Photo: Gabriela Peacock
Why going plant-based could transform your health – as study links it to ‘better sexual health in men with prostate cancer’ By Yolanthe Fawehinmi, PA Plant-based diets could improve the sexual health of men who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer, new research suggests. It found eating more fruit, vegetables, grains and nuts, and reducing your meat intake, was linked with less common side effects that can impact prostate cancer patients, including erectile dysfunction and loss of bladder control. The research – by a team at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health, who analysed data from more than 3,500 men with prostate cancer – is the latest in a long line of studies linking plant- based eating with health and wellbeing benefits. So, how else could adopting more plant-based eating be good for you?
“A diet which is lower in meat and animal products can be associated with lower saturated fat consumption, increased vitamins and other health-promoting substances, and healthier body weight levels.”
Photo:Vassiliki Sinopoulou.
It’s not just avoiding the saturated fats in animal products that benefits health – it’s the added nutrients and fibre you get from consuming more fruit, veg and beans, too. “Polyphenols are beneficial substances found in plant- derived foods. They can be found in berries, nuts, olives/ olive oil, broccoli, and other fruits and vegetables that we all recognise as healthy. Polyphenols can also be found in foods with perhaps a more controversial reputation, such as chocolate, coffee, tea and wine,” Sinopoulou adds.
What are the wider benefits of a plant-based diet?
“There are several potential health benefits to a plant-based diet,” says Vassiliki Sinopoulou, a registered dietitian and senior research assistant at University of Central Lancashire (UCLan).
“For example, they can have anti-inflammatory effects and
56 | mccarthyholden.co.uk
Made with FlippingBook - PDF hosting