STARCH INTAKE MAY INCREASE RISK FOR BENIGN PROSTATIC HYPERPLASIA.

Starch may increase the risk for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), whereas polyunsaturated fatty acids may decrease the risk, according to analysis of an Italian case-control study reported in the June issue of Urology. The study included 1369 patients with BPH and 1451 controls using a validated and reproducible food frequency questionnaire. “The results suggest a role for specific macronutrients in the risk of BPH, including, in particular, an unfavorable effect for starch and a beneficial one for polyunsaturated fatty acids,” the authors write. (Medscape Medical News, 06/27/06)