Prostate cancer research goes like this: Does microscopic inflammation of prostate cells lend to the eventual development of prostate cancer? And if so, could a diet that aims to reduce cellular inflammation help men avoid this disease? If this seems far-fetched it's worth remembering that inflammation is implicated in a number of diseases such as heart disease, arthritis, and Alzheimer's, not to mention aging in general.
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As cells in the prostate transition from normal to cancerous, they may enter an in-between state known as prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia or PIN for short. Not all PIN cells in the prostate will become cancerous, but it is thought that many of these cells are precursors to cancerous prostate cells, and men found to have PIN cells on biopsy are often followed closely to be sure cancer does not arise. More recently, Dr. Angelo De Marzo of Johns Hopkins Medicine discovered what is thought to be a prelude to PIN. He discovered that even before prostate cells enter a PIN state, they exhibit significant signs of inflammation.
Dr. De Marzo dubbed these cells PIA cells for proliferative inflammatory atrophy. Under the microscope PIA cells look shrunken and inflamed. This discovery has led researchers to speculate that inflammation may be a very early push factor inducing healthy prostate epithelial cells onto a cancer trajectory.
While it remains the theory that inflammation may be an essential link in the development of prostate cancer, the evidence is strong enough to warrant serious attention. Studies are ongoing to get more definitive answers on the inflammation/prostate cancer link, but there is already evidence that obesity increases the risk of developing prostate cancer and that obesity increases inflammation throughout the body. Men with excess inflammation of their prostate gland are at greater risk of having high-grade, aggressive prostate tumors. Furthermore obesity increases the risk of death from prostate cancer.
Inflamed cells and tissue are not just implicated in prostate cancer development and progression; chronic inflammation is estimated to play a causative role in as many as 20 percent of human cancers. Given this cumulative data, it's no wonder that the anti-inflammatory diet is trending in Hollywood (Details magazine recently reported actor Matthew Fox anti-inflamed his diet to get screen-ready for the movie World War Z) and across the country. And, because the anti-inflammatory diet is likely to reduce body weight, on the whole it may well be a win-win for men—a trimmer, fitter body, not all angry and red and swollen on the inside, is likely to make guys feel good both inside and out. And it's hard to underestimate the positive effects a man in good shape and fair spirits can have on the ladies, or their partners.
While there is no exact definition of the anti-inflammatory diet, it's similar to the Mediterranean diet. Dr. Andrew Weil has developed an anti-inflammatory food pyramid that gives heavy weight to fruits and veggies and also includes "unlimited amounts" of herbs and spices such as ginger, cinnamon and garlic. And there's a strong emphasis on tea—he recommends two to four cups a day of white, green or oolong—and eating loads of healthy fats such as those found in walnuts and avocados.