Relationship between diet and benign prostatic hyperplasia

Abstract

Benign prostatic hyperplasia is very common in the general population, both from the histological and the clinical points of view. The role of different factors in its development has been defined by means of epidemiological studies. One such factor is the composition of the diet, as the regular consumption of certain foods may either protect against benign prostatic hyperplasia or increase the risk of its development. Among foods which may play a protective role are lycopene, phytoestrogens and vegetables. On the other hand, the risk of developing the disease may be increased by a diet rich in fat and calories. In this article the main clinical trials concerning this relationship are reviewed, as a way of informing physicians on the dietetic patterns that may influence the frequency or the symptoms of this disease.