Sunday April 20, 2014 (foodconsumer.org) -- A study in Epidemiology suggests that high sexual activity or contracting sexually transmitted disease could increase risk of prostate cancer.

Early studies have discovered that starting to have sex earlier is associated with increased risk of prostate cancer.

It remains unknown why the frequency of sexual activity, having sex early, and having sexually transmitted disease are associated with elevated risk of prostate cancer.  But all these events may have something to do with higher levels of male sex hormone testosterone, which at high levels is known as a risk factor for prostate cancer.

Leslie K. Dennis and Deborah V. Dawson conducted the current meta-analysis to examine the association between prostate cancer and aspects of sexual activity and found men with a history of sexually transmitted infections were at an elevated risk for prostate cancer.

Specifically, these men were 40% more likely than men without a history of sexually transmitted disease.  Having ever had syphilis was correlated with 130% higher risk for prostate cancer.

 Men who had higher frequency of sexual activity were 20% more likely to develop prostate cancer than those who had a low frequency of sexual activity.

The risk increased by higher frequency of sexual activity was similar to that observed in men who had multiple sex partners, that is, the increase in the risk was also 20%.

However, no association was observed between prostate cancer risk and the number of marriages.

While many factors may affect the risk of prostate cancer, a man's diet can be a major one, according to a recent study published in Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention shows that Iranian men who ate largely a Western diet were four times as likely as those who did not eat Western diet often.

And those who ate a healthy diet were 60% less likely to develop prostate cancer.

For the study, a healthy diet was defined as a diet high in legumes, fish, dairy products, fruits, and fruit juice, vegetables, boiled potates, whole cereal products and eggs.  The Western diet was defined as a diet high sweets, desserts,  snacks, tea and coffee, French fries, salt, carbonated rinks, red meat or processed meat. (David Liu)