Abstract
Plant-based diets have grown in popularity owing to multiple health and environmental benefits. Some evidence suggests that plant-based diets are associated with benefits for urological health. In genitourinary oncology, most research has focused on prostate cancer. Clinical trial results suggest a favourable influence of healthy lifestyle modifications including plant-based diets before and after prostate cancer treatment. Epidemiological evidence shows that a diet higher in plant-based and lower in animal-based food is associated with a lower risk of aggressive prostate cancer and better quality-of-life scores than a diet with less plant-based and more animal-based food. Studies on bladder and kidney cancer are scarce, but limited data suggest that vegetarian or plant-forward dietary patterns (increased consumption of fruits and vegetables and minimizing meat) are associated with a lower risk of development of these cancers than dietary patterns with fewer fruits and vegetables and more meat. With respect to benign urological conditions, epidemiological studies suggest that plant-based dietary patterns are associated with a lower risk of benign prostatic hyperplasia and urinary tract infections than non-plant-based dietary patterns. Compared with diets high in animal-based foods and low in plant-based foods, a substantial body of epidemiological evidence also suggests that increased consumption of healthy plant-based food is associated with a lower risk of erectile dysfunction. Plant-based dietary patterns that are high in fruits and vegetables with normal calcium intake, while limiting animal protein and salt, are associated with a lower risk of kidney stone development than dietary patterns that do not follow these parameters. Overall, increasing consumption of plant-based foods and reducing intake of animal-based foods has favourable associations with multiple urological conditions.
Key points
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Plant-based diets have many well-established benefits for health, including a reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes and obesity. They are also substantially better for the environment.
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Vegan and vegetarian diets are associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer progression than non-plant-based diets in clinical trials and observational studies. Limited data on bladder and kidney cancer suggest that diets with less meat and more vegetables might be associated with a lower risk of developing these conditions than diets with more meat and fewer vegetables.
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Erectile dysfunction is linked with cardiovascular disease. Healthy plant-based diets offer an opportunity to optimize cardiovascular and sexual health.
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Dietary patterns with more vegetables and less animal protein have been associated with a lower risk of benign prostatic hyperplasia than those with fewer vegetables and more animal protein.
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Prospective cohort studies show that vegetarians are at a lower risk of kidney stones and urinary tract infections than non-vegetarians. Importantly, reducing global consumption of animal protein is important to combat climate change and antimicrobial resistance.
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S.L. is supported by the New York State Department of Health and by T. Berns and M. Berns.
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National Kidney Foundation plant-based diet and kidney health: https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/plant-based
NIDDK lactose intolerance: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/lactose-intolerance/definitionfacts#morelikely
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Loeb, S., Borin, J.F., Venigalla, G. et al. Plant-based diets and urological health. Nat Rev Urol 22, 199–207 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41585-024-00939-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41585-024-00939-y
