The Nutritional Fight Against Prostate Cancer © VR By Bill Sardi A growing number of reports in conventional medical journals address the role of diet and nutritional supplements in the fight against prostate cancer. There is good reason for a nutritional approach to the disease. Males who develop prostate cancer, or who want to prevent the disease, may have no other proven alternatives. While it is true that about one-third of men endure some cancerous changes in their prostate glands by the age of 50, only about 6 to 10 percent will develop the type of spreading (metastatic) tumor that will lead to disability or death. Better than 90 percent of men diagnosed with prostate cancer, will have their cancer detected in their seventh decade of life and will, because of the slow growth of these tumors, live another 10 to 14 years on average and die of other causes. Since surgical removal of the prostate gland does not decrease mortality rates and is associated with considerable side effects (impotence, mental depression, pain, loss of urinary control), some experts suggest the treatment is worse than the disease. One survey shows more than 80 percent of primary care physicians and urologists doubt the value of surgery for males with less than 10 years of life expectancy. Many males will opt for no treatment, what is called "watchful waiting." That gives males over a decade to learn more about their disease rather than just wait for the inevitable. Even if men elect to have their prostate tumors surgically removed, cancer reappears in one of every three males who undergo surgery. Few men are expected to do nothing about their prostate tumors since anxiety levels can be high once faced with the knowledge that a tumor is growing inside their bodies. Here is what men need to learn about the nutritional approach to their disease. On the menu of preventive measures for prostate cancer, The National Cancer Institute now includes hormone blockers, selenium, vitamin E and vitamin D supplementation. A high geographical variance in the incidence of prostate cancer has led researchers to believe prostate cancer is preventable. For example, the risk is six times greater in Israel than New York. Prostate cancer rates are very low in Japan, but rise to levels equivalent to those seen in the U.S. among second- and third-generation Japanese living in America. So any protective genetic component is ruled out. Diet and environmental factors obviously play significant roles in tumor prevention and control. The Diet Factor The amount of fat in the diet is related to the growth rate and progression of prostate tumors. Low-fat diets along with physical exercise appear to reduce male hormone (androgen) levels and the growth of prostate tumors. A high-fiber, plant-based diet appears to lower the prostate specific antigen levels (PSA), a marker for disease risk and progression. The preponderance of omega-6 fatty acids in corn, safflower and sunflower oil compared to miniscule amounts of omega-3 fats from fish and flaxseed in the American diet can accelerate the growth of prostate tumors. The link between high calcium consumption and prostate cancer is also compelling. Dairy calcium consumption is high in countries where the mortality rate from prostate cancer is high (Scandinavian countries, New Zealand) and low in countries that do not consume excessive amounts of dairy calcium (Japan, Portugal). In one study, high-dose calcium supplements greater than 900 mg per day increased the risk of metastatic prostate cancer three-fold, leading researchers to advise men to avoid excessive calcium. Role of Environment The risk for prostate cancer increases in northern latitudes and among blacks. People in northern lands receive less solar ultraviolet radiation and thus produce less natural vitamin D. Blacks, by virtue of high melanin content in the skin, require more sunlight exposure to produce vitamin D. Thus, vitamin D deficiency is considered to be a significant risk factor for prostate tumors. The fact that the geographical prostate cancer belt exists in northern latitudes where little if any vitamin D is produced naturally during the winter months suggests supplementation may be a valid approach to prevention. Recent studies indicate that the previous hesitation to supplement vitamin D in excess of 1,000 IU per day is unwarranted. Toxicity doesn't begin unitl 40,000 IU are consumed per day (total body sun exposure can produce 10,000 IU). A recent study reveals that 4,000 IU of supplemental vitamin D is safe and nontoxic. Of particular interest is the fact that vitamin D has been shown in laboratory studies to strikingly inhibit the metastatic (spreading) form of prostate cancer and induce normal tumor cell death. Dietary Supplements A 200 microgram supplement of selenium bound to an array of organic proteins produced a dramatic 50 to 66 percent reduction in the risk for prostate cancer. A study in Finland using just 50 IU of vitamin E produced a significant decrease in prostate cancer. This is about five times the amount of vitamin E provided in the average diet. The most recent epidemiological study confirms that consumption of tomato products reduces the risk of prostate cancer. But lycopene extracts from tomato may go beyond prevention and have therapeutic value for males with existing tumors. In a study of 33 men who were randomly selected to take lycopene supplements or no supplement 30 days prior to surgery, post-operative PSA levels fell 20 percent and cancer had only spread in 33 percent of subjects compared to 75 percent in the group that did not take lycopene. Hormone Blockers The incidence of prostate cancer is low among Asian males who obtain natural hormone-like compounds (phytoestrogens) from soy, tea, fruits and vegetables. Japanese males consume about 20 mg of phytoestrogens from soy per day compared to just 1 mg for Western males. The blood concentration of genistein, a component of soy, in Japanese males is 18 times greater than among Western males. Lignan (enterolactone) obtained from flaxseed is another potent hormone inhibitor. Males in Portugal who have a low incidence of prostate cancer exhibit high circulating levels of lignan. Recently, 25 patients who were awaiting prostate cancer surgery were placed on a low saturated-fat diet and flaxseed was added to their diet. Flaxseed supplementation significantly reduced male hormone (testosterone) levels and total cholesterol. Flaxseed, by virtue of its high omega-3 over omega-6 fatty acid composition and provision of lignans, becomes a front-line dietary and supplemental approach to prostate cancer. Minerals Males typically have higher iron levels than females and thus may be at greater risk for disease and cancer. Iron chelators (removers) have been proposed as treatment for prostate tumors. In a laboratory dish, rice bran extract has been shown to inhibit the growth of prostate tumor cells. This particular extract blocks the cell signals that trigger uncontrolled growth of tumor cells, and thus in supplement form may be "a useful approach for treating prostate cancer." Other iron binders, such as green tea, have also been shown to inhibit prostate cancer in animals. Components of green tea (epigallocatechin gallate) also have the dual action of inhibiting male hormones that are involved in prostate cancer growth. Zinc is another mineral that plays an important role against prostate cancer. Zinc levels are very low in cancerous prostatic tissues. The provision of zinc to prostate tumor cells in a laboratory dish inhibits growth. Vitamin C In laboratory studies, vitamin C has been shown to produce hydrogen peroxide which kills off prostate tumor cells. A recent experiment that combined vitamin C and vitamin K in lab dishes of prostate tumor cells dramatically increased anti-tumor action by triggering DNA degradation and reducing intracellular glutathione levels. This research may spur novel therapies for prostate cancer using vitamin C. Plant Sterols/Sterolins Urologists in Germany have been using plant sterols and sterolins for over two decades for the treatment of enlarged prostate. In one double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 200 patients of an average age of 65, with BPH, were given sterols and sterolins for six months. The treatment group showed a rapid reduction of the symptoms mentioned above, an increase in peak urinary flow and a decrease in inflammation. Researchers also found that sterols and sterolins were more effective than the drug Proscar. Another German study involving 177 patients found that an improvement in symptoms occurred within 30 days. The PSA test scores were also found to return to normal within six weeks of taking plant sterols and sterolins. It was found as well that sterols and sterolins halted the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT is thought to be involved in stimulating new cells to be deposited in the prostate, causing swelling and urine flow to be decreased. DHT is also implicated in male-pattern baldness. Researchers in the German study, noted that bald participants who were taking sterols and sterolins mentioned their hair was starting to grow back. Pollen Extract Clinical symptoms of inflamed prostate (prostatitis), BPH and a condition known as prostatodynia have been relieved through supplementation of the pollen extract cernilton, and the water-soluble fraction of this extract has been demonstrated to selectively inhibit growth of some prostate cancer cells. DIBOA, a cyclic hydroxamic acid, has been isolated from this extract; it mimics its cell growth-inhibitory properties, but the specificity of DIBOA for inhibition of prostate cell growth has not been reported. In one in vitro study, the growth inhibitory effects of DIBOA and nine structurally related compounds on DU-145 prostate cancer cells were determined by treatment with various concentrations of the compounds for two to six days. The results indicate that the growth-inhibitory effects of DIBOA and structurally related agents on DU-145 cells are due to their ability to cause cell death. Summary Current preventive and therapeutic efforts to control prostate cancer center around nutritional approaches. Already a low-fat diet combined with supplemental vitamin E, selenium, and soy has been suggested in a major urology journal. More time and research will reveal optimal nutritional regimens in the fight against prostate cancer. VR Bill Sardi is a health journalist and president of Knowledge of Health, Inc., San Dimas, CA. Contact him at www.askbillsardi.com.
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