Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Risk Up With Higher Percentage Total Food Weight From Ultraprocessed Food

TUESDAY, March 31, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Among middle-aged and older men, a higher percentage of total food weight from ultraprocessed food (UPF) is associated with a higher risk for incident benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), according to a study published online March 14 in the Nutrition Journal.Qinglong Yang, from the Second Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College in China, and colleagues examined associations between the percentage of total food weight contributed by foods stratified by processing level and plant origin and the risk for BPH in a prospective study involving 77,951 men aged 45 years and older from the U.K. Biobank. Participants were followed for a median of 10.5 years. Dietary intake was expressed as the percentage of total food weight from all UPF, plant-sourced UPF, plant-sourced non-UPF, and all plant-sourced foods.A total of 7,387 incident BPH cases were identified. The researchers found that each 10 percent increase in the percentage of total food weight from all UPF was associated with a 4 percent higher risk for BPH in the fully adjusted model (hazard ratio, 1.04). A 3 percent increase in BPH risk was seen in association with each 10 percent increase in plant-sourced UPF (hazard ratio, 1.03). Conversely, 5 and 9 percent lower risks for BPH were seen in association with each 10 percent increase in the percentage of total food weight from plant-sourced non-UPF and all plant-sourced foods, respectively. A significant nonlinear inverse association was seen between the percentage of total food weight from plant-sourced non-UPF and BPH risk. High-density lipoprotein-related metabolites were identified as key mediators linking the percentage of total food weight from all UPF to BPH development."While these results support the potential benefit of reducing UPF and increasing plant-sourced non-UPF in the diet, they do not establish causality," the authors write.Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required).Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Risk Up With Higher Percentage Total Food Weight From Ultraprocessed Food

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