Researchers from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) discovered that the effect of nitrates in drinking water increases men's risk of prostate cancer by 1.6 times.
And the journal Environmental Health Perspectives indicates that the researchers focused in this study on searching for a relationship between nitrate intake and trihalomethane in water and the possibility of prostate cancer. Because they are the most common pollutants of drinking water.
These substances appear in drinking water as a result of treatment with chemical compounds or from fertilizers used in the agricultural and animal husbandry sector, and from there to rivers and water reservoirs. It can also be absorbed by the body through the skin during swimming, bathing, and even when washing dishes. It has previously been shown that the systemic effect of trihalomethane increases the risk of bladder cancer.
In this research, the researchers studied 697 cases of prostate cancer during the years 2008-2013, as well as a control group consisting of 927 healthy men aged 38-85 years.
The researchers estimated the amount of nitrate and trihalomethane each participant had been exposed to since they turned 18 based on where they lived and the type and amount of water they drank (tap water, bottled water or well water).
The results showed that the increase in nitrate consumption increases the incidence of prostate cancer. It turned out that participants who had a high percentage of nitrates and trihalomethane (on average more than 14 mg per day) were 1.6 times more likely to develop prostate cancer compared to others. They are also three times more likely to develop severe prostate cancer.
The researchers noted that the association between nitrate intake, trihalomethane, and prostate cancer was only seen in men with low intakes of dietary fiber, fruits, vegetables, and vitamin C. Because these substances prevent the formation of halomethane in the stomach. Source: Linta. ru