Association between grain intake and prostate-specific antigen: A cross-sectional study from US men

Area of Science:

• Nutrition and Dietetics
• Urology
• Public Health

Background:

• Inconsistent findings exist regarding grain consumption and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels.
• Prostate health is a significant concern, with PSA levels being a key biomarker.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between whole grain and refined grain intake and serum PSA levels.
• To clarify the relationship between dietary grain patterns and prostate health indicators.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional analysis of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data (2001-2010).
• Inclusion of 5639 male participants aged 40 years and older with complete PSA measurements and dietary intake data.
• Multivariate weighted linear regression models were used to assess associations.

Main Results:

• A significant inverse association was found between whole-grain intake and serum PSA levels (P overall = .0294).
• Refined grain intake demonstrated no significant association with PSA levels in continuous or categorical analyses (all P > .05).
• The inverse association between whole grains and PSA was consistent across various demographic and health subgroups.

Conclusions:

• Whole-grain consumption may contribute to maintaining prostate homeostasis, indicated by lower PSA levels.
• Dietary recommendations emphasizing whole grains could be beneficial for prostate health management and prevention strategies.
• Further research can explore the mechanisms behind whole grains' potential protective effects on the prostate.