By David Liu PHD

Sunday July 22 2012 (foodconsumer.org) -- Fat boosts the palatability of a human food. But it can as well boost risk of death in prostate cancer patients, according to a new study published on July 10, 2012 in American Journal of Epidemiology.

The study led by M.M. Epstein of Harvard School of Public Health and colleagues confirmed early findings that patients with their intakes of total fat in the highest quartile were twice as likely as those whose total fat intakes were in the lowest quartile to die from prostate cancer.

Further the researchers found that certain types of fatty acids can even more harmful.  Men whose intakes of  saturated myristic acid were in the highest quartile were 139 percent more likely than those with their intakes in the lowest quartile to die from localized prostate cancer.  

For short chain fatty acids (c4 to c10), the increase in the risk of death from the disease could be 188 percent.

Early research has associated dietary fat with prostate cancer risk.  But the current study found total fat and specific fats were associated with risk of prostate cancer mortality.

Good news is, the researchers found, that men with highest intakes of omega-3 docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and total marine fatty acid were 40 percent less likely to die from prostate cancer, compared to those who had the lowest intakes.

A total of 525 Swedish men with prostate cancer in Örebro County  enrolled in the study during 1989 to 1994.  Intake of total fat and 14 individual fatty acids were estimated for each participant.

The researchers concluded "high intake of total fat and certain saturated fatty acids may worsen prostate cancer survival, particularly among men with localized disease. In contrast, high marine omega-3 fatty acid intake may improve disease-specific survival for all men."

Prostate cancer is expected in about 200,000 men and the disease kills about 50000 men in the United States each year.