Date: 28 Aug 1994 02:50:30 -0700
From: taltar@helix.net (Ted Altar)
Subject: quote on prostate cancer (repost)
Newsgroups: rec.food.veg
Organization: Helix Internet
Lines: 67

QUOTE ON PROSTATE CANCER

Here is what Dr. Neal Barnard says in his recent book, "Food
for Life", 1993.

     Cancer cells are found in the prostates of about 20% of
     men over the age of 45.  In most cases, these cancer
     cells do not develop into cancerous tumors that affect
     the overall health or lifespan of the individual.
     However, in many cases the cancer does grow, invades
     surrounding tissues, and spreads to other parts of the
     body.  Although the disease varies greatly from one
     person to the next, the average patient loses 9 years
     from a normal lifespan.

     Just as countries differ markedly in the prevalence of
     breast cancer, this hormone-related cancer varies in
     exactly the same way.  Asian and Latin American
     countries have a much lower prevalence of prostate
     cancer, while it is very common in Europe and America.
     Ten men die of prostate cancer in Western Europe for
     every one who dies in Asia.

     Cancer of the prostate is strongly linked to what men
     eat.  Again, animal products are consistently indicted.
     Milk, meat, eggs, cheese, cream, butter, and fats are
     found, in one research study after another, to be
     linked to prostate cancer.  And it is not just dairy
     products and meats.  Some studies have also pointed a
     finger at vegetable oils.

     Who has a lower risk?  Countries with more rice,
     soybean products, or green or yellow vegetables in the
     diet have far fewer prostate cancer deaths.
     Vegetarians have less prostate cancer.  Scientists have
     long been interested in members of the Seventh-day
     Adventist church because of its vegetarian tradition.
     Adventists men have only 1/3 the prostate cancer risk
     of other men, although Adventists also generally avoid
     tobacco, alcohol, caffeine.  Some evidence suggests
     that becoming a vegetarian in adulthood is helpful, but
     those who are raised as vegetarians have the lowest
     risk.

For the above passage some 14 primary references were cited
by Barnard to back up his statements.  I'll leave it to the
reader to check this very good book out for themselves.

In general, the more meat consumed, the higher the cancer
rate.  For instance,

MEAT CONSUMPTION AND OVARIAN CANCER DEATH RATES PER 100,000
-----------------------------------------------------------
     Lacto-ovo vegetarian Adventist               15.9
     Adventists using meat 1 - 3 times/week       18.0
     Adventist using meat 4 or more times/week    26.4

          [from Phillips et al. Cancer in vegetarians.  In
          Wydner et al. (eds.), ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS OF
          CANCER -- THE ROLE OF MACRO AND MICRO COMPONENTS
          OF FOODS.  Wesport: Food and Nutrition Press,
          1983.
-----------------------------------------------------------

                              Regards,
                                   Ted