This thread's title is also the name of the article linked below, which, while already a few years old, covers some of the kinds of issues that come up when addressing the question of whether alcohol and the prostate are indeed "friends or foes."
As one might suspect, there are a number of web articles on this topic, some rather technical on the chemical and/or other biological interactions of alcohol and the prostate. But the one below seemed typical of a more "general impact" treatment of the subject, while still presenting some discussion-worthy points of interest.
For example:
" ... what about moderate alcohol intake, such as a glass of red wine each day? Is moderate alcohol intake beneficial or harmful to the prostate, or neither? ... For prostate cancer, the answer appears to be: neither."
"A large number of studies and several meta-analyses have failed to turn up any consistent patterns of moderate alcohol consumption with prostate cancer risk."
"Still others have arrived at mixed results. For example, a meta-analysis of 17 observational studies (611,169 participants) concluded that, while there were no overall associations between wine intake with prostate cancer, moderate white wine consumption increased while red wine decreased incident cancer risk."
" ... (speaking of wine) ... there are no conclusive clinical data to demonstrate resveratrol prevents or protects against prostate cancer."
"How does moderate alcohol intake impact BPH? Research shows it appears to be beneficial. Individual studies and meta-analyses have observed that moderate alcohol intake appears to prevent incident BPH."
"In a meta-analysis of 19 studies that incorporated 120,091 men, alcohol intake ≥36 g/day was associated with a 35% decreased likelihood of BPH."
" ... for LUTS (lower urinary tract symptoms), the answer to whether alcohol intake is beneficial or harmful appears to be: possibly beneficial.
"Observational studies have demonstrated both positive and negative effects of alcohol on LUTS, with a slight preponderance of studies favoring a positive effect."
"Reduction of alcohol intake in men with storage-predominant LUTS or primary nocturia, for example, is a simple and often efficacious approach to reducing symptoms."In sum:
"Epidemiologic evidence suggests that alcohol intake is linked to prostate disease in surprising and beneficial ways, with moderate consumption associated with decreased risks of both BPH and LUTS. Alcohol appears to have no substantive effects on prostate cancer risk."This is probably going to be a topic of varied value to us, depending on the degree to which we individually imbibe. For me, a maybe-a-glass-of-wine- at-a- holiday-party-and-that's-it kind of guy, this would seem to be a topic of some interest, but not one that's going to have a significant impact, at least not on me personally.
For others more inclined to consume alcohol, whether through a regular beer or harder stuff, it may have more to say to them.
Especially if the amount of alcohol consumed is more than moderate, as the article suggests.
Of course this thread just touches upon some of the matters arising when the alcohol/prostate issue is explored, but even the few topics it covers are informative.
In any case, a subject that it's probably good to know something about
, whether the effect on us personally is significant or not.
https://www.urologytimes.com/view/alcohol-and-prostate-gland-friend-or-foe