'Western' Diet Increasing Chances of Prostate Cancer Deaths? Danger Food Listed Here

Prostate cancer survivors who feed on Western diet—composed of high-fat foods, red meat, cheese and white bread—have higher risk of dying from their disease, a new study has found.

The study, which was published on June 1 in the journal Cancer Prevention Research, suggests that high-fat diet can increase the risk of cancer, Alzheimer's disease, cardiovascular diseses and other illnesses, NBC News has learned.

"Our results suggest that the same dietary recommendations that are made to the general population primarily for the prevention of cardiovascular disease may also decrease the risk of dying from prostate cancer among men initially diagnosed with nonmetastatic disease (cancer that has not spread)," said lead author Dr. Jorge Chavarro, of Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital.

For the study, Chavarro and his team assessed the eating habits of more than 900 men, aged 65 and above, who were diagnosed with prostate cancer that had not spread yet.

"We found that men diagnosed with nonmetastatic prostate cancer whose diet was more 'Westernized,' i.e., contained processed meats, refined grains, potatoes, and high-fat dairy, were more likely to die of prostate cancer," said Chavarro.

A Western diet includes the consumption of processed meat, potatoes, eggs, butter, high-fat dairy products, refined grain, and sugary treats and snacks.

Researchers discovered that males who fed on Western diet had 2.5 times increased risk of dying from prostate cancer and 67 percent probability of dying from any other disease compared to those who adopted healthier eating habits.

According to WebMD, men who ate a diet of fresh fruit, vegetables and fish had 36 percent lesser chance of dying from the aforementioned diseases. Men who practiced this eating habit were less likely to indulge in tobacco and alcohol as well.

Reuters reports that over the course of the study from 1999 to 2002, 333 men have died. Out of that number, 56 have died from prostate cancer. The authors noted that most men who participated in the study were white and results may differ for other races or ethnicities.

Chavarro said their findings did not come as a shock. "Because cardiovascular disease is one of the top causes of death among prostate cancer survivors, our findings regarding all-cause mortality are what we anticipated and closely align with the current knowledge of the role of diet on cardiovascular disease," he explained.

Prostate cancer is considered to be one of the most fatal types of disease for men second to lung cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer affects more than 2.9 million in the United States, with about 220,800 new cases expected to be diagnosed this 2015.