Dr. Dean Ornish and associates at the University of California, San Francisco, recruited 93 men who had chosen the option of ‘watchful waiting’ for their early-stage, non-aggressive prostate cancer.
The researchers randomly assigned half of the subjects to follow Ornish?s lifestyle regimen, which includes a vegetarian diet, severe limitation of fat intake; exercise and stress management. The others maintained their usual habits.
When PSA (prostate specific antigen) tests were performed on the participants? blood, the investigators found that, after a year, those on the Ornish regimen had a 4% drop in PSA levels, which is ‘unusual for untreated patients.’
On the other hand, PSA levels rose an average of 6% for the control group.
In addition, six of the controls had undergone conventional treatment because their cancer was progressing; whereas none on the Ornish regimen underwent such treatment.
The scientists will continuing tracking the men to gauge longterm effects.