Red Wine, Coffee, and Almonds May Lower Prostate Cancer Risk
The next step, he says, is to repeat the findings in a larger study to see if the results hold.
So what should you do in the meantime?
"Eat a balanced diet that especially includes fruits and nuts," says another study researcher Charlene Rainey, the president of Food Research Inc. of Costa Mesa, Calif. And remember that boron is anything but boring, she says. There's something for everyone when it comes to boron-rich foods.
"Almonds, peanuts, peanut butter, grapes, raisins, grape juice, dried fruits, dried nuts, and legumes are rich in boron," she says. "Red wine is also a very good source of boron," she says. Some of the compounds found in red wine also have been shown to lower risk for heart disease when it is consumed in moderation.
Coffee and milk also contain some boron, she says.
"Structurally, fruits and vegetables contain lots of micronutrients and ingredients that seem to have a protective effect, and we have added boron to the list," says another study researcher Curtis Eckhert, PhD, chair of the department of Environmental Health Sciences at the UCLA school of Public Health and the chair of boron research at the meeting.
"It came out to be protective against prostate cancer," he says.
"It seems that people who eat a lot of fruits and vegetables in their diet have a lower risk of certain types of cancer," says Ruth Kava, RD, PhD, the director of nutrition for the American Council on Science and Health, based in New York City.
Boron is virtually an "unknown nutrient," she says, adding that this is "an interesting study that is going to be the basis of further research."
Kava points out that there currently is not enough known about boron to establish a recommended daily allowance
"It's way too early to say much of anything so far about the possible health effects of boron, [but] there are reasons to think from animal studies that it could be important in growth and development," she tells WebMD.