Types of Fat
Apparently it matters what type of fat it is, but the research is certainly not clear-cut. Fats from various sources are made up of different fatty acids and they seem to affect the risk for prostate cancer differently. For example, the omega-3 fatty acids in fish actually may have a minor protective effect, but the omega-6 fatty acids in red meat may stimulate prostate cancer. And, the largest prospective studies are divided. The Health Professionals Follow-up Study, of 50,000 U.S. men, has provided the strongest evidence that animal fat, particularly from red meat, is responsible for most of the increased prostate cancer risk from dietary fat. Men eating the greatest amount of red meat had 2.64 times the risk of developing advanced prostate cancer as those eating the least amounts. Another study of 20,000 men in Hawaii also showed that a high intake of animal fat, and in particular meat, was associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer although not as strong as the previous study.
But two prospective studies from Europe presented evidence that clouded the picture. The most recent, the Netherlands Cohort Study, including nearly 60,000 men in the Netherlands, found no association between fatty acids found in animal fat, or any other fatty acids, and increased risk of prostate cancer. The other, involving 25,000 men in Norway, further confuses the issue. These researchers reported increased risk with increasing consumption of hamburgers and meatballs but not hot dogs and sausage, and the risk actually decreased with increasing number of meals from meat. The bottom line is that no one knows for sure if eating less animal fat and less total fat will reduce the risk of getting prostate cancer, but there are certainly no harms from cutting back on animal fat. The data from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study is probably the best, and it supports eating less red meat for prostate health.
