Interest in the role of dietary patterns has been consistently emerging in recent years due to much research that has documented the impact of metabolism on erectile dysfunction (ED) and/or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). We conducted a non-systematic review of English articles published from 1964 to September 2021. The search terms were: ("dietary patterns" OR "diet") AND/OR ("erectile dysfunction") AND/OR ("benign prostatic hyperplasia"). In the present review, we have highlighted how the association between dietary patterns and two of the most frequent pathologies in urology, namely erectile dysfunction and benign prostatic hyperplasia, is present in the literature. The data suggested that a diet that is more adherent to the Mediterranean diet or that emphasizes the presence of vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, and fish or other sources of long-chain (n-3) fats, in addition to reduced content of red meat, may have a beneficial role on erectile function. At the same time, the same beneficial effects can be transferred to BPH as a result of the indirect regulatory effects on prostatic growth and smooth muscle tone, thus determining an improvement in symptoms. Certainly, in-depth studies and translational medicine are needed to confirm these encouraging data.
Nutrients. 2021 Nov 19*** epublish ***
Giorgio Ivan Russo, Giuseppe Broggi, Andrea Cocci, Paolo Capogrosso, Marco Falcone, Ioannis Sokolakis, Murat Gül, Rosario Caltabiano, Marina Di Mauro
Urology Section, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy., Department of Medical, Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies "G.F. Ingrassia", Anatomic Pathology, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy., Department of Urology, University of Florence, 50100 Florence, Italy., Department of Urology and Andrology, Ospedale di Circolo and Macchi Foundation, 21100 Varese, Italy., Department of Urology, Molinette Hospital, A.O.U. Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, 10100 Turin, Italy., Department of Urology, Martha-Maria Hospital Nuremberg, 90491 Nuremberg, Germany., School of Medicine, Department of Urology, Selcuk University, 42005 Konya, Turkey., Urology Section, San Marco Hospital, 95100 Catania, Italy.