[V144]Vitamins And Nutritional Supplements

After many years of research, scientists have discovered that the foods a man chooses to eat, or not eat, can have a huge impact on the health of his prostate gland. Therefore, prostate cancer may be the most preventable type of cancer (following smoking-related lung cancers). There has recently been a large amount of research and investigation into prostate cancer. These studies examine the use of certain nutrients and their ability to prevent and actually treat prostate cancer. These nutrients include: calcium D-glucarate, selenium, broccoli, green tea, maitake, and lycopene.

The prostate is a gland in the man's reproduction system which makes and stores seminal fluid to be used in semen. The prostate gland can be found wrapping around the upper part of the urethra. Although early prostate cancer does not often cause any symptoms, many symptoms of prostate cancer are also symptoms of other prostate problems, including infection or benign prostatic hyperplasia (prostate enlargement due to age-related changes). If you or a man you know has any of the following symptoms, see a health care practitioner for evaluation: difficulty starting urination and holding back urine, inability to urinate, painful ejaculation, and/or blood in urine or semen. Age is the biggest factor associated with prostate cancer as most prostate cancers occur in men over the age of 65. If a man's father or brother has the disease, his risk for developing prostate cancer becomes higher. African-Americans are at a higher risk, along with mechanics, farmers, sheet metal workers, and those exposed to cadmium.

Prostate cancer is ordinarily diagnosed through a digital rectal exam, in which a doctor inserts a gloved finger into the rectum and feels the prostate through the rectal wall, checking for hard or lumpy areas. Blood tests for prostate-specific antigens (PSA) are also used. This consists of a lab measuring the levels of prostate-specific antigens in a blood sample as the level may rise in men who have prostate cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia, or an infection in the prostate. However, these tests will only determine if there is a problem with the man's prostate gland. They can not determine if the problem is cancer. A biopsy is needed to reveal the presence of actual prostate cancer.

The prostate health nutrients, calcium D-glucarate, selenium, broccoli, green tea, maitake, Saw Palmetto, and lycopene, each can help to prevent and treat prostate cancer. Some of these help men's bodies work more effectively some keep cancer cells from growing, and others actually kill prostate cancer cells.

Each day we are exposed to cancer-causing chemicals and toxins coming in part from contaminants in the food we eat and pollutants in the air we breathe. Natural toxins, which are produced in our bodies, can be produced through excess hormones, such as estrogen and testosterone, and can cause cancer when they are no longer needed. Cancer-causing chemicals initiate cancer, but more importantly can cause existing cancers to grow bigger, stronger, and more deadly. Toxins are bound in the liver to a chemical called glucoronic acid. Research has discovered that an increase in glucuronidase activity in the body is linked with prostate cancer. Calcium D-glucarate assists our bodies in keeping harmful toxins and chemicals bound to glucuronic acid. It has also been shown to stop prostate cancer growth and help rid the body of toxic chemicals and excess hormones that could stimulate cancer formation.

Selenium is an essential trace mineral found in the soil. It exists in plant foods like oatmeal and meats that we eat. Selenium is a major antioxidant. It slows down aging, keeps our skin flexible, and helps prevent dandruff. Selenium also keeps our blood vessels healthy and protects us from heart disease. But, some of selenium's most powerful effects are on the prostate gland. A recent study showed that selenium can cut the rate of prostate cancer by 63%. The results of this study were so impressive that it has led to many other studies of selenium and prostate cancer. In fact, researchers at the Arizona Cancer Center and the Arizona College of Public Health in Tucson are currently studying the effect of selenium on prostate cancer in four ongoing clinical trials.

For many years, scientists have observed that those who eat broccoli have been shown to have a lower risk of getting prostate cancer. The sulforaphane found in broccoli increases certain enzymes in the body which deactivate cancer-causing chemicals. Many lab experiments have showed that prostate cancer cells exposed to sulforaphane ceased to grow by up to 80 percent.

A potent plant substance found in green tea, EGCG, has been demonstrated to be a very effective killer of prostate cancer cells. EGCG can stop the growth of prostate cancer dead in its tracks. Red wine and cruciferous vegetables, which are known cancer killers, have the same chemical structure as EGCG.

Maitake mushrooms, also called dancing mushrooms, contain an important compound called D-fraction. A recent study at New York Medical College showed that maitake D-fraction destroyed 95% of human prostate cancer cells in lab experiments.

Saw Palmetto is normally consumed in pill or tincture form. The saw palmetto berry contains all the phytonutrients and active sterols that help control the size of your prostate. In men, testosterone is a natural occurring hormone that as a man age their testosterone converts to DHT. DHT is the cause of male pattern baldness and is the reason most men get enlarged prostate which leads to prostate cancer. Saw palmetto's active constituents seek out the same receptor sites DHT sits on in tissue and can displace DHT. Slowing the growth of the prostate and or shrinking the prostate allowing better urine flow.

Lycopene is involved in some of the most exciting nutritional news in relation to prostate health. This carotenoid is mainly found in tomatoes. Men who eat lots of cooked tomatoes have very low rates of prostate cancer. Because promising preliminary reports show that lycopene can actually kill prostate cancer cells, there has been an explosion of lycopene and prostate cancer studies. In one of these studies, 32 prostate cancer patients ate a pasta meal covered with three-fourths cup of tomato sauce every day for three weeks. Results showed their PSA levels dropped two points. Even signs of DNA damage dropped sharply.

Although you can purchase each one of these nutrients and take them separately, all of these nutrients are available in prostate health formulas. Be sure the formula you buy contains calcium d-glucarate, saw palmetto, lycopene, selenium, broccoli standardized to contain a minimum of 125 mcg sulforaphane, green tea, and maitake mushroom extract because standardized ingredients provide consistently effective nutrients. Along with this, adopting a healthy diet including 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables daily and several servings of whole grain cereals and bread, reducing red meat consumption to 2-3 servings per week and adding tomato-based foods can help to protect men from prostate cancer. Those men who are 50 years and older should have a digital rectal exam and PSA test each year. Make sure to discuss with your health care professional to determine how frequently these tests should be done.