Association between dietary phytochemical index and risk of benign prostatic hyperplasia: a case-control study

TL;DR

A study in Iran found that higher intake of phytochemical-rich foods is linked to a lower risk of benign prostatic hyperplasia in men.

Contribution

This is the first case-control study to demonstrate a significant inverse association between a Dietary Phytochemical Index and BPH risk in a Middle-Eastern population.

Findings

Participants in the highest DPI tertile had a 70% lower odds of BPH compared to those in the lowest tertile.

Higher DPI was associated with increased consumption of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes, and reduced consumption of red meat and refined grains.

Abstract

Dietary intake of phytochemicals has been associated with a reduced risk of chronic diseases, but research on their relationship with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is limited. This case-control study aimed to investigate the association between a Dietary Phytochemical Index (DPI) and BPH risk in a Middle-Eastern population.

The study recruited 112 BPH patients and 112 age-matched healthy controls (40–75 years) from Al-Zahra Hospital Clinic in Isfahan, Iran between 2021 and 2022. Dietary intake was assessed using a validated food-frequency questionnaire, and DPI was calculated as the ratio of energy intake from phytochemical-rich foods to total daily energy intake. Logistic regression analysis was performed, adjusting for potential confounders.

In the crude model, participants in the highest DPI tertile had a 70% lower odds of BPH compared to those in the lowest tertile (OR:0.3, 95% CI 0.15–0.61, P-trend = 0.001). After adjusting for confounders, this inverse association remained significant (OR:0.23, 95% CI 0.15–0.63, P-trend = 0.001). Participants with higher DPI consumed more whole grains (p = 0.02), nuts (p < 0.001), legumes (p = 0.02), fruits (p < 0.001), vegetables (p < 0.001), olives and oilve products (p = 0.02), and tomato and its products (p < 0.001) in their diet compared to the lowest tertile. However, red meat (p = 0.03) and refined grains (p < 0.001) were consumed in higher amounts in the lowest tertile compared to the highest DPI tertile.

This study demonstrates a protective association between DPI and BPH risk in the Middle-Eastern population. Encouraging higher intake of phytochemical-rich foods may help reduce the risk of BPH, highlighting the relevance of nutritional science in promoting prostate health.

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