the U.S. has the highest rate of people with multiple chronic conditions and an obesity rate nearly twice the average of the comparable nations. In this context, Seftel’s observations regarding the difficulty of getting men to change their diets come as no surprise.

Take control

The predominance of prostate cancer among men, particularly older men, is a reason to get regular screenings. The American Urological Association says men at low to average risk can begin screening at 45 years, and between ages 55 to 69 years, these men should be screened every two to four years with re-screening intervals lengthened or even discontinued for men 75 years and older.

And, if you really want to take control of your health and do everything you can to prevent the disease, try a plant-based diet. It’s not as onerous as it may sound, particularly given the options spelled out here. You may just come to like it.

Louis Bezich, senior vice president and chief administrative officer at Cooper University Health Care, is author of “Crack The Code: 10 Proven Secrets that Motivate Healthy Behavior and Inspire Fulfillment in Men Over 50.” Read more from Louis on his website.