Prostate
Cancer
|
| Natural Remedy | What experts say about them |
| Selenium |  (What's this?)Multiple population studies show a reduced risk of prostate cancer with sufficient intake of selenium. Dose: Take 200 mcg daily. |
| Lycopene | Eating tomatoes (rich in lycopene) is suggested by experts to be helpful in preventing low-grade prostate cancer by stopping oxidative-induced damage to DNA. Studies show that low blood levels of lycopene makes prostate cancer cells grow more aggressively. Some researchers also speculate that lycopene also protects against heart disease and prostate cancer through a different mechanism other than oxidative protection. Dose: Take 15 mg twice daily. |
| Vitamin D |  Population studies show that higher blood levels of vitamin D lowers the risk of developing cancer of the prostate gland. Population studies suggest that low level of sunlight exposure (needed to make vitamin D) seems to increase the risk of cancer of the prostate gland. Dose: Take 1,000 IU daily. Dosage as high as 2,000 IU daily have been used for those with pain from cancer of the prostate. |
| Vitamin C | Studies show that vitamin C intake (when combined with a healthy diet low in total fats and rich in omega 3 fatty acids) can help to reduce the risk of cancer of the prostate and other forms of cancer. Experts believe antioxidants like vitamin C protect against oxidative damage to DNA leading to cancer. Studies also show that a diet low in vitamin C increases the risk of death from cancer in men but not women. Dose: Studies used 125 mg of vitamin C along with selenium, zinc and vitamin E daily. Note: We suggest taking 500 mg daily of vitamin C. |
| Soy |  Initial study show that drinking soy milk at least once daily lowered the risk of cancer of the prostate compared to not drinking soy milk. Experts believe the active chemical genistein (a type of isoflavone) found in soy is responsible for this effect. Indeed genistein is shown in lab studies to be able to kill cancerous prostate cells. Dose: Drink two or more glasses of soy milk daily. Note: Soy milk contains 0.4 mg of isoflavones per gram. A typical 250 mL glass of soy milk would contain about 100 mg of isoflavones. |
| Black Cohosh | Studies done in mice shows that black cohosh slows down the growth of prostate cancer cells. |
| Melatonin | Studies suggest that men with low levels of melatonin seem to have a higher risk of developing prostate cancer. Studies done in lab settings show that this supplement is able to slow down the growth of prostate cancer cells. Dose: Expert suggest a dose of 1 to 3 mg daily. Take before bedtime to avoid drowsiness. |
| Zinc |  Zinc is found in high concentrations in the prostate gland and may be necessary for prostate health. Lab studies show that zinc slows down the growth of cancerous prostate cells. Dose: Consider taking 20 to 30 mg daily to maintain prostate health. |
| Red Clover | |
| Saw Palmetto | Saw
palmetto doesn't seem to have any effect on cancer of the prostate
gland but it can be helpful in controlling and reducing inflammation if
you suffer from an enlarged
prostate gland. (An enlarged prostate is an earlier warning
signs of prostate cancer.) Dose: Consider taking 320 mg taken daily or 160 mg taken twice daily. Click here to get the full review on saw palmetto along with other dosage formulations. |
| Vitamin E | Experts
suspect vitamin E can enhance lycopene's effect in preventing
prostate cancer. However, there are no clinical trials to show this
benefit as of yet. Dose: Take 400 to 800 IU daily. |
| Shark Cartilage | Probably
not effective Shark cartilage has been shown in lab studies to stop the growth of blood vessels (a process called angiogenesis). Cancer cells, which grow rapidly, require a large blood supply for nutrition so they make chemicals to induce new blood vessels growth. There are several poorly designed trials that were sponsored by a manufacturer of shark cartilage that suggested it helps with cancer of the prostate gland. Another study followed 60 cancer patients who took 1,000 mg per kg of body weight of shark cartilage for 12 weeks. The research noticed no benefit at all. |
Facts and Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
What causes prostate cancer and are there any earlier warning signs?
No one knows for certain but genetics, diet, lifestyle and exposure to environmental toxins may play a part in causing this disease. Risk factors include the following:- enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH)
- over the age of 55 years
- the highest risk starts at 65 years old (over 80%)
- diet high in animal fat
- high blood levels of testosterone
- race (African-Americans have the highest rate)
- exposure to environmental toxins at work (e.g. cadmium)
What diet should I consider following to prevent prostate cancer?
Tomatoes
Eat at least two to three servings of tomatoes per week. Tomato paste also contains lycopene that are easily absorbed by our body.
Published papers showed a reduced in the risk cancer of the prostate gland with higher blood levels of lycopene in 57 out of the 72 studies reviewed.
Maitake mushrooms
Maitake
mushrooms have been shown to slow down the growth of cancer of the
prostate in lab studies.
Experts suspect that maitake mushroom contains chemicals (beta-glucan)
that can boost the immune system.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are
rich sources of lycopene. Studies done in lab settings show that it can
stop the growth of cancer cells.
Cruciferous vegetables
This
group of vegetables includes brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage and
cauliflower. Studies done in lab settings show that they show
anti-cancer benefits and experts believe it might be due to their high
lutein contents.
There is one study that showed eating three or more servings of cruciferous vegetables weekly reduced prostate cancer risk by 41% in men.
There is one study that showed eating three or more servings of cruciferous vegetables weekly reduced prostate cancer risk by 41% in men.
Avoid Excessive Animal Fats
Experts
believe that animal fats found in red meat, dairy products and eggs
may promote a more rapid growth of the cancer cells in the
prostate. A high-fat diet (on saturated fats) seems to be linked to
higher blood levels of testosterone, a hormone known to stimulate the
prostate gland.
Fish Products
Fish
such as tuna, salmon and mackerel are rich sources omega-3 fatty
acids. It is shown that vegetable fats such as omega-3 fatty
acids
don't cause the cancer to grow as fast. You may consider taking fish oil instead.
Avoid Taking Calcium - What does the studies show?
Some,
but not all, studies show that taking calcium (from food or pills)
increases the risk of developing prostate cancer. Experts aren't sure
why this would be the case but have suggested that perhaps, high
calcium intake reduces the availability of vitamin
D. (Vitamin D is required for the body to absorb calcium from
the intestine.)
Some experts speculate that taking more vitamin D should help to counteract this problem of taking calcium. Don't make any drastic changes to your calcium intake as your body and bones need calcium to function properly. High-quality studies will be needed before this fact can be verified.
Some experts speculate that taking more vitamin D should help to counteract this problem of taking calcium. Don't make any drastic changes to your calcium intake as your body and bones need calcium to function properly. High-quality studies will be needed before this fact can be verified.
Soy-based Products
Soy
products such as tofu, miso, soybeans, soy milk and soy protein powder
seem to help with cancer of the prostate gland that doesn't respond to
testosterone.
What other lifestyle changes can I make?
There are several studies that show that a heavier body weight (above ideal body weight) is linked to increased risk of cancer of the prostate gland.Related articles
Prostate cancer warning signs - Are there any?
Enlarged Prostate
Back to Top of Prostate Cancer
References
Selected References
Revised: February 5, 2010
