Herbs and Supplements for Prostate Health ?

chrisz · Regular Joined: 09 Apr 2007 Posts: 42

Do you take in vitamins or herbs, etc. for prostate health ?

I take : Lycopene, Selenium, Vitamin E/D, Soy, Fish Oil, multivitamin.

It seems the Selenium helps with symptoms of BPH for me.

I can't detect if the other ingredients are affecting me physically.

I came up with this formula after some research on trials.

Chris

Otago · Regular Joined: 20 Jan 2008 Posts: 28

[quote="chrisz"]Do you take in vitamins or herbs, etc. for prostate health ?

I take : Lycopene, Selenium, Vitamin E/D, Soy, Fish Oil, multivitamin.

It seems the Selenium helps with symptoms of BPH for me.

I can't detect if the other ingredients are affecting me physically.

I came up with this formula after some research on trials.

Chris[/quote]

Well individual supplements are questionable but those you have listed might do some good. Not sure why you added the multiviamin.

Having said that, I'd say your day to day diet is more likely to have an effect for good or bad, than is your list of supplements.

How radical a change have you made to your day to day diet?
If your diet isn't optimal, then throwing in a few supplements, hoping you have the magic bullet, isn't likely to do that much.

Otago

chrisz · Regular Joined: 09 Apr 2007 Posts: 42

I take the multivitamin to make up for the other vitamins I miss because
of my diet.

My diet now consists mainly of vegetables and grain products. I do treat
myself to some seafood, chicken, and beef in moderation. However, I
stay away from sweets amost totally.

In order to maintain a normal weight, I have to eat very little, hence
the multivitamin.

I'm not so sure about the link between PCa and diet as I have read.
I think that, in general, high-fat foods are bad for everybody. But in
moderation; no problem. I have read that some foods like diary products are suppose to be a no-no if when you have Prostate issues.
But from what I am also reading, nobody really knows for sure. I guess
time will tell.

Even PSA testing has not proven to decrease the number of deaths from PCa. Many PCa cancers are so slow growing that if they were just left
alone, the patient would die from something else. Instead, they go through multiple biopsy's and possible surgery that may make things
worse. Surgery killed my uncle 4 years ago.

Chris

Otago · Regular Joined: 20 Jan 2008 Posts: 28

Well actually I think there is rather substantial evidence of dietary influence in populations where some stay in the older country and some move to countries with Western diets.

Like Asians moving to America. Back in Asia, fairly low rates of prostate cancer but upon moving to America assuming almost identical rates after a generation or so and adoption of Western eating habits.

Having said that, I'm less certain that changing eating habits at age 40 or 50 will be enough to vastly reduce one's chance of getting diagnosed with PCa.

Most of your ideas sound good although I'm always curious as to what a person means when they say moderation. Do you have any idea of what percentage of your daily calories are from fats?

While one may not be able to completely avoid getting PCa since about 70% of men will have it by age 90 (mostly undiagnosed)....it may still be possible to put the brakes on its progression such that it won't really affect you ever or until much later in life. Later is better. More good years without all the side effects.

Generally speaking from what I've read, far less meat and even poultry, as well as far less dairy products are generally thought to be more optimal. So what you mean by moderation can vary widely.
I've gone to less than 10% of those products compared to where i was before.
I don't have a diagnosed case of PCa and my PSA is still under 2.0 but I did get a one time scare with a reading close to 3.0......probably a high reading caused by a prostate infection. Still it caught my attention and reinvigorated my dietary procedures.

One last note. I'm always a bit suspect of the idea of taking more vitamins for cancer prevention. No cells more than cancer cells enjoy good nutrition. A "healthy" cancer cells needs and thrives on nourishment just as well as a ordinary cell. In some studies, vitamins increase the growth of some cancers.
Its a crazy idea that vitamins in general prevent or slow cancer.

Otago
'
Ps.....not sure if your main focus is on BPH or PCa

johnw100

"In some studies, vitamins increase the growth of some cancers."

Have not read those studies: which ones ?

brainman

Otago, I would also be interested in reading these studies if you have links to them.
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Otago · Regular Joined: 20 Jan 2008 Posts: 28

I don't have time today to find a complete list....but a brief search gives me some of these examples....

Think about it..... Cancer is living tissue. It grows very fast compared to normal cells......dividing rapidly compared to normal cells. Thus good nutrition is a key factor in feeding the growth.
Not saying all vitamins are bad or that good nutrition is bad, but on the other hand its equally foolish to think vitamins can distinguish between healthy and bad (cancer) cells when providing nutrients.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/99294.php

http://www.scientistlive.com/lab/?/Cell_Cultures/2008/07/16/20750/Vitamin_A_incites_cancer_growth/

http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/india-news/how-vitamin-a-promotes-cancer-growth_10072110.html

There are loads more articles......but I don't have time to find them all today..

Generally speaking, It normally shown that vitamins from food are just fine (actually better) and that supplements are very questionable and can sometimes even be harmful. With only a few exceptions, I try to get all my nutrition naturally via food.
I do take a little selenium since some foods are lacking in some areas where grown. Also during winter if I can't get enough sun, I do take some Vit-D3....... But thats about it....

Most of the rest of the vitamin hype is unproven and can even be dangerous in some situations.
Probably won't harm most folks but neither will it likely help them.

Mega vitamins is a old tired concept that just won't die despite study after study showing little if any benefit.

Otago

Replicant · Moderator Joined: 01 Nov 2006 Posts: 244

The idea that lycopene offers some protection is still common, too. A major (28,000 men) randomized study, PLCO, found that it provided no protection:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070517063011.htm

and beta carotene was actually associated with aggressive PCa. Beta carotene has also been linked to lung cancer. And I used to take beta carotene supplements when I was in my 20's....

Lord knows I drank a lot of tomato juice for years after getting that first PSA...and took a lot of expensive LycoMax supplements. My uro prescribed lycopene, along with selenium, zinc, and vitamin E.

I still drink V8, but more because I like it and figure it's probably good for other reasons.

I take fish oil supplements, but for cardiovascular health, not prostate. (Fish oil SEEMS to have help lower my cholesterol dramatically, btw. It's hard to tell, because I went on a diet at the same time.)

I think it's wise to exercise caution when taking supplements. One to especially watch out for is calcium. Moderate amounts seem to protect against colon cancer, but large amounts increase the chance of not only getting prostate cancer, but dying from it.

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/NWS/content/NWS_1_1x_High_Calcium_Intake_Linked_to_Prostate_Cancer.asp

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/03/AR2008090302528.html

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11566656
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Otago · Regular Joined: 20 Jan 2008 Posts: 28

Before you conclude that lycopene offers "no protection" you need to read beyond the study headlines....

Take a close study of this article......

http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/djm048v1

Tomatoes are good regardless of the actual study data and especially important if emphasis on the whole fruit/vegetable is part of a diet that is largely plant based. As we now often find, it is not the isolated vitamin but the broad range of nutrients in the actual food that offer the best hope.
Further it may well be that the inclusion of so many veggies, in place of the largely meat, fats, oils, dairy, so often found is even more important than the actual veggies in question.

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