High Dietary Choline Ups Prostate Cancer Risk

BOSTONMen who consume high amounts of choline-rich foods, such as meat, milk and eggs, have a 70% increased risk of lethal prostate cancer compared to men who consume the lowest amounts, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health examined the association between dietary choline, choline-containing compounds, and betaine (a choline metabolite) intake and the risk of lethal prostate cancer among 47,896 men in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. They also evaluated how the intake of choline affects the survival rate among 4,282 men with diagnosed non-metastatic prostate cancer during the 22-year follow-up.

During 879,627 person-years, 695 men were diagnosed with lethal prostate cancer. Men who had the highest intake of choline had a 70% increased risk of lethal prostate cancer, compared with those who had the lowest intake.

In a case-only analysis of 271 lethal cases identified during 33,679 person-years, post-diagnostic choline intake was not statistically significantly associated with the risk of lethal prostate cancer.