This article includes a collection of articles and emails that I have from multiple cancer researches.
They are copied, and pasted here, for educational purposes and for posterity and to be used as a starting point of research for my clients. Consult with me for a streamlined, easy to follow, and customized herbal, nutraceutical, orthomolecular, integrative, supplemental protocol, customized for you. I offer this collection of information here for free so those wanting to research on their own can do so starting here.
Find more Prostate Cancer articles here
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This “toxic” nutrient can stop prostate cancer in its tracks
September 11, 2009
A few weeks ago, I showed you how vitamin K2 can help prevent prostate cancer. But there’s another way to stop the disease. In fact, it’s a treatment I’ve used for years to reverse precancerous lesions.
A new study says that vitamin A may protect your prostate as much as it protects your intestines and a woman’s cervix.
In this study, researchers compared 692 prostate cancer cases and 844 age-matched controls. The researchers found that those men with the highest levels of retinol (vitamin A) in their blood had a stunning 42% reduced risk of aggressive prostate cancer, as compared to men in the lowest group.
The study authors concluded, “Our results suggest that higher circulating concentrations of retinol are associated with a decreased risk of aggressive prostate cancer.”
Many people think that vitamin A is beta carotene. That is incorrect. Beta carotene is actually “pro vitamin A” and can be converted by the body on demand to vitamin A. Certain plants are a rich source. It’s the pigment found in carrots and other colorful vegetables. Animal sources (eggs and liver) carry actual vitamin A molecules. These are retinol compounds.
I have found supplemental doses of vitamin A are an outstanding way to reverse cellular changes on surfaces. That includes skin (outer) and intestines (inner). Now we see it helps interior cells as well (prostate). The late Dr. William Donald Kelley used potent doses of vitamin A in many of his cancer patients. Vitamin A is essential to maintain your surface cells (epithelial tissues) as physical barriers to infection. It also is closely involved in maintaining many types of immune system cells.
Vitamin A has gotten an unfair rap in recent years. Some say it’s toxic. There are people who have died from acute toxicity. They ate polar bear liver or other vitamin A overloaded liver. Chronic toxicity can occur if you consume 25,000 IU per killogram of weight or more of vitamin A for a prolonged period of time. That would be over 1.25 million IU per day for an adult. That’s several fold more than the upper recommended daily dose of 10,000 IU per day.
Symptoms associated with chronic toxicity are dry itchy skin, desquamation, loss of appetite, headache, cerebral edema, and bone and joint pain. You could also get nausea, blurred vision, fatigue, weight-loss, and menstrual abnormalities. Doses over 25,000 IU of vitamin A (not beta carotene) has been implicated in bone loss. It might interfere with vitamin D. I have had patients on 100,000 IU daily for months with no negative feedback, but these are supportive measures for active diseases.
At 25,000 IU per day, which is more of a preventive dose for someone at risk, I have felt comfortable with revisits only every six months or less. Understand that there is controversy over vitamin A toxicity. I suggest that if you choose to take more than 25,000 IU per day that you do so under observation of an integrative physician. If you are at risk of osteoporosis, that also needs to be followed. You can find high-quality vitamin A at most health food stores and on the Internet.
In my experience, adding folic acid drops, 5 mg three times daily to vitamin A, 100,000 IU daily for three to six months has reversed many premalignant conditions. If you are at risk of prostate cancer, take this information to your integrative physician and have him supervise your vitamin A intake. It could save your life.
Yours for better health and medical freedom,
Robert Jay Rowen, MD
Ref: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2009 Apr;18(4):1227-31.
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Diet and Cancer
9-2007
In my last health alert, I showed you how blueberries can reduce your risk of colon cancer by 57%. But what if you’ve had colon cancer – or any other type of cancer – and it’s in remission? Is there any way to prevent the disease from recurring? The answer is yes!
Researchers have found that your diet plays a major role in limiting the disease’s ability to come back. In a recent study, they followed 1,009 patients with stage-3 colon cancer. All of the participants had surgical resection plus one of two types of chemotherapy.
The purpose of the study was to look at the chemo, but the researchers also evaluated the affect of diet on cancer reoccurrence. They did not make an attempt to change the diet of the patients. Rather, the researchers simply kept tabs on the diets of the patients. They used questionnaires during the chemotherapy and at six months after treatment.
The authors of the study “identified two major dietary patterns – prudent and Western pattern.” The prudent diet included a high intake of fruits and vegetables, poultry, and fish. The Western pattern included red meat, high-carbohydrates, processed foods, and sugar.
They found that the participants who were in the lowest 20% of Western-style diet had the longest disease-free intervals. Specifically, their freedom from cancer was 3.25 times as long as those eating the typical Western diet of red meat, fries, and processed foods.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to agree that if diet affects cancer recurrence, that it will affect your risk of getting it to begin with. In my first month of medical school, the dogmatic teachings were that diet had nothing to do with cancer. I remember the lecture to this day. How wrong they were.
Again, my strong encouragement is to eat as many vegetables and fruits as possible. Nuts are great too. I always recommend eliminating or at least reducing all animal protein. But if you’re going to eat it, please limit your red meat to grass-fed, hormone and antibiotic-free (all of which are becoming much more readily available now), your fish to wild, cold-water fish (such as Alaskan salmon), and your poultry to organic, free-range. Doing so will greatly reduce your risk of cancer, even the reoccurrence of cancer.
Yours for better health and medical freedom,
Robert Jay Rowen, MD
Ref: Journal of the American Medical Association, August 17, 2007.
(See article elsewhere on this page for important cancer dietary information: Does the Ketogenic Diet Cure Cancer?)
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Prostate and other Cancers
Pumpkin seed oil has shown promise in improving the prostate. Some experts claim that prostate problems can be worsened by the presence of parasitic worms in the lower intestine. Pumpkin seed oil kills these worms, and also supplies zinc to the prostate. Also, the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 oils in the diet is very important.
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Supplements to Fight Breast (and Prostate) Cancer Without Radiation
http://www.newsmaxhealth.com/Dr-Blaylock/breast-prostate-cancer-supplements/2014/01/07/id/545748
More articles like this:
http://www.newsmaxhealth.com/Blogs/Dr-Blaylock/id-189
Also see my Skin Cancer page about using red light of a specific wavelength for skin, breast, cervical, oral, anal, etc. cancers that the light can either shine on or penetrate (perhaps even prostate cancer).
I would think that Artemisinin would also help against prostate and other types of cancer, but I only took the concentrated extract capsules for 2 months. Also, red meat and too much iron stimulates cancer and pathogen growth. Even vegetable sourced iron can be absorbed too well if taken with acid, such as the ascorbic acid form of vitamin C.
Besides my main cancer protocol page, raw foods and cancer page, for Prostate Cancer I would see the info about stinging nettle root extract, pygeum bark extract, zinc citrate, org raw pumpkin seeds, Lycopene, saw palmetto, Pollen (www.swansonvitamins.com) some of which is on my Prostate Cancer page and others on my main cancer protocol page.
The PSA is mainly a measure of inflammation rather than cancer, and the rate of change in PSA is more important than the actual number.
If you have prostate cancer or want to avoid it, read this…
From: “Robert Jay Rowen, MD” (www.second-opinion-newsletter.com)
I’ve told you in the past about cancer’s connection to omega-6 fatty acids. The connection with prostate cancer is so strong you can greatly reduce your risk simply by cutting back on these fats. And a recent study from Jamaica proves this connection – and shows another great way to fight the disease.
In this study, researchers followed men with proven prostate cancer. They biopsied each of the participants to confirm the presence of cancer. Then they did a fatty acid analysis of their blood cells. And here’s what they found:
There is a highly significant correlation of prostate cancer to high levels of omega-6 fatty acids.
High levels of omega-6 means there is more than four times as many omega-6 fats compared to omega-3s. Most Americans have 20 times as many! The Jamaicans are even worse. This country has the highest incidence of prostate cancer of any country in the world. I’ve been to Jamaica. Their diet is full of fried foods. It’s much like what I saw in India, where the incidence of cancer and vascular disease is skyrocketing.
The culprit is dietary oil. Specifically, any oil that’s full of omega-6 fatty acids. These include most vegetable oils, such as Wesson oil. Instead, use oils that are high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as coconut, macadamia nut, sesame, and olive oils. And keep their heat exposure to a minimum, as it damages the oil.
Because most people have way too many omega-6s, I also recommend you take omega-3 supplements to compensate for the omega-6 overload. Stick to a good essential fatty acid product like the one that comes with Healthy Resolve’s Max Plus.
Yours for better health and medical freedom,
Robert Jay Rowen, MD
J Urol, 2007; 177(1): 97-101.
(Also, see the Cancer Protocol pages regarding all types of cancers).
For an enlarged prostate problem that makes it difficult to urinate, the following supplements are often helpful:
Beta Sitosterol (Source Naturals 375mg) One tablet just before or with meals (not after). Note: it’s best not to take beta sitosterol with healthy oils or oil soluble vitamins, such as E, A, K2, D3, etc. as it binds and causes them to be excreted. Good for BPH (iherb online encyc). It’s one of the active ingredients in saw palemetto, stinging nettle, etc. Source Naturals 1/2 tablet: 187.5mg beta, 93.5mg campesterol, 70mg stigmasterol. [Cat: 75mg; + 0.5]
http://store.yahoo.com/iherb/betasitosterol2.html (375mg qty120, SN-1416, $13.10*.86); or http://www.luckyvitamin.com (I take a half tablet per day, and take my oil-soluble vitamins in the AM and PM).
Calcium d-Glucarate (Swanson 250mg; was Natrol) 200-400mg/d Dr Murray web article, (decreases estrogen, helps prevent prostate & breast cancers (http://www.Doctormurray.com/Qarchive.htm, VitaminShoppe.com article, LEF product description. [eat more onions, garlic, apples, cruciferous vegetables, yogurt – lactobacillus acidolphilus & bifobacterium bifidum – p65-6,86,288 Murray HTP&TCwNM] www.swansonvitamins.com (qty60, 250mg, $10.79, SWU123, Calcium d-Glucarate)
DIM (Dindolymethane), http://catalog.designsforhealth.com/s.nl?sc=2&category=&search=DIM-Avail [DIM-Avail Softgels by DFH, qty60, $12.50, Diindolylmethane (DIM) 100 mg, Other Ingredients: Rice bran oil, gelatin, lecithin, glycerin, beeswax, mixed tocopherols (vitamin E), d.salina, turmeric and annatto (as colorants). [p4 Dr Wright Dec02 N&H newsletter 60mg x3 (I take 100mg AM + 100mg PM; p11,13 Dr. Wright Defeating Out-of-Control Cell Growth re I3C indole-3-carbinol; 3,3′-dindolylmethane & ascorbigen – inc good estrogen (2-hydroxyestrone) & dec bad estrogen (16-alpha-hydroxyestrone), kills cervical & maybe prostate cancer cells. The increased good estrogen displaces testosterone that was bound in the prostate, raising free testosterone levels.] Take with oils. http://store.yahoo.com/iherb/dim.html] (Dr Wms DIM bklt: 2-4mg per pound of body weight. Prevents cervical, prostate, ovarian, breast and other cancers, preferentially converts harmful estrogen to good estrogen.)
Flaxseed, Organic Golden (2 Tbsps/d — freshly grind them in Proctor-Silex coffee grinder; they go rancid in about 15 minutes), Lignans + oil (1tbs oil = 6tbs ground seed). [Flaxseeds are abundant sources of lignans. These fiber compounds bind to estrogen receptors [also binds DHT to prostate]. By doing so, they interfere with the cancer-promoting effects of estrogen on breast tissue. Lignans also work by stimulating production of sex hormone binding globulin, or SHBG. This protein attaches to molecules of hormone to escort it out of the body. The more SHBG you have, the less active estrogen will be, and the lower your risk of breast cancer (but the higher your risk of prostate or uterine/ cervical cancer. See http://www.health-n-energy.com/chrysin.htm#chrysin or other articles on Nettle, Saw Palmetto and SHBG from iherb] [blaylock_cholesterol_3:Flaxseed oil is also one of the good oils. It is composed of alpha-linolenic acid, which the body actually turns into EPA and DHA. But not all people can efficiently convert the oil — infants, small children (elderly, people eating too many bad fats) and the chronically ill are among those who have problems. And the stuff very easily becomes rancid. The test I mentioned in the last newsletter (Health Exams That Can Save Your Life, Dec. 2004), the Essential and Metabolic Fatty Acid Profile, will indicate whether or not you are converting the oil. That’s why it’s better to use seeds.] http://www.vitacost.com/Arrowhead-Mills-Organic-Golden-Flax-Seeds [AW 476856, Arrowhead Mills Organic Golden Flax Seeds — 14 Ounces, $1.95]
Iodine – Dr Wright’s p4-5 N&H Dec02 (& Nov02) newsletter 3-8 drops/d SSKI (Dr can help you adjust dosage) if you need more iodine. Helps decrease bad estrogen (16-dihydroxestrone). See Rowen’s Oct2004 & Nov2004 Second Opinion newsletters: avg Japanese intake is 13.8mg/d & little prostate or breast cancer; optimum may be 5-10mg/d.(see http://www.wrightnewsletter.com/archives/premiums/600CR0046.pdf re Iodine) http://www.tahomadispensary.com/istar.asp?a=29&search=tri-quench (http://www.tahomadispensary.com/istar.asp?a=6&id=110067!162), 19mg/drop, 1250drops/bottle, $22.64, Tri-Quench (SSKI) potassium iodide. Free shipping >$95 if placed online, Tahoma Clinic, 801 Southwest 16th Street, Suite 125, Renton, WA 98057 [Tri-Quench, made by Scientific Botanicals, Seattle, WA 98103, 888-893-6878]
Lycopene (10mg) [15-30mg/d for prostate – p91,288 Murray HTP&TCwNM] [Dr. Blaylock Prostate Cancer rept: 20-30mg taken with I3C(DIM) can dramatically shrink a swollen prostate and greatly reduce risk of prostate cancer]
Swanson SW906, qty120 sgels, 10mg, $6.89
Pollen extract – (120mg Graminex G60 water-soluble pollen extract concentrate + 6 GFX fat soluble pollen extract concentrate – 1 cap/d; 2 caps/d if symptoms temporarily more severe) Rye pollen is known in Europe as Cernilton. (inhibits growth of prostate cells) Flower Pollen affects the metabolism of DHT (dihydrotestosterone) and prohibits the production. (Graminex recommends not taking them all at once; take each a half hour before eating.)
Pollenaid 90caps/bottle, by Graminex in Saginaw, Michigan (http://www.graminex.com) 877-472-6469 or 517-797-5502
Pumpkin Seeds (160mgX3 extract with meals – GNC online Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia article) [balanced source of Zn & Mg, contain EFA’s (precursors to prostaglandins which inhibit testosterone from binding to the prostate)] http://www.redflowerltd.com/pumpkin-seeds.html (00017C, 5 pounds, $13.98, Chinese — they have organic Chinese, too)
Pygeum, Swanson 100mg 6.5% phytosterols bark extract + 400mg bark powder, 100-200mg/day divided doses) 50-100mgX2 13% extract – GNC online. [Bark is best, not leaves or root – from ad brochure] www.swansonvitamins.com SWH097, qty120 caps, 100mg 6.5% phytosterols extract from bark + 400mg pygeum bark powder, $4.99, [Need to take 3/d of these: 1,0,2] [100mg 6.5% + 400mg, qty60 caps, $2.79, SWH056] (extract is from bark, acc to Swanson Cust Svc)
Saw Palmetto (NSI 85-95% 160mg with 160mg Pumpkin Seed Oil, same price at VitaCost: $6.95/qty60) Swanson SWH103, qty60 sgels, 320mg 85-95% std extract + 75mg pumpkin seed oil, $4.49, [Need to take 1/d Swanson 320mg]
Stinging Nettles (Urtica Dioica) – Nature’s Herbs Nettle Root Power 300mg (300-600mg/day ENMp761-2) for BPH (150mgX2 Whit H&H) 120mgX2 extract – GNC online. [Roots have more sterols & lignans. Roots used for prostate; leaves used to help allergies] [LEF Male Hormone Modulation Protocol: 250mg/d Nettle root] LEF says it reduces the aromatization (conversion) of testosterone to estrogen. http://store.yahoo.com/iherb/pwrnettleroot.html Nature’s Herbs Nettle Root Power 300mg, NHB-01221, $10.39, qty60 Standardized to 5% total amino acids, with Rosemary oil & Vit E preservatives, better absorbed (liquid cap)
Zinc – Nutricology Zinc Citrate, 25mg, qty60caps – (30mg/d. Subtract any in multi from 30mg/day total with 1-2mg Copper total from all sources, including any tap water from copper pipes) ENM p762 45-60mg/d for BPH (TNM p1151 50mg/d max of 6 mos, monitor Cu status) iherb encyc says no more than 40mg/d with 1-3mg Cu. Dr Wright’s Prostate re dosage: 80-90mg/d w/2mgCu initially, taper down slowly as symptoms recede – p433 LEF, p171 LEF Catalog acts as aromatase inhibitor for some men)[30mg/d usual rec’d dosage. Up to 50mg/d considered safe; >50mg not rec’d and could have adverse effect on health – Dr Douglass’ Real Health Miracles For Real Men & Women bklt p7] (excessive Zn intake can lead to Cu deficiency and cause Cardiac Arrhythmia – VS Health Guide on Cardiac Arrhythmia – atrial) [Blaylock’s Nat Strat for Cancer Pts bk p254: if taken at the same time, Zn & Cu compete for absorption by the same mechanism in the gut. Taking Zn in high doses every day will produce a Cu deficiency, and vice versa. Instead, take 50mg Zn twice a week.] (Dr. Rowen: Dr. Prasad believes that the majority of those over 55 will benefit from zinc supplementation. I agree. However, I don’t think 15 mg is enough. I typically recommend 30-45 mg of zinc daily. And I also suggest you take 1-2 mg (from all sources) of copper with the zinc. Theoretically, zinc supplementation can reduce your absorption of copper, another essential trace mineral.)
http://www.betterlife.com/prod_home_page.asp?prod_id=8939 (Nutricology Zinc Citrate, 25mg, $3.69, qty60caps — no DCP or stearates); http://vitanetonline.com/description/NR0063/vitamins/Zinc-Citrate-25mg/ ($4.34) — Note: most places only have 50mg for Nutricology Zn Citrate
Chrysin – 500mg qty60 (from Passionflower – inhibits Estrogen production from DHEA for Prostate – Dr. Johnathan Wright’s online article Defeating Out-of-Control Cell Growth: http://www.tahoma-clinic.com/estrogen2.shtml) Don’t take with MAO inhibitors(?) Increases effects of alcohol & tranquilizers. Is poorly absorbed; more soluble combined with phosphatidylcholine or liposomes/oils [or Bioperine/piperine – iherb bioperine product info & LEF Chrysin MiraForte info] – TNP pp382-3. Take with oils. [can increase testosterone, but check PSA first to rule out prostate cancer; inc testosterone won’t cause prostate cancer, but can accelerate already existing prostate cancer.] [inc testosterone – PFHH p395, p106-7] [LEF Male Hormone Modulation Protocol: 1500mg/d] LEF says it blocks aromatization (conversion) of testosterone to estrogen, and boosts levels of free T naturally: 73% of subjects had 40% inc in free T. http://www.vitacost.com/NSI-Chrysin (qty60, 500mg, $18.99) 2/d mixed in EV olive oil or purified fish oil
Zyflamend, New Chapter 120 hexane-Free Softgel Capsules [prevents & kills prostate cancer. http://www.cancerpage.com/news/article.asp?id=6168 or http://www.youngagain.com/zyflamend1.html]. Take one softgel two times daily. Take in the middle of a larger meal with an 8 oz glass of water. [See LEF Magazine Dec2004 re inhibition of COX-2 without inhibiting 5-LO inc heart attacks,strokes & cancer — similar to Vioxx arthritis Rx — Ginger is only ingredient that also inhibits 5-LO in this. Take with Boswellia, another 5-LO inhibitor] http://www.vitacost.com/New-Chapter-Zyflamend ($32.87, qty120, CH 040541)
Boswellia Extract (Boswellic Acid) [5-LO or 5-Loxin inhibitor] http://www.vitacost.com/NSI-Boswellia-Extract (200mg 65% Boswellic Acid, qty120, $9.99)
Carotenoid Complex – Swanson Carotenoid Complex mixed carotenoids. (Nature’s Way Multi-Carotene needs Lycopene, Lutein, Astaxanthin, etc. added.) TNMp840 (25,000IU/day) (>=20mg beta carotene with or w/o Vit E increases Coronary Heart Disease TNMp842)[Swanson: mixed carotenoids + lycopene 20mg; lutein 6mg; alpha carotene 4mg; Astaxanthin 4mg; Zeaxanthin 2mg; Gamma Carotene 200mcg; Cryptoxanthin 100mcg]
Swanson Ultra Carotenoid Complex, SWU260, 4mg, qty30Sgels, $8.89 [mixed carotenoids + lycopene 20mg; lutein 6mg; alpha carotene 4mg; Astaxanthin 4mg; Zeaxanthin 2mg; Gamma Carotene 200mcg; Cryptoxanthin 100mcg] Take with good overall carotenoid complex and multivitamin/mineral with your additional Lycopene (taking individual vitamins/minerals can be harmful without taking an overall base).
Multivitamin/mutimineral – Jarrow Multi Easy [Jarrow dosage: one 18cc scoop or 3 3/5 teaspoons (11g) per day; servings per 330g container: 30]
http://www.iherb.com/ProductDetails.aspx?c=1&pid=242&at=0 (JRW-01019, Jarrow Multi Easy powder 13.77); [or http://www.luckyvitamin.com]
See my Main Cancer Protocol Page for Supplements I would take.
If you are having radiation or taking Chemotherapy, also see my “Chemo Protocol” page for supplements to help protect you against their side effects.
Flaxseed Oil vs Fish Oil
Recently, several studies have been published that seem to indicate that taking flax seed, or flax seed oil, might exacerbate or even cause prostate cancer.
One of the modifications that I made to the Gerson protocol is replacing flaxseed with fish oil (molecularly-distilled) taken with full-spectrum vitamin E (to keep the fish oil from oxidizing as soon as it hits the stomach). Most people lack enough of the enzyme to convert ALA in flaxseed oil to EPA/DHA due to having cancer, being overweight or sick, eating too many omega-6 or trans-fats, etc., and at best, very little ALA is converted anyhow, so I prefer to take the EPA/DHA that the body needs directly.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/04/10/walnuts-slow-prostate-tumors.aspx
From Jon Barron:
Recently, several studies have been published that seem to indicate that taking flax seed, or flax seed oil, might exacerbate or even cause prostate cancer.
Probably the most damning of these was the dietary study in Uruguay that found that those with the highest intake of ALA (alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid precursor found at high levels in flax seed) had a 440% increase in their risk of getting prostate cancer compared with those at the lowest level. Therefore, ipso facto, since flax seed has a high concentration of ALA, it should be avoided by anyone who has prostate cancer or is worried about getting prostate cancer.
For most of human existence, we have eaten foods containing omega-6 fatty acids (Linoleic acid and Arachidonic acid) and omega-3 fatty acids (DHA, EPA, and alpha-linolenic acid) in a ratio of about 1:1 to 2:1. Over the last 50 years, however, in the “civilized world” that ratio has changed to 20:1 or 30:1 and in some cases as high as 50:1. Our diets now include huge amounts of highly refined oils that are extracted from plants and used for cooking or in prepared foods. These oils (such as corn oil, safflower oil, cottonseed oil, peanut oil, and soybean oil) are all high in the omega-6s. As a consequence, we have dramatically decreased our intake of omega-3’s as found primarily in whole grains, beans and other seeds, and seafood – now getting our omega-3’s primarily as the secondary fatty acid in our highly refined bottled oils.
And yet, it is over this exact same 50-year period, as we have moved away from raw seeds and oils such as flax (all high in ALA), that the incidence of prostate cancer has soared. (Just as a side note, the incidence of prostate cancer in Uruguay, the source of the referenced study, has increased by close to 80% in the last 50 years. And, for what it’s worth, the Uruguayan diet is comprised largely of meat (a major dietary source of ALA), dairy, and lots of food fried in refined cooking oils such as canola oil (also a major dietary source of ALA) – and virtually no flaxseed or unheated cold-processed flax oil.
Commonsense says that over the last 50 years we’ve been doing something wrong – as it turns out, probably several things.
As detailed above, we now get most of our omega-3s from foods that are ever higher in the omega-6 fatty acids, thus accounting for the increasing distortion of the fatty acid balance.
The oils that we are consuming (even our omega-3s) have been heated to high temperatures in the process of refining them and in the process of cooking. As we will see later, this is particularly devastating.
We have refined out the beneficial phytochemicals such as the lignans, which are an integral part of the oil complex, and which play a key anticancer role in the body.
Since we rarely eat fresh food anymore, we are also now consuming an ever-larger portion of rancid (oxidized) fats in our diets, which produce a large number of cancer forming free radicals in the body. (Note: The less saturated a fat is, the faster it will go rancid – a particular problem for vegetable oils.)
And yet, if you were to take the studies seriously, and listen to the advice of the medical community, you would be encouraged to keep moving in that same direction – but even more strongly than you are doing so now.
Scientific Studies on Flax Seed
As is typical in the scientific community, there are a number of studies that have come to the exact opposite conclusion concerning flax.
Can’t see the forest for the trees
So what’s going on here? Well, the only way to truly understand what’s happening is to take our noses out of the trees and look at the whole forest for a moment.
What happens to ALA in the body?
In a healthy body, a portion of the alpha-linolenic acid we consume is converted into two forms that your body can more readily utilize, DHA and EPA.
Unfortunately, this process, which is governed by a particular enzyme (delta-6 desaturase), is significantly inhibited (up to 50% or more) by an overabundance of Linoleic acid. The enzyme is literally “used up” in the de-saturation process involved in getting rid of excess omega-6 fats, as found in sunflower oil and corn oil, etc. Therefore the enzyme is no longer available for converting ALA to it’s more usable cousins, DHA and EPA.
In addition, the delta-6 enzyme is also inhibited by the trans fatty acids found in hydrogenated oils, margarine, shortening, and refined oils – all significant components of the modern diet.
Delta-6 is further inhibited by high levels of insulin, a problem in large percentages of civilized societies where obesity and diabetes are soaring. In America, two-thirds of the population is now considered overweight.
And finally, the process of delta 6-desaturation of Linoleic and alpha-linolenic acids slows with aging.
Each and every one of these factors can lead to an accumulation of ALA, which is counterproductive. But alleviating that build-up is relatively easy.
Stop using all plastic fats – that is, all hydrogenated vegetable oils and all super-refined vegetable oils. The high temperatures that these oils are exposed to dramatically changes their structure. This may be the single biggest flaw in the alpha-linolenic studies. No distinction was made between highly refined and cold-pressed oils. They are not the same. They behave very differently in the body.
Stop cooking with high omega-6 oils, such as safflower, sunflower, and corn oil, and shift to olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, and grass-fed organic butter (in moderation). And if you need to use oil for high-temperature frying or sautéing, use small amounts of refined avocado oil or Spectrum Naturals Super Canola oil, which are both heat resistant.
Shift away from high-glycemic refined-carbohydrates and move to a more Mediterranean style diet to help lower insulin levels.
And finally, an effective method of counteracting the effect of the slowed de-saturation of Linoleic acid is to provide the 6-desaturated metabolite, gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) directly. The delta-6 de-saturation of Linoleic and especially alpha-linolenic acid increases dramatically in the elderly with GLA supplementation. The best source of GLA is black currant seed oil. Another good source is evening primrose oil. One other advantage to GLA supplementation is that much of the GLA is converted to DGLA, which competes with Arachidonic acid and prevents the negative inflammatory effects that Arachidonic acid otherwise causes in the body.
Conclusions: Oils
The bottom line is that I believe that once you look at all the evidence that exists at this stage of the game, commonsense and scientific included, it becomes apparent that neither flax seed nor alpha-Linolenic acid present any health risk. The risk primarily comes from the consumption of bottled oils and salad dressings, that are high in Linoleic acid, that are highly refined, and that have been exposed to high levels of heat – that and the consumption of large amounts of grain fed beef.
So what do I do?
Until I see some studies that account for the factors mentioned in this newsletter (and I do not expect to see such studies), I am continuing to use ground flaxseed. (Also, the concentration of ALA in the seed is so low that it has absolutely no impact on ALA levels in the body. But that said, I would have no problem using flax oil, if I were so inclined; but I prefer the seed because of its beneficial fiber and its higher lignan content.
I also use purified fish oil because the EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids are much more readily utilized by the body than ALA. In addition, the EPA and DHA partially replace the omega-6 fats, especially Arachidonic acid, in cell membranes. (If you’re absolutely panicked by the flax warnings, you can use fish oil instead of flax and receive many of the benefits, but you will have to find another source of fiber, and you absolutely will not get the anticancer and cardiovascular-promoting benefits of the flax lignans.)
I take a black-currant-seed-oil (or Borage or Evening Primrose oil) capsule every day for its high GLA content (available in virtually every health food store or on the net).
I use no hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil (just what sneaks in when I go to a restaurant). And I use no high omega-6 oil (for cooking, I use extra virgin coconut or olive oil and don’t heat it so much that it smokes).
I don’t eat red meat (iron feeds cancer); I eat only wild-caught or line-caught (not farmed) fish (Alaskan wild-caught canned Salmon is particularly good and cheap) and organic free-range chicken when I have meat; take with extra enzymes.
I eat very little dairy — maybe the equivalent of less than ½ pound of goat’s or sheep’s cheese a month. (High dairy consumption is associated with increased levels of prostate cancer, probably due to people not having enough vitamin D3, and also the fact that 80% of cow products contain live lymphoma and leukemia viruses.)
I use a men’s progesterone crème (along with Calcium d-Glucarate and DIM) to counter the effects of exposure to xenoestrogens, which stimulate the BCL2 gene, thereby allowing prostate cell growth to continue unabated – a major factor in the development of prostate cancer.
I take red raspberry seed (or Pomegranate extract) ellagitannin extract to promote prostate cancer cell death for any abnormal cells that may appear. [(www.iherb.com [SNS-02086, Source Naturals Pomegranate Extract, 500 mg], start with 2 three times a day and increase until you get to 6 three times a day until cancer is gone — then drop back down to 2 three times a day maintenance dose)
And finally, I use an antioxidant formula and testosterone un-binder to inhibit the lipoxygenase enzyme that metabolizes Arachidonic acid into 5-HETE, the primary “food” that prostate cancer cells need to survive. Research has repeatedly demonstrated that prostate cancer cells die “massively and rapidly” no more than 1 to 2 hours after the production of 5-HETE has stopped. As it turns out, a number of the ingredients such as green tea, saw palmetto, wild oats, and nettles inhibit the lipoxygenase enzyme.
Does this mean that I will never get prostate cancer? No. Unfortunately, there are no guarantees in health, just odds. I believe that this program significantly improves my odds, and I believe that the new warnings concerning flax do not necessarily do that. I believe that these warnings are based on bad science, studies with so many flaws that the conclusions have to meaning.
There were things in ground flax seed (lignans) that actually prevented prostate cancer and that were not found in fish oil. (Note: concentrated flax hull lignans are available and help keep cancer from spreading — see my website)
Well, the results of a new study of flax seed, sponsored by the National Institutes for Health, were just announced at a meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. In summary the study found:
Freshly-ground Flaxseed supplementation significantly reduced cancer cell proliferation rates in men with prostate cancer.
Flaxseed is one of the richest known sources of lignans, which affect androgen metabolism and have antimitotic, antiangiogenic, antioxidant, and estrogenic effects.
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Prostate Cancer: Fighting Back
What Every Man (and Woman) Needs to Know
from Dr. Blaylock Apr2007 Wellness Report
(Subscribers have instant access to any and every past edition of The Blaylock Wellness Report
Simply go here: http://www.newsmax.com/blaylockreports)
• Vegetable oils, red meats, trans fats, and sugar greatly increase a man’s risk of prostate cancer
• The consumption of milk, especially non-fat milk, is — surprisingly — linked to prostate cancer
Bob Dole and Rudolph Giuliani may be miles apart politically from John Kerry and Nelson Mandela, but all four men have one thing in common — they’ve all been diagnosed with prostate cancer. They are far from being alone.
The latest studies show that 230,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year in the United States, and approximately 30,000 of them will die of the disease. In fact, the incidence of prostate cancer has increased 300 percent since 1990, partly due to better diagnosis through the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test. There is evidence that some of these previously undiscovered cancers, even without treatment, may have never progressed.
Regardless, never forget that prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in males, trailing only lung cancer.
Everything I have said about preventing breast cancer in last month’s newsletter also applies to prostate cancer. Guys need to do the same things as the women, which includes regular exercise; eating five to six servings of fresh, nutrient-dense vegetables daily; limiting meats (especially red meats); avoiding omega-6 oils; and avoiding sugar and food additives.
Men should take the same supplements as women. If they are at a high risk of developing prostate cancer, they should also take DIM (diindolylmethane) and calcium-D-glucarate. Men’s diets should be rich in lignans and omega-3 oils (especially DHA). The supplements GLA oil (borage oil), CLA oils (conjugated linoleic acid), probiotics, curcumin, quercetin, selenium, resveratrol, lycopene, vitamin D-3, natural vitamin E, and zinc can be added to further lower risk.
What Causes Prostate Cancer?
Scientific evidence indicates that a diet high in vegetable oils, red meats, trans fats, and sugar, but low in selenium, natural vitamin E, zinc, and lycopene greatly increases a man’s risk of prostate cancer. Like all cancers, chronic inflammation is a major cause. Men who have a chronic inflammatory disease, such as diabetes, atherosclerosis, autoimmune disease, or chronic prostate inflammation coupled with a diet poor in antioxidants and high in inflammation-generating foods, are at a much greater risk of developing cancer than those in better health who have superior health habits.
Many men suffer from a swollen, enlarged prostate called benign prostate hypertrophy or BPH. BPH is a sign of chronic prostate inflammation, and activation of inflammatory enzymes, including LOX and COX enzymes, greatly increase a man’s risk of developing prostate cancer.
Recent studies have shown that men who have prostate cancer have a 600 percent increase in LOX enzymes in their prostates when compared to men who do not have prostate cancer. Other inflammatory chemicals, such as interleukin- 6 also play a major role, not only in development of prostate cancer but in its aggressiveness, which determines the chances of survival.
The Sex Connection
Certain sexual activity can increase the risk of prostate cancer. Oral sex can be dangerous since it introduces a number of bacteria and viruses into the prostate gland by way of the urethra. This can lead to chronic inflammation of the prostate. Curcumin, quercetin, DHA, and selenium reduce prostate inflammation and dramatically reduce the risk of prostate cancer by blocking these harmful enzymes. Another inflammation fighter is a plant extract called Boswellia, which contains a powerful anti-inflammatory called AKBA.
Men harbor cancer cells in their prostate gland (just like women who harbor cancer cells in their breasts) at rates that increase with age. By age 70, about 70 percent of men will have cancer cells in their prostate gland, even though only one in 13 will actually develop the disease.
A growing number of studies show that improving nutrition along with the addition of special nutrients can dramatically reduce risk. Even highly aggressive prostate cancers can be changed into less dangerous, slow-growing cancers. In experimental studies, some cancers were completely eliminated.
It is important to understand that most men who have prostate cancer will die of natural causes before dying from the cancer. This is because many prostate cancers grow very slowly and rarely metastasize. Proper nutrition may be the key. What few physicians and even oncologists understand is that inflammation and free-radical production can change a relatively slow-growing prostate cancer into a highly malignant one with a poorer prognosis.
There are several studies that show that, in treating prostate cancer, nutritional treatments are as good as, or better than, most conventional treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation.
Moreover, there are a number of severe side effects associated with treating prostate cancer with radiation. Most importantly, radiation rarely controls the cancer.
Prostate Cancer — Fighting Back
There are special nutrients and nutrient combinations that can level the playing field in the fight against prostate cancer.
Quercetin and curcumin
Studies have shown that quercetin can dramatically reduce prostate gland inflammation and reduce the symptoms of an irritated prostate (especially frequent trips to the bathroom at night). It also effectively protects DNA, which is vital, since studies have shown that the DNA of prostate cells is at a high risk of cancer-causing mutations.
One way quercetin protects is by blocking the LOX enzyme, which is dramatically elevated in prostate malignancies. The cancer depends on this enzyme for growth along with the COX enzymes, just as we saw in breast cancers. Studies have shown that blocking both of these enzyme types dramatically reduces the risk of developing prostate cancer and can also shrink existing prostate cancers and prevent their spread.
Curcumin, when added to quercetin, dramatically reduces the development, growth, and spread of both hormone dependent and non-hormone dependent prostate cancers. Both of these anti-cancer flavonoids can be purchased as supplements.
Lycopene and indole-3 carbinol
Lycopene is the red pigment in tomatoes, watermelon, and other fruits and vegetables. Several studies have shown that large amounts of either tomatoes or lycopene as an extract can significantly reduce prostate cancer risk.
New studies have shown that combining lycopene in a dose of 20 to 30 milligrams with indole-3 carbinol (extracted from broccoli) can dramatically shrink a swollen prostate and greatly reduce the risk of prostate cancer. While important in reducing risk, it is secondary to the importance of reducing the LOX enzyme.
Indole-3 carbinol increased cancer-protecting 2-hydroxyesterone over 16-fold in one study, which explains its cancer reducing effects for both prostate and breast cancer. Both lycopene and indole-3 carbinol can be purchased as supplements. (Note: DIM is safer than I3C and doesn’t metabolize into carcinogens).
Diet — the Key to Prostate Cancer Prevention
After examining the diets of 28 countries, one study found that the most common link to prostate cancer was the consumption of milk, especially non-fat milk.
In fact, over two-thirds of cases were attributed to milk consumption. The reason appears to be high amounts of calcium, since taking calcium supplements also dramatically increased risk. Other studies have shown that diets containing more than 2,000 milligrams of calcium a day (from all sources) dramatically increases the number of advanced prostate cancers when compared to diets containing fewer than 500 milligrams.
There are two reasons for this: 1) calcium promotes the growth and spread of cancer directly; and 2) it can lower vitamin D-3 levels. Supplements of vitamin D-3 (2,000 IU a day) seem to reduce the risk caused by increased calcium.
Vitamin D-3 deficiencies are much more common in men with prostate cancer, which correlates with the lack of sun exposure at this age. Recent studies have shown that only vitamin D-3 is effective, which can be purchased as a supplement.
There is also a strong correlation between calories from sugars and carbohydrates and the early development of prostate cancer. High caloric intake increased risk 267 percent in one study. Since Americans consume tremendous amounts of sugar, this becomes a significant risk factor.
Chinese and Japanese men have one of the world’s lowest incidences of prostate cancer, but not due to soy consumption. Instead, it’s because they eat large amounts of flavonoids. In fact, the Japanese have the highest flavonoid intake of any population in the world. When Asians move to the United States and begin eating Americanized diets, their prostate cancer rates increase 10- to 30-fold.
One study showed that men who consumed the most legumes reduced their risk 38 percent, and those who ate the most yellow-orange and cruciferous vegetables reduced their risk by 41 percent. Surprisingly, those who ate the most fruits increased their risk 51 percent, again because of the sugar content. In other studies, fruits either had no effect or actually lowered risk, especially in advanced prostate cancers.
One double-blind study found that selenium supplementation reduced prostate cancer by 63 percent. Even better results were seen when the selenium was combined with natural vitamin E.
In a recent study, researchers found that the gamma-form of vitamin E (tocopherol), which has the greatest anti-inflammatory properties, had the greatest effect in suppressing prostate cancer. In this study, men with the highest gamma-vitamin E had a five-fold reduction in prostate cancer risk. Combining the gamma E with selenium gave even better results. Our diets naturally contain more gamma E than the alpha form (the most common form in vitamins). Gamma-form vitamin E can also be purchased as a supplement.
If you combine all of the factors that we know can reduce prostate cancer (eating healthy fats, high intake of vegetables, low intake of sugar and bad fats) you can see that your risk of developing prostate cancer would be extremely low. All it takes is discipline.
The PSA Test
While the PSA test has become a mainstay of prostate cancer diagnosis, newer studies have shown that it is not as accurate as originally assumed.
In fact, a number of benign conditions, such as prostate inflammation, can cause elevated levels of PSA. Even so, an elevated PSA is an important indicator of problems, current or future, since one of the main causes of all cancers is chronic inflammation.
When diagnosing prostate cancer, newer guidelines give more weight to a progressively increasing PSA as a marker of cancer than a static high level. It has also been found that PSA is more than just an indicator of prostate trouble — what was formerly believed to be merely an indicator has been revealed as an actual cause of cancer growth and spread.
The main way to lower your PSA is to follow these guidelines and add some specific supplements that are known to reduce prostate inflammation. These include saw palmetto, pumpkin seed extract, beta-sitosterol, quercetin, and nettle extract.
If you have an elevated PSA, it is important to have your prostate examined. A transrectal ultrasound is highly accurate and relatively painless. Hopefully, you’ll rule out prostate cancer and you can proceed with the supplement and diet program. In my experience, these supplements effectively lower PSA levels in most men.
—
New Discoveries in Prostate Cancer Prevention and Treatment
from Dr. Blaylock Nov2009 Wellness Report
Several studies have shown a link between infection with a common sexually-transmitted organism, Trichomonas vaginalis, and prostate cancer. Trichomonas is a single-celled parasite that can live in the vagina, cervix, or male lower genital tract. A new study looked a little deeper and found that the greatest risk was for prostate cancers that invaded tissues outside the prostate gland and eventually spread to the bones and other organs — the worst-case scenario for prostate cancer.
In fact, those with the infection had a 2.19- to 2.6-fold increased risk of the deadly form of the disease. Once again, research shows a link between chronic inflammation and cancer. Both sexual partners should be tested for trichomonas.
While the link between prostate cancer prevention and zinc is not completely clear, recent studies indicate that it may play an important role. Those with a recurrent history of prostatitis or prostate hypertrophy should get a study of their red-cell zinc levels.
I would not recommend high-dose zinc supplementation on a daily basis, but if you are found to have low levels, I would supplement with 60 mg for two weeks and then 15 mg a day thereafter. Have your levels checked within at least six months after beginning supplementation. There is growing evidence that a high intake of glutamate-containing foods (red meats, cheeses, and glutamate additives) can increase the growth and invasion of prostate cancers — that is, glutamate can make them more aggressive and deadly. Prostate cancer cells have glutamate receptors that react with glutamate. This reaction triggers growth and signals the cancer to invade surrounding tissues. Most processed foods contain glutamate additives.
There is also a link between prostate cancer and too much calcium — anything above 1,500 mg a day. High intakes of calcium, either by cheese, cow’s milk, or supplements, mainly affected the more advanced, aggressive types of prostate cancers — the ones that kill. Most people need only 500 mg to 1,000 mg of calcium a day (from all sources). There is some indication that high-dose vitamin D3 may help prevent prostate cancer, but a multicenter study didn’t find a strong link.
A newer study may explain why. It found that when vitamin D3 blood levels fluctuated erratically, protection was significantly reduced (Vieth R., Anticancer Res 2009; 29: 3675-84). Vitamin D3 blood levels fluctuate drastically between winter and summer.
This would support supplementation with vitamin D3 to keep blood levels high all year long, which can require intakes of 2,000 IU to as high as 10,000 IU a day, depending on the individual. Get a baseline study for blood levels and then repeat the study after three weeks of supplementation. Levels should be above 80 nMol (nanomole).
Studies also consistently show that a high intake of meats, especially red meats, increases risk. This may be due to a number of factors such as hormone treatment of animals, eating seared meats (which produce heterocyclic amines), high irons levels in meats, and high glutamate levels in meats.
Several studies have shown that eating nutrientdense vegetables and fruits lowers prostate cancer risk and slows cancer growth. Several flavonoids extracted from fruits and vegetables have been shown to be potent against prostate cancers. Luteolin (found in celery and artichokes), apigenin (found in celery, parsley, and Ginkgo biloba), procyanadin (found in grape seeds), epigallocatechin gallate (from white and green tea) and silymarin (found in milk thistle) all demonstrated powerful anticancer effects.
Luteolin and apigenin inhibited a factor essential to prostate cancer growth called insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). In the case of apigenin, reduction in prostate cancer growth has been shown in human prostate cancer cells and in human prostate cancers implanted in animals.
White and green tea (equal to six cups a day) powerfully inhibited invasive prostate cancer by inhibiting the tumor invasion factors. We know that high levels of these invasion factors make a cancer deadly, and they suggest a poor prognosis for many cancers. The tea extract also stopped the cancer cells from dividing and triggered their deaths (called apoptosis). Of real importance, it worked with both androgen-sensitive and insensitive-type cancers.
Silymarin also stopped the cells from dividing and induced cancer-cell death as did the grape seed extract, procyanidin. Silymarin also protects the liver and reduces brain inflammation.
Diindolymethane (DIM), an extract from brassica vegetables (broccoli, brussels sprouts, etc.) halted prostate cancer growth in both androgen-sensitive and insensitive types of cancer.
Finally, selenium has been shown to inhibit prostate cancer development and to stimulate a suppressor of cancer-cell survival called the PTEN gene. PTEN is found to be low in many types of cancer, and selenium was found to increase its levels as high as three-fold in prostate cancer cells. PTEN triggers the cancer cells to die.
All of these extracts, except for apigenin, are available without a prescription from natural supplement suppliers. Blenderizing celery and parsley and then drinking the juice several times a day can increase apigenin intake significantly. Celery is also high in luteolin (as is Artichoke extract).
Major Blow to Traditional Cancer Treatment
Oncologists, who have become little more than specialized pharmacologists, have railed against their patients taking antioxidants and even eating a diet high in antioxidant-containing fruits and vegetables. They defend their position by saying that antioxidants interfere with chemotherapy treatments, implying that the major mode of action of most chemotherapy is through their production of massive amounts of free radicals.
While most do produce massive storms of free radicals, they also interfere with cell signaling, a process critical to cell function and survival. A new study has found that free radicals actually play a major role in making cancers invasive, which is what makes cancers deadly. In the study, scientists at Burnham Institute for Medical Research in California found that when human cancers are exposed to free radicals, they become more invasive.
This allows these cells to migrate, eventually creating the metastasis that kills. It is accepted in the field of oncology that once a cancer metastasizes, traditional chemotherapy is of little benefit.
Antioxidants markedly reduced the ability of cancers to generate pseudopodia, meaning they reduce the likelihood that cancer will spread. The California study was done using human melanoma, breast cancer, and head and neck cancer cells.
A number of studies have shown that antioxidants, especially flavonoids, can reduce cancer growth and invasion, but these studies have been routinely ignored by traditional cancer specialists. Worse, they continue to advise their cancer patients not to take antioxidants.
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Wipe Out Prostate Cancer without Touching a Single Healthy Cell
By Michele Cagan
From Mar2010 Health Sciences Institute newsletter (www.HSIBaltimore.com)
When you think about being diagnosed with prostate cancer, what are you most afraid of? The cancer itself, or the (let’s face it) terrible “treatments” the mainstream pushes? Think about it—for all the suffering they put you through, chemotherapy and radiation have yet to show they can really do anything close to curing men with advanced prostate cancer.
In fact, most treatments only promise to make life a little easier, but that’s a joke. You could go under the knife, only to be left incontinent and impotent. Or you could shuttle yourself back and forth for daily radiation treatments—with the possible reward of living with a catheter for the rest of your days. For promising to make life a little easier, these treatments leave a lot to be desired.
But all of that could change, thanks to a formula that’s just hitting the U.S.—a formula that attacks cancer cells without harming a single healthy cell. A formula that actually repairs the DNA damage that leads to cancer.
A formula that can stop cancer cell growth by 90% within one day
It’s called Prostabel, and it’s a stunning breakthrough that owes its very existence to a brilliant scientist who was far ahead of his time.
Ancient remedies reinvented as modern cancer-fighters You might remember the names Watson and Crick from science classes. Back in the early 1950s, they described the double-helix structure of DNA, the very blueprint of our bodies.
But around that same time, a young biochemist and biologist was going farther—much farther—at the prestigious Pasteur Institute in Paris. Dr. Mirko Beljanski devoted his entire life to studying cell regulation and replication, especially how DNA and RNA take part in cellular health. Your DNA holds your unique genetic code, and RNA controls what happens with the cells in your body.
Beljanski was especially interested in what happens when something goes wrong with cell regulation—and how to get it back on track.
His passion paid off. Around the same time that Watson and Crick were demonstrating the shape of DNA, Beljanksi discovered that, before genetic mutations of DNA occur, attacks on the double helix itself create a structure that no longer functions properly. This allows damaged DNA to replicate much faster, gaining speed with each division. Beljanksi connected this excess replication and increased cell multiplication to cancer.
Beljanski knew he was onto something— if he could find a way to stabilize that second structure, he could prevent DNA from abnormally replicating. So he started a tireless search for natural substances that could stabilize DNA without harmful side effects.
What he found were extracts that did just that and were toxic to cancer cells without doing harm to healthy cells (unlike chemotherapy and radiation, which destroy cancer cells and healthy cells without discrimination). Extracts that fight cancer without side effects. Among those were Pao pereira and Rauwoflia vomitoria.
Both have been used for centuries by indigenous peoples for a variety of ailments. And Dr. Beljanski found they could actually repair the abnormal structure I described a few moments ago.
He demonstrated that, at optimal doses, these two herbs stopped the proliferation of cancer cell lines while sparing healthy cells. This effect was the same with several kinds of cancer— brain, colon, liver, kidney, and skin. And, of course, Beljanski showed they were active against prostate cancer.1
Testing Rauwolfia vomitoria, he found that, with high doses, up to 80% of the mice treated with the extract lived 90 days. Those who went untreated were all dead by day 40. The mice Beljanski deemed cured survived in “excellent condition.”2
He went on to use both extracts successfully in numerous human case studies. But they would have been lost had it not been for one very important move the doctor made.
Dr. Mirko Beljanksi wanted to make sure his life’s work didn’t stop with his death. So before he died in 1998, he entrusted his research to Natural Source, which at that time was a new company devoted to advancing the world of natural medicine.
Their devotion to Beljanski’s mission shows in their work. Take the materials that make up the Prostabel formula. They’re painstakingly harvested from the far reaches of the earth—Pao pereira comes from the Amazon Rain Forest, and Rauwolfia vomitoria is gathered from the root of a tropical African tree. They’re then purified and rigorously tested. And then there’s the research they’ve sought out to prove the value of these miraculous herbs. Cancer cell growth cut by 90% in less than a day The work of Mirko Beljanski— and Natural Source’s continuation of that work—caught the eye of Dr. Aaron Katz, a leader in the field of natural medicine and men’s health. His research home base is Columbia University, where the studies on the ingredients in Prostabel have taken place.
Dr. Katz’s research on the formula started with a meeting with Beljanski’s daughter Sylvie. She was confident in her father’s work, and wanted to share it with the world. Dr. Katz was hopeful, but told Sylvie there were no guarantees. And the team at Natural Source knew they were taking a big risk in offering Pao pereria and Rauwolfia vomitoria up for trials—Dr. Katz’s team was going to report the truth no matter the outcome.
But it turned out that Sylvie and Natural Source had nothing to worry about. The power of these two herbs was revealed almost immediately. In fact, members of Dr. Katz’s team have called Pao pereira and Rauwolfia vomitoria the “most promising candidates to date” when it comes to fighting prostate and bladder cancer.
A major human trial is underway at Columbia’s Department of Urology, and preliminary results are very promising. Especially considering the results Dr. Katz has already seen in men taking Prostabel. A trial of 30 men with high PSA readings and a negative biopsy (meaning they don’t have cancer yet) showed that Protabel significantly lowered PSA over the course of a year.
And the men taking Prostabel had other good news to report—a dramatic improvement in urinary symptoms. They had better streams and better flow rates, and weren’t getting up as often at night. There was one more unusual bit to report from that trial, too—not one person dropped out because of side effects, because nobody experienced any.
When it comes to cancer, there haven’t been any human trials completed yet, but in vitro and animal trials are incredibly promising.
Pao pereira has already demonstrated that it’s toxic to cancer cells in other studies, but this is the first time this extract has really been looked at for its effect on prostate cancer cells specifically.
Applied to a line of cultured cancer cells, the extract significantly suppressed cell growth (by 90% as early as 24 hours after exposure!) and caused cancer cells to die. It also caused a significant decrease in overall tumor size.
Surprisingly, the greatest effect on tumor growth occurred at the lower doses of pao pereira tested on mice. At doses of 10 and 20mg/kg per day, tumor volume was reduced by 80% and 75%, respectively. Researchers aren’t quite sure why this is, but think it may be due to gastrointestinal effects at higher doses.
Researchers also suggested that, because Pao pereira has tumorsuppressing activity without toxicity, it can be used to prevent cancer, not just as a treatment for it.3 And Rauwolfia vomitoria is just as impressive. In one trial, it was shown to suppress the growth of cancer cells. In another, it decreased tumor volume in mice by 58-70% depending on dose (7.5-75 mg/kg) over a 72- hour period.4
Overall, research has shown that Pao pereira extract more potently induces cell death than the Rauwolfia vomitoria extract. But the Rauwolfia extract is more successful at inhibiting cell cycle progression of prostate cancer cells— meaning it hampers their ability to grow and divide. So, these two make a more or less perfect pair in the Prostabel formula.
A word about Rauwolfia
Rauwolfia comes in different forms, one of which has has been used extensively in naturopathic medicine for lowering blood pressure. That form, called rauwolfia serpentina, contains a substance called resperine, which is only available by prescription. The resperine has been removed from the rauwolfia vomitoria used in the Prostabel formula.
His doctor called his progress “a miracle” The clinical trials are one thing, but what really speaks to me is the feedback being sent to Natural Source. Men are writing in from all over to share how Prostabel has, really, given them new leases on life. Here are just a few of the stories they’ve seen: Ronald Limsin got the awful news after a biopsy in 2003—adenocarinoma of the prostate. His urologist thought he best solution would be surgery, but Ronald refused. While he did undergo radiation treatments, he took Pao pereira and Rauwolfia vomitoria (Natural Source also sells them separately from the Prostabel blend). His PSA was lowered to 1.82—a decrease expected to continue.
His doctor called it a miracle, and when he wrote to Natural Source in 2007, Ronald was still doing well.
When Joe Mirelli was 70, he watched his PSA, already at a high 19, shoot up to 39 in a short time. His doctor diagnosed a mild adenoma of the prostate, and Joe turned to Prostabel. His situation rapidly improved. He’s now 87 and says everything is going well in terms of his prostate. He gardens every day and is very active.
Peter Williams decided to tell his story after an 18-month struggle. On the day he turned 68, an ultrasound showed an abnormality.
He had a biopsy a few weeks later—adenocarcinoma. After undergoing hormone treatments, he knew he needed something better.
So he looked to Dr. Beljanski’s formula. His PSA dropped from 5.57 to 0.10, and his radiologist can’t find anything abnormal. He’s been in remission for 2 years, with his PSA holding steady.
We’ll be sure to update you on the results of the current clinical trial at Columbia University. Ordering information for Prostabel:
Natural Source International, Ph. (212)308-7066; http://www.naturalsource.
com. One bottle is normally US$145 plus shipping, but HSI members can save
20% when they mention HSI.
Note: I would caution against putting all of your eggs in one basket by only taking one (or a couple) supplements — or only changing your diet or lifestyle; attacking cancer from many sides at the same time increases chances of success (use several garden hoses and a couple fire hoses to put out a fire).
Preventing Prostate, Breast, Colon and other Cancers – Dr. Robert Rowen
My most important mission is not to help my patients and readers treat disease but prevent it, and most of my methods are inexpensive do-it-yourself methods. In that light, the most important nutrients you can take that will prevent prostate problems is fish oil, which can actually prevent cancer and other “less threatening” problems.
The benefits of fish oil for heart disease are well known, but a significant clue to the development and maintenance of cancer is becoming clear in a new fish-oil study. In the study, from the British Journal of Cancer, researchers in Auckland, New Zealand evaluated the fatty-acid composition in 317 men diagnosed with prostate cancer and 480 controls matched for age. They found that men with the highest levels of eicosapentananoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA), the two main components of cold-water fish oils, had the lowest levels of the cancer (40% reduced risk of getting prostate cancer).
The researchers also found that men with a low socioeconomic status, low intake of lycopene (a known prostate friend) and low intermittent use of NSAID drugs were at a higher risk of prostate cancer. (The connection with NSAID drugs to fish oil is intriguing, as we shall see.) Those risks were lowered considerably with increased consumption of fish oil.
The beauty of this study is that the fatty acids were actually measure in the body, making this a very accurate study. The researchers found no correlation with actual levels of oil consumption and diet questionnaires, indicating such surveys are not scientifically accurate.
This study backs up earlier studies that found similar results. For instance, another group of researchers from Seoul, Korea measured fatty acids in red blood cells and found no difference in the amount of saturated fat amongst normals (men who didn’t have prostate problems) and men with prostate enlargement and prostate cancer. However, when they looked at unsaturated fats, fish oil was significantly decreased in both BPH and cancer, and the levels of omega-6 fatty acids were increased in the prostate cancer patients. The ratio of omega-3 (fish oil) to omega-6 was very important, with the amount of fish oil in relation to omega-6 declining significantly in the following order: normals, BPH, cancer.
The researchers concluded that the ration of these two unsaturated groups was intimately tied with the development of prostatic diseases. Other studies in humans and animals have also determined that a higher ratio of fish oil to omega-6 fatty acids in the prostate gland itself will have a protective effect on the prostate.
Now What Can You Do?
Increase your consumption of cold-water wild-caught (line-caught) fish (salmon, cod, mackerel – not King Mackerel, because of its high mercury content, anchovies, sardines, etc.) Tuna, especially large ones, are high in mercury, even if wild-caught. Shellfish is not acceptable nor is it the same, nor are fresh-water fish, which are very low in EPA and DHA. Shellfish contain ample amounts of arachadonic acid (omega-6), which easily and directly enters the “bad” eiconsanoid pathway.
Finally a plug for Alaskan wild salmon: not all salmon are the same. Just like humans, fish are what they eat. Wild fish eat what God provided for them in the ocean. This diet in the cold waters is extremely rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Farmed fish are fed corn, grains, ground-up big fish full of mercury and toxins, and convenience land foods similar to what is fed to cattle to fatten them up, and just like grain-fed cattle, these fish have a very skewed fatty-acid profile toward the omega-6 side because of the unnatural grains they are fed. Thus, you may actually be harming yourself by eating farmed fish full of omega-6 fats while believing you are doing yourself a fatty-acid favor. I recommend wild, frozen fish over fresh, farmed fish any day!
Pumpkin seed oil is also helpful for the prostate.
With the skyrocketing rates of prostate and breast cancer, it’s wonderful to know that simple dietary intervention can reduce your risk of these and other cancers so dramatically, and an ounce of prevention in this area is worth tons of the cure.
I had a heart wrenching moment during one of my weekly radio shows a few years back.
David called to ask me if there was anything he could do for his rapidly rising PSA. Eight years before, at age 44, he had a slight rise in the PSA, prompting a prostate biopsy confirming “early cancer”. Taking his doctor’s advice, he went for a radical prostatectomy.
On the radio, with his voice quivering, he acknowledged the end of his wonderful sexual intimacy with his wife following the surgery, as well as some urinary incontinence. His marriage was strained as a result.
My voice also was broken up for the pain I knew he was feeling, as I related the sad truth that no conventional therapy has shown any value for prostate cancer over doing nothing, so in fighting his war on the cancer, he lost his ability to make love to his wife and the war itself. He’s not alone among prostate-cancer victims.
Medical pundits have lauded the PSA test for prostate screening, yet it’s surrounded by great controversy. Many men with PSA in the “normal” range have prostate cancer, even with known metastasis, and many men with elevated PSA have no cancer at all. Dr. Otis Brawley, professor of medical oncology and epidemiology at the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, is concerned. National data, he said, make him wonder whether the PSA test is saving many lives.
The test, Brawley said, has led to a huge increase in the number of prostate-cancer diagnoses, but if the PSA were saving lives, the early diagnosis of prostate cancer should lead to a sharp downturn in its death rate. That has not happened, Brawley said. While the mortality rate has fallen, it did not fall precipitously with the advent of the PSA. He is very concerned that the PSA is leading to a diagnosis of cancers that are not dangerous and would never lead to the death of the individual – and, many cancers being discovered may not be treatable by any means.
The concept that “every cancer that can be found early can be cured” is a faulty concept, he said. Thus, Dr. Brawley, at 42, has not been tested and refuses to do so. At 52, I haven’t been tested either, and don’t intend to do so. Men undergoing PSA must understand that there are many false positives, as well as false negatives, and the finding of a cancer by PSA and follow-up biopsy (which itself often spreads cancer) does not guarantee the cancer can be cured at that stage, nor that it would even be dangerous.
Medicine knows that if you wait long enough, virtually all men will have microscopic clusters of cancer in the gland, but the fact that the cancer is not killing them all leads us to suspect the truth of Dr. Brawley’s conclusions. By the time a cancer is detected, whether in the breast, prostate, or elsewhere, chances are great it has already spread.
If not PSA testing, what then should you do? I don’t believe in screening for something when it’s too late. By the time a cancer develops, a positive mammography of a true high PSA are likely too late or, if fortunate, that particular cancer will not be a problem. It makes far more sense to prevent the problem in the first place, and there’s clear data that prevention is possible.
In 1996, Dr. Larry Clark of the University of Arizona published startling data suggesting that prostate cancer could by reduced by as much as an amazing 60 percent by supplemental yeast-derived selenium, 200 mcg per day. Selenium is a powerful antioxidant and participates in key and crucial detoxification and free-radical scavenging enzymes. His work is being confirmed in other ongoing studies.
In 1999, a New Zealand study published in the British Journal of Cancer, documented a 40% lower incidence of prostate cancer in men with the highest levels of the omega-3 fish oils EPA and DHA in their blood. The relationship held fast when other markers, such as lycopene intake and socioeconomic status, were taken into account. These finding have been confirmed in other studies. Conversely, another published report documents a high level of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids in invasive prostate tissue samples.
Taken together with recent reports on high levels of omega-6 fatty acids linked to breast cancer, a common thread emerges. The American diet is overwhelmed with omega-6 oils, such as corn, soy, safflower, cottonseed, canola, soybean, etc. Excess omega-6 fatty acids are carcinogenic and can also cause inflammation (implicated in cancer, heart disease, and many other diseases). If the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fats is in the right proportion (1:1), the omega-3s will directly counteract these negative effects of the omega-6s, but an out-of-balance ratio will overwhelm the omega-3s. Trans-fatty acids from hydrogenated oils seriously add to the problem.
There are other nutrients that have been shown to reduce prostate cancer risk. Vitamin E (full spectrum) and lycopene have made the news: both are antioxidants. Lycopene is found abundantly in tomatoes, especially cooked tomatoes. If you like salsa, this is a great way to fight prostate cancer (add some extra-virgin, cold-pressed olive oil to it so that you can absorb the lycopene, since it is oil-soluble).
Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA), like omega-3 oils, and GLA (in Borage Oil) also help to balance out the inflammatory and carcinogenic properties of the omega-6 oils.
Action to Take
1 – There’s little dispute over the cancer- and circulatory-protecting properties of omega-3 fats, and the detriments of excessive intake of omega-6 fats. I recommend immediately ceasing intake of all commercial oils and hydrogenated fats, including fried foods. Consume only cold-water, wild ocean fish (NOT FARMED – farmed fish, fed grains like cattle, have a poor content of healthy omega fats compared to their wild cousins). Shellfish and fresh-water fish are not good alternatives, either.
2 – Other foods you need to add to your diet: tomatoes (with olive oil); raw nuts (particularly raw Brazil nuts, which are high in selenium and fiber); raw seeds (particularly raw pumpkin seeds); yeast-based selenium, SeMSC and seleniomethione (the latter is in Jarrow Multi Easy vitamin powder); zinc citrate; onions and garlic.
There is a compound found in tomatoes called lycopene that is being studied for its prostate protective effects. One study showed that men who ate just two servings of tomatoes each week had a 34% less risk of developing prostate cancer.
When you have a snack, have raw nuts and seeds which contain high amounts of zinc and essential fatty acids necessary for prostate health. Pumpkin seeds are a great choice. When you eat nuts, eat them raw, not roasted, so the oils are fresh and intact. (See my main cancer protocol page regarding almonds and why they’re dangerous due to the government’s allowing them to be treated with the carcinogen propylene oxide and still be labeled “raw”). Also, selenium in the diet is linked with lower cancer rates.
Studies on the onion/garlic family of veggies confirm a 60% reduction in prostate cancer for men eating the most.
3 – Three foods you need to avoid include fried food, alcohol and meat from unnaturally-fed cows. Alcohol contributes to benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). Alcohol also raises estrogen levels in men and women, and elevated estrogen in men is risky for prostate health, it’s risky in women for reproductive organ health.
4 – I also recommend a natural source of mixed tocopherols and tocotrienols (vitamin E) 400 iu per day and selenium 200 mcg per day.
5 – Eat organic foods whenever possible to reduce chemical and pesticide residues on food. Such compounds, called xenobiotics (man-made chemicals), have powerful estrogen-like properties and can cause cancer in both sexes. Men, like women, ought to consider a test for urinary estrogen ratios. An unfavorable ratio of 2:16 hydroxy estrogens (16 is likely carcinogenic) can be corrected with DIM, a nutritional supplement derived from Brassica (cruciferous) vegetables, along with calcium d-glucarate. I personally believe prostate cancer to be estrogen-related, not testosterone-related: load up on broccoli! (Note: even if you do eat a lot of cruciferous vegetables, you won’t be able to get sufficient amounts of DIM to correct an unfavorable ratio without also taking supplements. Also, you’ll need to take Tri-Quench supplemental iodine if you eat a lot of cruciferous vegetables, since they tend to block iodine’s absorption by the body.)
6 – Because omega-3 fatty acids are in short supply in most diets, I strongly suggest you take a fish-oil supplement, as well as CLA and GLA.
7 – If you have prostate cancer, please don’t submit to surgery, chemotherapy or radiation: there’s no evidence that these will extend your life, but they will severely diminish your quality of life.
In short, eat naturally, eat organic, load up on vegetables, high omega-3 foods and oils, and supplement the diet with selenium, Vitamin E, fish oil, CLA and GLA. I believe that taking these steps will do more to solve the prostate-cancer problem that any variation of the PSA test ever could, by dramatically reducing the development of prostate cancer rather than trying to detect it after the fact.
Important supplements include lots of enzymes (see website for which ones and how much), lots of pomegranate/ellagic acid extract, curcumin + quercetin well-mixed in molecularly-distilled fish oil, full spectrum vitamin E (Swanson Full Spectrum E, SWU209), lycopene (best taken with other carotenoids in Swanson Ultra Carotenoid Complex, SWU260 – www.swansonvitamins.com – rather than taking it by itself), Nutricology Zinc Citrate (not Picolinate) 40mg/d from all sources, Selenium (2 Brazil nuts, 200mcg SeMSC, 100mcg selenomethionine (in Jarrow Multi Easy vitamin powder) and 1/4 of a 200mcg yeast-based selenium tablet (Puritan’s Pride) each day; 3 drops/day Tri-Quench iodine solution from Dr. Wright’s Tahoma clinic; and some things specifically for the prostate: saw palmetto 320mg, Stinging Nettle root (not leaf) extract 2/d, Pygeum bark extract 3/d, small handful of raw pumpkin seeds/day, Boswellia 2/d, Zyflamend (not PM — see prostate cancer page) 2/d, molecularly-distilled fish oil 3 TBS/d, extra virgin coconut oil 1-2 TBS/d, EV cold-pressed olive oil 3-5 TBS/d, wild-caught Alaskan salmon (canned is less expensive) or free range chicken/turkey, black or kidney beans (the kind with no sugar or corn syrup added); Swanson Ultra Max-Strength Graminex Flower Pollen Extract, 3/d, SWU332; beta sitosterol 0.5/d (Source Naturals, Mega Strength Beta Sitosterol, 375 mg, www.iherb.com SNS-01416); 3 TBS/d freshly ground organic flax seed; Vitamin D3 (I take an average of 5000 IU/d from http://www.vitacost.com/NSI-Vitamin-D3-4000-IU-300-Softgels — 1/d + 1 extra every 4 days. Click here for more information about vitamin D and dosages); vitamin K2 as menaquinone-7 (1/d, http://www.vitacost.com/NSI-Vitamin-K-Complex-Vitamin-K2-as-Menaquinone-7-MK7-400-mcg-180-Softgels) along with some sauerkraut frequently (the bacteria convert the vitamin K1 in cabbage into K2 in sauerkraut). I add cayenne pepper, onion and garlic powder and ginger to my sauerkraut for additional benefit.
In addition, two supplements that help with bladder problems are Horsetail and Three Leaf Caper (Opteva).
Biopsies do spread cancer in more than 50% of the times — see my cancer pages about supplements that reduce spread or metastasis (one or more of lactoferrin, modified citrus pectin, concentrated flax lignans, Arabinogalactan) and immune boosters.
Throw the PSA Test out the Window and Use This Test Instead
There’s a great way to determine the health of your prostate – and fight prostate cancer at the same time, but it’s not the PSA test.
I’ve told you for years that the PSA test is one of the worst diagnostic tools you can use for prostate cancer: it’s downright worthless at best; misleading and dangerous at worst – and now, two major medical articles have proven me correct.
The first article appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), and the PS deathblow arrived in the October 2004 issue of Urology. This time, at last, bigwigs are taking heed of the findings. If you have had or are considering a PSA test, please read this carefully.
The NEJM article discussed a prevention trial of 18,882 men. Of these men, 9459 were randomly assigned to receive placebo and undergo a yearly PSA test. During the study, 2950 of those men (aged 62-91) never had a PSA level above four ng/ml or a positive rectal exam. In other words, they never had any clinical or lab diagnosis of cancer.
These same men underwent biopsy after seven years in the program. The results were shocking! 15% of the men had positive biopsies and 15% of these had high-grade cancer – and that’s just the beginning. Prostate biopsies are taken by random needle jabs into the gland. No matter how many sticks are made, there’s no way to know if cancer lurks outside of the tract of the needle, so the real incidence might be far higher.
That brings us to the second article, which was written by Dr. Thomas Stamey, the man who originally told us PSA could be used to detect prostate cancer. The article, published in Urology, completely debunks continued use of the PSA for cancer screening. That’s right: the man who first promoted the test has changed his mind!
He even went so far as to issue a press release saying, “The PSA era is over in the United States. Our study raises a very serious question of whether a man should even use the PSA for prostate cancer screening anymore… Our job now is to stop removing every man’s prostate who has prostate cancer. We originally thought we were doing the right thing, but we’re now figuring out how we went wrong. Some men need prostate treatment, but certainly not all of them.”
Check out those words, “how we went wrong.” I want to stress them. Dr. Stamey deserves commendation for acknowledging his error. This is rarely seen in medicine.
What should you do about PSA? First, if using PSA at all, I recommend the “free PSA” test, which measures the percentage of PSA that is not complexed (free floating) versus PSA, which is complexed with other blood proteins. Prostate cancer tends to have more complexed PSA. The higher your free PSA, the lower the chances of cancer. I think this is a valuable test.
If you still decide to have a PSA test done, you need to use your own good common sense. A single PSA level means little, no matter how high it is (unless it’s over 15 or so). Follow it over time: if it’s rising quickly and the free PSA percentage is falling, chances are that cancer exists. Even then, I wouldn’t rush off to biopsy: my treatment plan wouldn’t change regardless of the pathology report.
If you want to prevent prostate cancer, I strongly urge you to have your vitamin D levels checked regularly. Doing so, and correcting any deficiencies, will reduce your risk of cancer by 80%!
Vitamin D is crucial in preventing prostate, breast, colon, and other cancers. International vitamin D experts are now calling for a revision of the RDA, as there’s no evidence of toxicity in daily intakes up to at least 10,000 IU.
I routinely measure vitamin D as 25-hydroxy vitamin D. While most folks are within the reference range, they are far from my ideal levels of 45-50 ng/ml or 115-128 nmol/l. I currently have almost all of my male patients on a D3 supplement (4,000 IU daily). I also suggest common sense exposure to sunlight (that doesn’t include burning your skin). Click here for more information about vitamin D and dosages.
This isn’t all I do to treat the prostate, but it’s a far better way to test for prostate cancer risk than the PSA test.
One final note: I have been asked about the AMAS test regarding other doctors’ endorsements. AMAS, which stands for Anti-Malignin Antibody in Serum, is an FDA-approved test that allegedly detects non-specific cancer antigen (protein). This means that even if it does work, and is positive, that you already have cancer, but the test will not tell you in which organ.
I admit, it sounds great to have a cancer screen, even if it’s non-specific. However, those of us with hands-on experience with the AMAS don’t have a positive view of the test. The Orthomolecular Society meetings in San Francisco attract some of the brightest physicians in alternative medicine. We had an engaging discussion of our AMAS experiences and none of us were pleased.
In particular, we repeatedly found negative tests when cancer was present, and in all stages (early, intermediate, and advanced). If the test was positive, it means you may have cancer somewhere in your body – but if negative, it would tell me nothing. What good is either reading? I abandoned the test many years ago, and many of my colleagues have told me that they have done likewise.
What to take with selenium to fight prostate cancer and breast cancer
As I said on Wednesday, I’ve been treating my patients with selenium for 25 years. It’s a fabulous cancer preventive and detox mineral. But I’ve just discovered a way to make selenium fight cancer even better.
A small study recently found followed 37 patients who had prostate cancer. All of them also had a radical prostatectomy (something I NEVER recommend). The researchers divided the participants into two groups. One group took a placebo. The other group took a combination of selenium (200 mcg) and milk thistle (570 mg) versus placebo. The main markers for success the researchers evaluated were lipid-panel-associated changes due to cancer, and quality of life.
The participants started taking the supplements two to three months after surgery. And they continued to take them for six months. The nutrient combination improved the quality of life score and decreased LDL and total cholesterol. Selenium levels in their blood also increased. There were no changes in total testosterone or blood antioxidant status.
The authors were pleased that the nutrient combination reduced two markers of lipid metabolism that we know affect prostate cancer progression in post-surgery men. These are LDL and total cholesterol. They felt the combination might be effective in reducing the cancer’s progression.
I’ve long, long suggested selenium as both a prostate cancer preventer and for treatment as well. The researchers looked at silymarin (milk thistle) for its suppression of prostate cancer in lab animals. Silymarin has a long history of use in liver protection and liver disease. While this study used selenomethionine, I prefer sodium selenite. The former is in vogue right now. But my research suggests that the inorganic form (selenite) is superior to get the maximum effects of selenium supplementation.
If you’re taking Healthy Resolve and Advanced Detox Formula, you’re getting ample selenium. And you can get 50 mg of silymarin in Advanced Greens Formula. If you have prostate cancer or are at risk for it, you may want to take a silymarin stand-alone supplement as well. Take up to 600 mg daily.
Yours for better health and medical freedom,
Robert J. Rowen, MD
Ref: Biomed Pap Med Fac Univ Palacky Olomouc Czech Repub. 2010 Sep;154(3):239-44.
Subscribe now to Dr. Rowen’s Second Opinion Newsletter and Get up to 11 Free Reports
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—
Dr. David Williams – Prostate Massage
Alternatives Subscriber Center: More Alternatives – June 2007
by Dr. David Williams
More Alternatives
Prostate Health
From August 2007
The prostate gland is about the size of a walnut, and lies just below the urinary bladder. It completely surrounds the urethra, which carries urine from the bladder and semen from the sex glands through the penis. The primary function of the prostate gland is the secretion of a milky, slightly alkaline fluid (the primary component of semen). This fluid helps nourish, protect, and move the sperm out of the body during ejaculation. Like all glands, the prostate needs good circulation from both the blood vessels and the lymphatic system. Any blockage of fluids going to or leaving the prostate can cause it to enlarge. Since it surrounds the urethra, prostate enlargement can constrict this tube and make urinating difficult and painful. Other symptoms associated with enlargement of the prostate (known as BPH) include: intermittency of the urinary stream, decreased size and force of the urinary stream, and almost constant overflow or dribbling. Your best course of action is to prevent prostate problems before they begin.
Exercise! Walking is especially beneficial to the prostate. The movement of muscles and organs in the pelvic cavity during walking help circulation to and from the gland. Constant sitting during most of your childhood and adult life only adds to your chances of having prostate problems.
Avoid intense sexual excitement without a natural conclusion of ejaculation. Continued excitement without ejaculation causes engorgement of the gland; if this continues, it can lead to structural and functional damage. Develop regularity in sexual habits if possible.
A diet rich in meats (either beef or poultry) can cause problems. Many of the hormones used in cattle production have been outlawed; however, many poultry producers still feed hormones to chickens and turkeys to speed their growth period and get them to market sooner. These hormones can be found later in your grocery store meats and cause havoc with your system.
Include lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, and juices in the diet. These foods have a cleansing effect on the urinary tract as well as the rest of the body.
Drink a minimum of eight glasses of water a day.
Minimize your coffee and alcohol consumption. Over-indulgence of either predisposes you to prostate troubles.
If you already have some of the signs of prostate trouble, then you will need to add some elements to the suggestions above: Start supplementing your diet with one of the nutritional products made specifically for the prostate. There are many good ones on the market now. If you’re not already getting this much from your multi, you should look for a product that provides you with vitamin A (10,000–15,000 IU), vitamin E (400–800 IU), zinc (15–20 mg), and selenium (200–400 mcg). Some herbs beneficial for the prostate include saw palmetto (240–320 mg), turmeric (100–200 mg), and lycopene—which you should get from your diet in the form of cooked tomato products or red foods such as watermelon.
Raw nuts and seeds such as almonds, pumpkin, sunflower, squash, and sesame are great sources of unsaturated fatty acids and zinc. A handful of pumpkin seeds a day from your local health food store is highly recommended.
An exercise that helps the prostate specifically is “bicycling” while lying on your back. Try 5–10 minutes every day. If your prostatic problem is accompanied by lower back or sciatic pain, seek help from a knowledgeable chiropractor. The pain may indicate the nerve supply to the prostate is irritated due to a spinal or pelvic subluxation or misalignment.
Getting the Massage
One final suggestion that seems to have fallen out of favor is prostate massage. I don’t know of any supplement—or medication for that matter—that can achieve the results obtained by directly massaging the prostate. Unfortunately, few doctors have any training in this procedure, and some may feel the procedure is unbecoming to their “reputation” as a doctor.
Before drugs became the accepted first line of treatment for prostate problems, massage was used successfully, without hesitation, by practically all doctors. Massaging the prostate to remove congestion and improve circulation is in keeping with many of the known activities that promote prostate health. Exercises like walking cause a subtle shifting of the internal organs, which has been shown to be beneficial. Many aspects of yoga utilize positioning and movements of the diaphragm to massage different organs. And sitting for long periods of time and lack of exercise are two factors that contribute to prostate stagnation and problems. Dr. Antonio Feliciano, with the Manila Genitourinary Clinic, continues to obtain outstanding results by combining repetitive prostate massages (sometimes called prostate stripping) with antibiotics, when necessary, in the treatment of BPH and inflammation of the prostate (prostatitis). His program consists of completely draining the prostate through increasingly more vigorous massages performed as often as three times weekly.
Massage is done only in the direction in which the gland drains. Pressure is applied from the sides toward the midline. Care is taken to drain every reachable area of the prostate. Dr. Feliciano has reported no harmful or adverse effects in his patients; in fact, he reports complete resolution in prostate patients where no other therapies had worked. (Tech Urol 99 5(3):146–51) (Clinical Remission of Chronic Refractory Pelvic Symptoms in Three Men, an original report to be published in Digital Urology Journal) Although prostate massage fell out of favor, particularly in the early 1970s when antibiotics and other medications became the favored treatment for prostatitis and BPH, its effectiveness was never the deciding issue. The problem probably had more to do with the location of the prostate.
The prostate gland resides deep inside the pelvic cavity. Short of surgical removal, the only effective method of examining the gland is through the wall of the rectum (which is also the only route through which the prostate can be massaged). The massage generally involves the insertion of a gloved finger, which has unfortunately spurred numerous jokes and has also given a distorted image of the actual benefits of the procedure.
At present, it might be more difficult to find doctors willing to perform prostate massages, particularly among younger doctors. Hopefully, that will start to change as more research is published. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem much interest or incentive to perform this type of research, particularly in this country. I’m sure there are still some doctors around the country utilizing prostate massage, and even following the work and research of doctors like Dr. Feliciano. However, locating them might be a problem.
Fortunately, there is a very helpful device called the Pro-State Massager. It can be a lifesaver to someone suffering from prostatitis or BPH.
The Pro-State Massager is a somewhat odd-shaped device made from FDA-approved nonporous plastic. With very little effort and practice, it allows one to gently, yet effectively, self-massage the prostate gland, hands-free, simply through contractions of the rectal muscles. It promotes increased circulation to the gland and helps reduce congestion, swelling, and inflammation. The manufacturer offers three models that are all very similar, but the recommended one is their “PS New” model. The massager, along with the necessary lubricant, sells for about $55 and comes with complete instructions.
The device is made by a company called High Island Health, P.O. Box 55427, Houston, Texas77255. They have a Web site that helps explain its use, benefits, and how to order at www.HighIsland.com. They can also be reached by phone for orders at 713-680-8840.
How often a man has to use the technique varies from individual to individual. During the initial phases, when inflammation is more severe, it’s not unusual to start with 20- to 30-minute sessions three times a week. (Some individuals experience their best results with sessions as long as an hour.) Again, the directions are pretty simple, and a man can easily and safely adjust the self-treatment program to his own needs.
I have recommended this simple device for some time now. I know of dozens of individuals for whom it has been an absolute godsend, and I would highly recommend it if you suffer from any type of prostate problem, or as a way to help prevent future prostate problems.
Prostate Cancer Success Story (HP8)
http://www.mnwelldir.org/docs/Newsletters/05_Mar.htm
This next Success Story is from one of our contributors and most avid fans. So, since I’ve followed his healing and sent him to a variety of sites to order
supplements, I’m going to tell you his story. Besides, Bill told me to tell his story for him.
In June of 2004, his doctors found a lump in Bill’s prostate. His doctor referred him to another doctor, but Bill wrote to me telling me that he had a lump in is
prostate (probably cancer, but he wasn’t about to do a biopsy that might spread it), and that he had blood in his urine. I told him about our research into raspberries and prostate cancer, and that one study showed that one cup of raspberries per week stopped prostate cancer growth for a week. Then I told him how Ryan, the head of ultimateimmune.com, would make up (special orders only) a raspberry extract that was very potent. Bill contacted Ryan and a few days later, his extract arrived. I got a letter from Bill shortly after that. He was truly excited to tell me that the bleeding stopped right away. Then Bill got himself some Paw Paw and Graviola. He tried them for one month but found no shrinkage in his tumor. Next he found Dr. David William’s web site (his newsletter is called Alternatives) and learned of a product from Australia called HP8, for prostate support. Dr Williams claimed that it seemed to help prostate cancer patients. So, Bill ordered a few bottles. After one bottle, he finally decided to get a biopsy, and sure enough, his prostate was clear. Bill swears that the Raspberry Extract really went to work fast and kept his cancer from spreading and that the HP8 helped to finish it off. He even sent me a bottle of HP8 to try myself.
HP8 Proprietary Herbs Blend:
Saw Palmetto ( Serenoa serrulata ), Bromelain Powder, Licorice Root ( Glycerrhiza
glabra ), Willow Herb Leaf ( Epilobium parviflorum ), Grape Complex Seed and Skin
( Vitis vinifera ), Wild Rosella calyx ( Hibiscus sabdariffa ), Passion fruit seed
( Passiflora edulis ), Selenium (from yeast).
Suggested Use for HP8 Prostate Support Formula
Take three tablets in the morning and three tablets at night, with a large glass
of water. Must be taken at least one hour before or after food, and other supplements
or medication.
HP8 herbal formula selectively inhibits prostate cancer cell line proliferation by inducing G2/M cell cycle arrest. Flowers A, Banbury L, Leach D and Waterman P. Centre for Phytochemistry and Pharmacology, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW 2480,
Australia, Presented at the Society For Integrative Oncology, 1st International Conference, Nov. 17-19, 2004 New York, NY
Abstract:
HP8, a formula of Australian and European herbs and other natural ingredients, has been evaluated in vitro for its anti-proliferative effects against androgen
independent prostate cancer cell line PC-3 and the androgen dependent prostate cancer cell line LNCap cultured by standard in vitro techniques. Its biological activity against these cell lines was compared to its activity against non-prostate cancer cell lines, HepG2 (liver cancer), and HL60 (human leukaemia). Inhibition of the in vitro proliferation PC-3 and LNCap cell lines occurred in a dose dependent
manner.
Analysis by flow cytometry determined that cell division was arrested at the G2/M phase of the mitosis cycle resulting in apoptosis within 24 hours. Significantly lower rates of G2/M arrest and apoptosis in the nonprostate cancer cell lines demonstrated that HP8’s inhibitory effects were selective toward prostate cancer cell lines. At the highest dose tested, 0.32 mg/mL, considered a physiologically relevant level, HP8 caused G2/M cell cycle arrest in 98.22% of the PC-3 cells in culture and in 77% of LNCap cells, but only 14.86% of HepG2 cells, and 52.68% HL60. The results lead us to speculate that a potential mode of action of HP8 may be similar to that of Taxol which exerts its effects by disrupting mitotic spindle function thus inducing cell cycle arrest. HP8 selectively inhibits the proliferation of prostate cancer cells and as such it has the potential for use as an anti-cancer agent in treatment of this disease.
HP8 is a breakthrough proprietary formulation offering a natural and effective way to maximize healthy prostate function. HP8 is manufactured to stringent pharmaceutical industry standards at an Australian Government GMP licensed facility ensuring quality, potency, and purity. Each ingredient is carefully selected and tested to ensure batch-to-batch consistency and… More effectiveness. In addition, HP8 contains free fatty acids and provides a daily dose of 200 mcg of Selenium, essential for the maintenance of healthy prostate function. HP8 is a specialty herbal complex designed by one of the great minds in natural medicine, Dr. Peter Waterman of The Center for Phytochemistry at Southern Cross University in Lismore, New South Wales. This product was featured in a popular newsletter written by a well respected doctor and researcher . The researchers designed this product to have the biological activity of PC-SPES, a now discontinued product for prostate cancer, without the side effects seen with the use of PC-SPES. One small pilot study (14 patients) demonstrated this product to be effective in 70 percent of the people who used it. Plans are being made for more extensive research to be completed on this product. Until such time, an author and medical researcher believes this to be the best and safest replacement for the PC-SPES.
Avemar, HP8 Prostate Formula, ImmPower (AHCC):
http://www.theharmonyco.com/Shopping/category.asp?catalog_name=harmonycompany&category_name=harmony_comp
(See the part about HP8, and parts about prostate cancer. This site is another good source for information on all kinds of cancers, and maintaining good health in general):
http://www.alkalizeforhealth.net/frequentlyaskedquestions.htm
$34.37 for HP8:
http://www.herbsmd.com/shop/productdetail.asp?pid=24989
http://hp8research.com/article1.pdf
http://www.distance-healer.com/74.html
find a Prostate Cancer Success Story (HP8) here
HP8 herbal formula selectively inhibits prostate cancer cell line proliferation by
inducing G2/M cell cycle arrest (http://hp8research.com/article1.pdf)
Report on the Development of HP8 a Natural Herbal Formulation for Prostate Health (http://hp8research.com/article2.pdf)
Dr. Waterman & HP8 (http://www.crowmoonmarketing.com/prostate.pdf)
HP8, Latest Treatment for Prostate Cancer (http://babyboomershealthalternatives.com/129/latest-treatment-on-prostate-cancer/)
See “3. Do herbs exist that will destroy cancer cells?” at
(http://www.alkalizeforhealth.net/frequentlyaskedquestions.htm)
Prostate Cancer / Prostate Health by Life Extension Foundation (http://www.lef.org/protocols/prtcl-138.shtml)
http://www.seacoastvitamins.com/product_info.php?products_id=87
HP8 | Natural Prostate Health Complex
70 Vegetarian Capsules (707 mg)
Hp8 is a breakthrough proprietary formulation offering a natural and effective way to maximize healthy prostate function.
Hp8 is manufactured to stringent phamaceutical industry standards at an Australian Government GMP licensed facility ensuring quality, potency, and purity. Each ingredient is carefully selected and tested to ensure batch-to-batch consistency and effectiveness.
HP-8 Herbal Support For A Healthy Prostate Hp8 is a specialty herbal complex designed by one of the great minds in natural medicine, Dr. Peter Waterman of The Center for Phytochemistry at Southern Cross University in Lismore, New South Wales. Hp8 was featured in a popular newsletter written by a well respected doctor and researcher. The researchers designed Hp8 to have the biological activity of PC-SPES, a now discontinued product for prostate cancer, without the side effects seen with the use of PC-SPES. One small pilot study (14 patients) demonstrated Hp8 to be effective in 70 percent of the people who used it. Plans are being made for more extensive research to be completed Hp8. Until such time, an author and medical researcher believes this to be the best and safest replacement for the PC-SPES.
In addition, Hp8 contains free fatty acids and provides a daily dose of 200mcg of Selenium, essential for the maintenance of healthy prostate function.
http://www.vitacost.com/American-BioSciences-HP8-Herbal-Prostate-Formula [American BioSciences HP8 Herbal Prostate Formula, 707mg, qty70VegetarianCapsules, $29.97]
The Vitamin You Need to Prevent Prostate Cancer
Increased intake of vitamin K2 may reduce the risk of prostate cancer by 35 percent, according to the results of European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC).
The potential benefits of K2 were most pronounced for advanced prostate cancer. Vitamin K1 intake did not offer any prostate benefits.
The findings were based on data from more than 11,000 men taking part in the EPIC Heidelberg cohort. It adds to a small but ever-growing body of science supporting the potential health benefits of vitamin K for bone, blood, skin, and now prostate health.
Sources:
NutraIngredients.com April 9, 2008
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition April 2008; 87(4):985-92
For Bladder Infections/ UTI (Urinary Tract Infections):
D-Mannose (for bladder infections) – www.swansonvitamins.com SW913, 1.75oz/50g, $14.99
For UTI (Urinary Tract Infection): cranberry juice extract (not juice itself; it contains too much sugar), uva ursi, marshmallow root — Baseline Nutritionals (Jon Baron) Oct mailing re kidney detox, stones. Also see d-Mannose above. www.swansonvitamins.com SW786, qty180, $2.29 Cranberry
Uva Ursi (leaf)
www.swansonvitamins.com Swanson Premium Brand Uva Ursi Leaf, SW971, 450mg, qty100Caps, $1.88
http://chetday.com/prostategland.htm
Prostate Gland Care
By Dr. Ben Kim
DrBenKim.com
If you’re male and over the age of 20, the best time to get serious about taking care of your prostate gland is now. Conventional medical guidelines recommend annual digital (finger) rectal examinations to screen for prostate enlargement and cancer, beginning in your 41st year. In recent years, I’ve observed an increasing number of men in their 20s and 30s exhibiting symptoms of prostate gland dysfunction.
The three most common types of prostate gland dysfunction are prostatitis, benign prostatic hyperplasia, and prostate cancer. What follows are descriptions of each of these health challenges and their most common symptoms.
- Prostatitis
Prostatitis is inflammation of your prostate gland that may be due to an infection or any other factor that is irritating your prostate.
Signs and Symptoms of Prostatitis:
Pain in your perineal region (area between your rectum and scrotum)
Burning sensation while urinating
An urgent need to urinate
Frequent and difficult urination
A sudden moderate to high fever
Chills
Blood in your urine – on and off
The three most common types of prostatitis are:
Acute Bacterial Prostatitis
Acute bacterial prostatitis is typically caused by an infection by bacteria found in the urinary tract or colon.
Chronic Bacterial Prostatitis
Chronic bacterial prostatitis is similar to the acute form, but its symptoms are typically less severe and develop more slowly.
Chronic Nonbacterial Prostatitis
Chronic nonbacterial prostatitis is similar to chronic bacterial prostatitis; the major difference is that in the nonbacterial form, while symptoms are present, there is no evidence of bacteria in your urine or in the fluid in your prostate gland.
- Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
Noncancerous enlargement your prostate gland is called Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia.
Signs and Symptoms of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia:
Difficulty with starting urine flow
Weak urine flow
A frequent, sometimes urgent, need to urinate
An inability to sleep through the night without having to urinate on multiple occasions
Dribbling at the end of urination
3. Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer isn’t likely to kill you; you’re more likely to die with prostate cancer than you are to die of it. Prostate cancer is troublesome because it can cause you to suffer with a number of uncomfortable symptoms for many years.
Signs and Symptoms of Prostate Cancer
Blood in your urine
A sudden need to urinate
Difficulty with starting urine flow
Painful urination
A feeling that your bladder is not empty after you finish urinating
Frequent urination at night
Painful ejaculation (pain is felt in your perineal region)
Pain in your lower back, hips, or upper thighs
Loss of appetite and weight
How to Care for Your Prostate Gland
Don’t overeat.
Without exception, all of the people that I have worked with on cases of benign prostatic hyperplasia have experienced improvement in their symptoms by reducing total food and water intake.
Overeating on a regular basis promotes unhealthy weight gain and excess production of a number of hormones – both are known risk factors for a variety of cancers.
To optimally care for your prostate gland, avoid creating unnecessary mechanical or chemical stress for your prostate gland. Every time you urinate, your prostate faces mechanical stress. Eating more food and drinking more water than you need promotes frequent urination.
For more information on why drinking too much water can be bad for your health, view:
Problems with Drinking Too Much Water (Note: if you have cancer, your need to detoxify requires lots of pure water; this article is about forcing yourself to drink too much water when you’re healthy.)
Eat a variety of antioxidant-rich plant foods.
A number of studies in the medical literature indicate that eating antioxidants found in pomegranates, tomatoes, and broccoli may be helpful in preventing the development of prostate cancer.
Please remember that everything that you put into your body directly or indirectly affects every organ in your body, including your prostate gland. Your body is not a collection of disjointed compartments; it is a gathering of dozens of organs that are intricately connected in structure and function. Eat a variety of antioxidant-rich foods – including pomegranates, tomatoes, and broccoli – to optimally nourish your prostate gland.
To view a list of healthy antioxidant-rich foods, view:
Foods that are Abundant in Naturally Occurring Antioxidants
Regularly eat foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
A number of studies in the medical literature indicate that regular intake of foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids can reduce your risk of developing a wide variety of cancers, including prostate cancer. To discover which foods are abundant in omega-3 fatty acids, view:
Making Sense of Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Avoid large portions of protein-dense animal foods.
There are several studies in the medical literature which indicate that eating fatty foods may increase your risk of developing prostate cancer. I agree that regular consumption of damaged fats can contribute to any health challenge, including prostate gland dysfunction. But my experience has been that reducing consumption of protein-dense animal foods is more effective for preventing and addressing prostate gland dysfunction than adopting a low-fat diet. Your body, including your prostate gland, needs a steady stream of healthy dietary fats and cholesterol to function optimally.
For some people, I have found that taking this step alone – reducing intake of protein-dense animal foods – can result in dramatic improvement in prostate function.
To learn about damaged and healthy fats, view:
Ensure optimal vitamin D status.
A number of studies, including one out of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard University’s School of Public Health, indicate that adequate vitamin D status may lower prostate cancer risk.
For more information on how to ensure adequate vitamin D status, and to see a list of some foods that are rich in vitamin D, view:
Encourage healthy blood circulation in your pelvic region.
Consider acupressure sessions for Spleen-12, Spleen-13, Bladder-27, and Bladder-34; applying pressure to these four points can increase blood circulation to your prostate gland. Pictures of how to apply pressure to these points can be found on page 129 of Acupressure’s Potent Points: a Guide to Self-Care for Common Ailments
Reserve sexual activity for a mutually monogamous relationship and/or masturbation, and do not engage in anal intercourse.
These measures significantly decrease your risk of experiencing prostatitis.
Experiencing a penile erection and sexual activity in the context mentioned above promotes healthy blood flow to your prostate gland.
Over time, having chronic, noncancerous prostate health challenges may increase your risk of developing of prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in industrialized countries. It’s estimated that by age 50, about 25 percent of the male population have cancerous cells in their prostate glands. This percentage jumps to 50 percent by age 80. By adopting some or all of the suggestions provided above, you may be able to significantly reduce your risk of suffering with prostate health challenges.
How to make lycopene fight prostate problems even better
One of the biggest issues I deal with among men is prostate problems. Whether it’s benign enlargement (BPH) or cancer, every male patient I see either has one of these problems or wants to prevent it. That’s because the former causes urinary obstruction. The latter can kill and hits about 1 in 7 American men. The good news is there are easy ways to prevent both of them.
You probably already know that the plant nutrient lycopene is great for your prostate. But you can help it fight prostate problems even better.
By itself, lycopene can reduce PSA scores in men with BPH. But if you eat lots of onions and garlic along with the lycopene, you’ll dramatically lower your risk of developing BPH in the first place.
In a recent study, researchers found that those eating the most onions and garlic had a significantly reduced risk of BPH. Compared to those who didn’t eat any onions or garlic, those who ate them regularly saw their risk go down by 59% and 28%, respectively. The researchers found that eating the two together frequently will lower your risk by 35%. These are two of my favorite foods. Feel free to eat as much as you want.
And regarding cancer, a lab study found that adding lutein to lycopene (two colorful carotenoids) makes it an even better cancer preventive. The researchers incubated cancer cells with lycopene and lutein. They discovered the combination inhibited the growth of the cells. These carotenoids have the combined ability to reduce the incidence of BPH and slow cancer growth.
If you don’t like tomatoes, a prominent source of lycopene, then you can take the supplement Lyc-O-Mato. It’s available at most health food stores and on the Internet. And you can take lutein and garlic in capsule form (available everywhere). But the best way to get all of these nutrients is to eat a diet heavy in fruits and veggies. Start now before the trouble hits.
Yours for better health and medical freedom,
Robert Jay Rowen, MD
Ref: Urology, 2007; 70(4 Urology, 2007; 70(4); Nutrition and Cancer, 2007; 58(2); J Nutr, 2007; 138(1).
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2004/10/06/red-wine-cancer-part-one.aspx
Resveratrol reduces risk of the most aggressive forms of prostate cancer by 50 percent, according to a cancer research study. The cancer-fighting compound, resveratrol, is found in the red grapes that are used to make red wine. Resveratrol is also found in raspberries.
How Does Resveratrol Help Control Cancer Development?
Because it is an antioxidant, it has the ability to clear dangerous cancer-inducing radicals from the body
Its anti-inflammatory properties prevent certain enzymes from forming that trigger tumor development
It cuts down cell reproduction, which helps reduce the number of cell divisions that could contribute to the progression of cancer cell growth
May play a similar role to estrogen by its ability to reduce testosterone levels, which promote the cancer growth
The study involved interviewing two groups of men: 753 recently diagnosed prostate cancer patients and 703 healthy patients, who acted as the control group. The goal of the study was to evaluate the possible benefits of drinking red wine. The participant’s ages ranged from 40-64, with the majority under the age of 60.
This youthful range was considered one of the strong aspects of the study due to the fact the risks of prostate cancer are lower in younger age groups. This factor also allowed researchers to hone in on specific environmental factors of cancer risk such as wine consumption.
Future studies are being planned to further research the relationship between resveratrol and prostate cancer.
Science Blog September 22, 2004
Dr. Mercola’s Comments:
In an earlier study it was reported that antioxidants weren’t as effective as green and black tea in slowing down the progression of prostate cancer. Knowing the benefits of resveratrol, these findings surprised me.
It now seems my suspicions were confirmed with research that found drinking a glass of red wine a day may cut a man’s risk of prostate cancer in half. Moreover, the protective effect appears to be strongest against the most aggressive forms of the disease.
Resveratrol should be added to the list of tools to fight prostate cancer. These include:
Optimized vitamin D levels
Increased omega-3 oils
Regular sun exposure
Freshly ground flaxseeds (Flaxseed, Not Flax Oil, Benefits Prostate Cancer – http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2001/07/21/flaxseed-part-two.aspx
Vitamin E
While red wine is shown to provide some great health benefits, I do not advocate drinking red wine at all as I am convinced that the alcohol itself is actually a poison and will unbalance your hormones. I am looking into using grape pomace. Grape pomace, a by-product of winemaking and is loaded with resveratrol and many other polyphenolic bioflavanoids and antioxidants. To the best of my knowledge it is not commercially available.
If you insist on drinking red wine you also need to check on the growing conditions of the grapes and how the wine is made. If the wine isn’t made with organic grapes, it may contain no resveratrol at all. You also need to be aware that consuming large amounts of wine or grapes, which have a lower concentration of antioxidants than wine, will increase insulin levels and eventually have a negative impact on your health. It may be beneficial to consume whole grape skins and pass up the meat of the grape, which has no resveratrol but a lot of extra fructose.
How Exercise Reduces Your Risk of Prostate Cancer
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2004/03/20/exercise-cancer-part-four.aspx
Broccoli Sprouts for Prostate & Breast Cancer
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2003/05/24/broccoli-cancer-part-two.aspx
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2003/05/24/broccoli-cancer-part-one.aspx
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/01/02/broccoli-sprouts.aspx
How Exercise Reduces Your Risk of Prostate Cancer
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2004/03/20/exercise-cancer-part-four.aspx
A New Understanding of Cancer
http://www.germannewmedicine.com/
A New View of Cancer — German New Medicine
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/08/21/a-new-view-of-cancer-german-new-medicine.aspx
How to Supercharge Your Immune System – Gary Null video & Dr. Mercola article
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/07/11/how-to-supercharge-your-immune-system.aspx
Let’s not forget the primary cause of most all cancers: unresolved
emotional traumas, often combined with a breakdown in your system due to an
unhealthy lifestyle and exposure to toxins in your environment. (http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/08/21/a-new-view-of-cancer-german-new-medicine.aspx and http://www.germannewmedicine.com)
So if you want to know how to nip cancer in the bud — before it ever begins — pay close attention to these 12 lifestyle changes that can VIRTUALLY
ELIMINATE your risk of cancer and chronic disease. These are the things that will truly keep you healthy — in ways that a vaccine could never come close
to.
Twelve Changes That Will Cut Your Cancer Risk in Half
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2005/04/13/cancer-risk-part-one.aspx
Over 570,000 people are expected to die from cancer in 2005, and according to a report, more than 60 percent of those deaths could have been prevented if Americans adopted healthier lifestyles. The American Cancer Society said that Americans could realistically cut their cancer death rate in half by:
Quitting smoking
Exercising more
Eating healthier food
Getting recommended cancer screenings
In 2005, over 1.3 million Americans will learn they have cancer, and of the expected 570, 280 cancer deaths it’s estimated that more than 168,000 of those will be caused by tobacco use and one-third will be related to poor nutrition, physical inactivity, being overweight or obese or other lifestyle factors. That makes up 62 percent of all cancer deaths.
To show how an American could, in reality, reduce their death risk from cancer, one expert pointed out that quitting smoking would eliminate about 50 percent of cancer deaths, while maintaining a healthy body weight and exercising would eliminate another 10 percent.
Another fraction would be reduced by regular cancer screenings, as some cancers, such as breast, colon and prostate cancers, are easily treated if caught early on before they spread. According to researchers, if all women between the ages of 50 and 79 got mammograms every year, breast cancer deaths would go down by nearly 40 percent.
The easiest way to prevent cancer, according to the report, is to stop all use of tobacco. Education, excise taxes on cigarettes and clean air laws have all helped to get the nation’s smoking rate down to below 25 percent, however, another major cancer risk, obesity, appears to be harder to slow down.
Experts say making healthy food more easily accessible and increasing physical activity is a step in the right direction to tackling obesity, along with getting schools to remove sodas and other junk foods from their vending machines.
Adult Cancer Risks
As adults, there’s still much we can do to cut our cancer risk. Here’s how we’re doing:
More than one in four men and more than one in five women still smoke cigarettes.
Nearly two-thirds of U.S. adults are overweight. That includes the 30 percent of us who are obese.
Not quite half of U.S. adults get enough exercise.
Only about one in four U.S. adults eats five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day.
American Cancer Society March 31, 2005
Dr. Mercola’s Comments:
Based on studies of human remains ranging from 5300 B.C. to the mid-19th century, we know that cancer used to be quite rare. Cancer is becoming a far more common problem in our culture. Earlier this year cancer passed heart disease as the leading cause of death in the United States. We are now up to 175 people EVERY HOUR being diagnosed with cancer and another 65 that are actually dying from cancer.
Considering how important this issue is for nearly everyone you know, it might be a good one to forward to your friends and relatives. You can easily do this by using the E-mail to a friend button in the upper right hand section of this page, just under the search box. You can make a larger impact if you write them a personal message in the e-mail as to why they should seriously consider the advice–and why they may want to subscribe to the newsletter.
What innovative medicines, technologies and strategies are suggested by the Cancer Society to slow the spread of cancer by an amazing 62 percent? Doing nothing more than making some simple lifestyle changes.
Eat healthier foods (ideally based on your body’s unique metabolic type).
Incorporate more exercise in your daily routine.
Stop smoking today.
Schedule periodic cancer screenings.
The American Cancer Society is as traditional as medical organizations come. It is reassuring that even their conservative researchers now suggest a 62 percent reduction with simple lifestyle changes.
One of the skills my father drilled into me from early childhood was to never settle for second best. For the most part I haven’t, and I would encourage you to follow that advice when it comes to cancer prevention. Why would you settle for a meager 62 percent reduction? I believe you can VIRTUALLY ELIMINATE your cancer risk if you follow risk reduction strategies that have not been formally “proven” yet by conservative researchers.
Why do you want to wait another 20 or 30 years for these to be proven and risk falling into the group of 175 Americans that are being diagnosed with cancer every hour? In 25 years another 15 million will die from cancer. I suggest you get with the program now and save you and your family a cancer diagnosis.
So what can you do to virtually eliminate your cancer risk?
There are a number of simple, yet very powerful, steps you can take to radically lower your risk of cancer in the future. Some of the most important ones are as follows:
Control your fasting insulin and leptin levels. This is the end result, and can be easily monitored with the use of simple and relatively inexpensive blood tests. Make certain that you limit your intake of processed foods, grain carbohydrate and sugars as much as possible. Yes, this is even true for whole unprocessed organic grains as they tend to rapidly break down and drive your insulin and leptin levels up, which is the last thing you need to have happening if you are seeking to resolve a cancer.
Get appropriate amounts of animal-based omega-3 fats and make sure you use cod liver oil (but not too much — see Vitamin D article links below) if you don’t have regular access to sun exposure. Normalize your ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fats by taking a high-quality krill oil or fish oil and reducing your intake of most processed vegetable oils.
Get regular and appropriate exercise. One of the primary reasons exercise works is that it drives your insulin levels down. Controlling insulin levels is one of the most powerful ways to reduce your cancer risks.
Normalize your vitamin D levels and vitamin A levels with safe amounts of sunlight exposure and consider careful supplementation when this is not possible. This works primarily by optimizing your vitamin D level. If you have regular access to sun exposure then you should use fish oil, not cod liver oil, as your primary source of omega-3 fats. Ideally, it would be best to monitor your vitamin D levels. If you take oral vitamin D and have a cancer it would be very prudent to monitor your vitamin D blood levels regularly. Ideally, it would be best for all people to monitor their vitamin D levels.
Only 25 percent of people eat enough vegetables, so by all means eat as many vegetables as your metabolic type allows. Ideally, they should be fresh and organic. However, please understand that, frequently, fresh conventionally grown vegetables are healthier than organic ones that are older and wilted in the grocery store. They are certainly better than no vegetables at all, so please don’t use that as an excuse. If you are a carb metabolic type, you may need up to 300 percent more vegetables than a protein metabolic type.
Eat according to your metabolic type. The potent anti-cancer effects of this principle are very much underappreciated. When we treat cancer patients in our clinic this is one of the most powerful anti-cancer strategies we have.
Make sure you are not in the two-thirds of the population who are overweight and maintain an ideal body weight.
Limit your exposure and provide protection for yourself from information carrying radio waves produced by cell phone towers, base stations, phones and WiFi stations.
Reduce your exposure to environmental toxins like pesticides, household chemical cleaners, synthetic air fresheners and air pollution.
Have a tool to permanently reprogram the neurological short-circuiting that can activate cancer genes. Even the CDC states that 85 percent of disease is caused by emotions. It is likely that this factor may be more important than all the other physical ones listed here, so make sure this is addressed. Energy psychology seems to be one of the best approaches and my particular favorite tool, as you may know, is the Emotional Freedom Technique. German New Medicine is another powerful tool.
Boil, poach or steam your foods, rather than frying or charbroiling them.
Get a good night’s sleep.
Consume flax seeds (organic only) that have been freshly ground in a coffee grinder. The water soluble fibers (lignans) are a simple nutritious solution to decrease the risk of breast cancer and nicely complement your omega-3 fats.
Use broccoli sprouts as an adjunct to everything above.
Eating sprouts is not the only course of action I recommend for preventing or treating breast and prostate cancer. Here are a few other guidelines:
Lower iron levels by donating blood. Excess iron can be a major cause of many cancers. (IP6 and Artemisinin work by targeting the large amounts of iron in cancer cells).
The bottom line: Eat nutritious (for your metabolic type) meals and get plenty of exercise if you want to reduce your risk of breast cancer.
For starters, following the plan detailed in my Total Health Program will optimize your weight and familiarize you with the foods that ward off diseases.
Additional guidelines to reduce breast cancer risks:
Avoid sugar and grains
Eat broccoli and broccoli sprouts. The sprouts are loaded with chemicals like indole-3 carbinol which is another effective way to speed up estrogen metabolism. If your schedule does not allow you to grow the sprouts you can purchase them or actually go to the health food store and purchase supplements like indole-3 carbinol. The major preference though is to use the whole food like the broccoli sprouts. In the near future I will be reviewing effective automated solutions for sprouting.
Normalize your omega-3 and omega-6 fat ratios with fish oil
Get plenty of exercise
One of the newest things that I have learned to lower the risk of breast cancer is that you can improve the ability of your body to metabolize estrogen. It is well documented that excessive estrogen will increase the risk of breast cancer. One can actually measure the ratio of estrogen metabolites to determine how effectively a person is able to remove estrogen from their system. However, if the estrogen metabolite ratio is compromised there are several effective nutritional solutions to improve it.
Consume omega-3 fats from cod liver and fish oil.
—
Broccoli Sprouts for Prostate, Breast & Other Cancers
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2003/05/24/broccoli-cancer-part-two.aspx
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2003/05/24/broccoli-cancer-part-one.aspx
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/01/02/broccoli-sprouts.aspx
Broccoli (Sprouts or Extract) May Halt Growth of Breast, Prostate & Colon Cancer Cells
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2003/05/24/broccoli-cancer-part-three.aspx
From every way that I look at it I3C sure seems vastly superior to the drug Tamoxifen to treat breast cancer. It also is likely to be very beneficial in the treatment of prostate cancer since the two diseases have very similar contributing factors. However does that mean you should absolutely rush out and purchase supplements of I3C?
Absolutely not!!!
My strong recommendation would be to get the entire family of beneficial nutrients. One way to do this would be to eat broccoli but the best way is to consume broccoli sprouts, which are hundreds of times more potent than regular broccoli.
I first wrote about this in 1997 when I posted information on using broccoli sprouts. They are an inexpensive and more effective cancer-treating alternative to eating the whole vegetable. You can purchase organic broccoli seeds from Johnny’s at (207) 861-3901. Reference item #148, four ounces are $9, or one pound is $26.15. For sprouting instructions call Jaffe Brothers at (619) 749-1133. Your local library or health food store may also have some instructions on sprouting seeds.
Dr. Mercola’s Comment: At the present time, broccoli sprouts are not being grown commercially. However you can grow them yourself quite easily. You can purchase organic brocolli seeds from Johnny’s at 207-437-4301. Item number 148, four onces are $9.00 or a pound for $26.15. Non-organic seeds can probably be purchased through farm supply stores or other seed catalogs. You can also call Jaffe Brothers at 619-749-1133 for instructions on how to sprout. They also sell sprouting lids to apply to Ball jars which make the entire process quite convenient. The library or health food store may also have some instructions on sprouting seeds.
A small amount of spouts go a long way. A pound of sprouts will probably make over ten pounds of sprouts which from the researchers calculations translates up to as much cancer protecting phytochemicals as 1000 pounds (half a ton) of broccoli! The other major benefit is that the sprouts don’t smell as you don’t have to cook them. They are eaten raw, usually as an addition to salad. I have already ordered my sprouts. I suspect that there are similar benefits for many of the other vegetables when eaten as sprouts.
Sugar and Cancer
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2000/10/08/sugar-cancer-part-one.aspx
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2000/10/08/sugar-cancer-part-two.aspx
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2000/10/08/sugar-cancer-part-three.aspx
Breakthrough Treatment for Prostate Disease
October 2008 / Volume XVIII , No. 10
Dr. Robert Rowen
Did you know that over 90% of men who reach the age of 70 will have some sort of prostate disease? This can include prostatitis, enlargement, or cancer. And all of them are serious problems.
Prostatitis, inflammation of the gland, affects 50% of men sometime in their life. It’s extremely common in men of all ages.
BPH (benign prostatic hypertrophy) is non-malignant enlargement of the gland. By age 60, it affects more than half of all men. By 70, it affects 90%.
Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer among men in the U.S. There were 218,890 reported new cases in 2007 alone. Over 27,000 men reportedly die each year of the disease. One in six men will get it. New cases are rising very rapidly.
But what if I told you there’s now an amazing new treatment that can dramatically reduce the symptoms of all of these diseases? And what if I told you that it can even cure some cases of prostate cancer?
Well, there is such a treatment. No, it’s not a pill. Nor is it a Big Pharma drug, surgery, or high-tech device. In fact, you can do this breakthrough treatment of the decade in the comfort of your own home.
What may really surprise you, though, is that this treatment is identical to one you would use to prevent heart attacks.
The treatment is our old favorite chelation therapy. That’s right! The powerful heavy metal detoxifier that works wonders for your heart also treats prostate disease.
But you don’t have to go to the doctor to get an IV. And you don’t have to take it orally. No, the delivery system is easy to do for everyone. I’ll explain it in a moment.
How can chelation help your prostate?
There’s a growing body of evidence that biofilms of calcium accumulate in the prostate. These deposits can provide a nesting place for infection and inflammation, just like calcium deposits elsewhere.
There also is good evidence that calcifications occur in tandem with toxic heavy metals deposition. Calcium belongs in your bones and teeth, not your soft tissues.
We know that soft tissue disease, including prostate disease, is associated with increased calcium. Your prostate in particular is mineral sensitive. It needs zinc. But zinc is easily displaced by the toxic minerals cadmium and lead. Lead is associated with calcification in your arteries and brain. Furthermore, heavy metals can play a role in cancer as well.
So it makes logical sense that if you could reduce calcium and heavy metals in your prostate, you could reverse or prevent prostate disease. And that’s exactly what chelation therapy does — it removes heavy metals.
The significant accumulation of EDTA in your prostate could help it eliminate minerals that destroy the organ’s function. EDTA grabs and removes both lead and cadmium. Getting rid of the heavy metals will allow your prostate to heal itself.
There’s one problem, though. EDTA is notorious for poor absorption. I love oral chelation. It’s cheap. But it nets only 2-5% absorption at best. For many illnesses, this is adequate. But for the prostate, it doesn’t do much. Intravenous EDTA is the gold standard. Obviously, 100% of it is absorbed. But it’s expensive, requires a trip to the doctor’s office, and you have to stick a needle in your arm.
That leaves one more delivery system — a suppository. Chelation by suppository? I know it doesn’t sound like the most pleasant treatment. But trust me, it’s not as bad as it sounds. In fact, it doesn’t hurt at all. Most people get used to it very quickly. And it works!
At a recent conference, I met with Rita Ellithorpe, MD. She has been using EDTA suppositories as her mainstay of chelation therapy for over 10 years. She’s treated thousands of patients. While visiting with Dr. Ellithorpe, she handed me an article she wrote about a study she conducted. When I saw that it was on prostate problems, and provided absolute proof as to the absorption of EDTA from suppositories, my eyeballs about popped out. This was the proof for which I had been looking for four years.
Dr. Ellithorpe’s team took 31 men, ages 41-73 (mean age 61). Twenty-four had evidence of mild to severe BPH/prostatitis. Seventeen had prostate cancer. Ultrasound evaluation confirmed 30 calcifications in the group.
The researchers graded the men on symptoms by an internationally accepted scoring system. Let’s look at how they fared. For symptoms of prostatitis: pain intensity dropped from 5.0 to 2.85; and urinary symptoms dropped by about one-third (from 3.4 to 2.6). Problems in quality of life dropped by about 25%. And it reduced total symptoms by about a third.
The results for benign prostatic hypertrophy were amazing. Dr. Ellithorpe based her scoring on the International Prostate Symptom Score table. Here are the results: Incomplete emptying of the bladder fell from 1.7 to 0.9. Frequency fell from 3.5 to 2.8. Intermittency fell from 1.6 to 1.0. Urgency from 2.2 to 0.9. Weak stream dropped from 2.25 to 1.25. Straining from 0.7 to 0.5. Nocturia from 1.8 to 1.6. Quality of life improved 23%. Total mean score from 12 to 7.1. Five of these eight scores were statistically significant.
Seven out of 15 men had improvement in erectile function, though this was not statistically significant.
So why does chelation therapy for prostate work so well? To discover that, Dr. Ellithorpe did animal studies on rats. Her team administered radioactive labeled EDTA both by rectal suppository and by IV. Rita’s group determined overall absorption by the rectal route was 36.3%. Obviously, the suppository doesn’t get absorbed as well as the IV. But it does have one huge advantage.
The rectal absorption was slower. As a result, EDTA was present in the rats’ blood long after the EDTA by IV administration was gone. Therapeutic levels were still present eight hours later. IV EDTA was gone from the blood just two hours after the therapy.
The prolonged presence could allow for greater tissue penetration. And, in fact, Dr. Ellithorpe proved it. They found EDTA concentrations in the prostate of the animals four times greater than with the IV route. That’s what impressed me so much.
Rectal chelation is a great way to direct EDTA next door to your prostate. The data shows it works, and that clinical benefits follow.
Dr. Rita Ellithorpe and her colleagues have made a wonderful contribution to medicine. The 36% absorption of rectal EDTA blows away the 2-5% absorption of oral EDTA. And it stays in the blood longer than the IV. So it is possibly the absolute best way to get chelation, especially for the prostate — but also for the entire body.
Now, let’s look at the cost. IV chelation at maximum dose averages over $125 from my informal surveys. The rectal EDTA comes in the product Detoxamin. The maximum dose of EDTA given via IV is about 3,000 mg. Since Detoxamin is 36% absorbed, you would need about 9,000 mg (12 suppositories of 750 mg) to get an equivalent home treatment. The price of the non prescription form of Detoxamin for this amount would be only $95. And it would save you the time and cost of travel to your doctor.
Part of Dr. Ellithorpe’s protocol included the antibiotic tetracycline (500 mg taken orally at night), which she gave at the same time as the suppository. Many doctors believe that there is a tiny bacteria called nanobacter that participates in calcifications. The kills this bacteria. You can’t get it without a doctor’s prescription. Even if your doctor won’t consider providing it for you, Dr. Ellithorpe strongly believes that the Detoxamin preparation is key to the improvement.
The 1,000 mg suppositories are sufficient for up to 160 pounds. If you are much heavier, or simply want a higher dose suppository, you’ll have to consult with a doctor who is a distributor for the company. That, though, will add significantly to your cost. Website: http://detoxamin.com/
I’ve contacted Detoxamin and asked them to give you a discount. To get this discount, simply call 877-656-4553 and mention my name, Dr. Robert Rowen, and they will give you a 10% discount off the regular price of your entire order.
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NutriCology Healthy Prostate & Ovary, http://www.vitacost.com/NutriCology-Healthy-Prostate-Ovary [NUC 7551404, 180 Tablets, $29.72, Serving Size: 3 Tablets, Servings per Container: 60, Proprietary Blend of Astragalus (Root) Extract Water Plaintain (Root) Extract Crinum latifolium (Leaves) Extract Bitter Melon (Fruit) Extract Papaya (Leaves) Extract Soursop (Leaves) Extract. See p19 “Vietnamese Herb Reverses Prostate Cancer” in Rowen’s Library of 21st Century Cures regarding Crinum.
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Your Immune System Can Keep Cancer Dormant
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December 13, 2007 • 132,240 views
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New research has shown for the first time that the human immune system can stop the growth of a cancerous tumor without actually killing it. These results help explain why some tumors suddenly stop growing and go into a long period of dormancy.
The study‘s authors call this cancer-suppressing state “equilibrium.” During equilibrium, the immune system decreases the cancer‘s ability to grow, and kills some cancerous cells, although not enough to eliminate or shrink the tumor.
Researchers injected mice with small doses of a chemical carcinogen and observed those who developed small, stable masses at the site of the injections. When certain components of the animals‘ immune systems were disabled, the growths became full-blown cancers. This suggests that the immune system had been holding the tumors in check.
“We may one day be able to use immunotherapy to artificially induce equilibrium and convert cancer into a chronic but controllable disease,” suggests co-author Mark J. Smyth, Ph.D., professor of the Cancer Immunology Program at the Peter McCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne, Australia.
“Proper immune function is now appreciated as another important factor in preventing the development of some cancers. Further research and clinical validation of this process may also turn established cancers into a chronic condition, similar to other serious diseases that are controlled long-term by taking a medicine,” he added.
According to a scientific theory called cancer immuno-surveillance, your immune system can discern malignant cells, and attack tumors with the same weapons it uses to eliminate invading microorganisms. Current immunotherapy efforts use pharmaceutical agents to increase the chances that the immune system will recognize and attack tumor cells.
The cancer immuno-surveillance theory however fell out of favour, and in 2001 a new model known as cancer immuno-editing was established.
The cancer immuno-editing theory suggests that conflict between cancers and the immune system takes place naturally, but with three different potential outcomes.
Your immune system can eliminate cancer, destroying it completely
Your immune system can form a balance with cancer, by checking its growth but not destroying it
The cancer can escape from your immune system, and become more malignant
Dr. Mercola’s Comments:
After my recent interview with Dr. David Holt about the concepts inherent in German New Medicine, this article shows how sometimes scientists can be oh-so-close, yet still so far off the mark.
First of all, the statement, “We may one day be able to use immunotherapy to artificially induce equilibrium and convert cancer into a chronic but controllable disease,” is a sad testament to the fundamental difference between conventional medicine and real healing.
What Vital Components are Conventional Cancer Researchers Missing?
According to Dr. Geerd Hamer, who re-discovered the natural laws of what he now calls the German New Medicine, cancer is NOT a disease state, but rather a phase during your physical, mental and emotional healing process.
WHOA! That’s a radical statement!
Hope you were sitting down when you read that because I nearly fell out of my chair when I first heard it, because I realized the profound implications of this concept.
But please don’t let the shock value lead you to dismiss it before looking into it further, as there’s simply not enough space for me to do it justice in this article.
But what Hamer discovered is that cancer (as well as ALL other disease) is the temporary outgrowth of a serious emotional trauma – your body’s brilliant way of helping you resolve the issue – and once you’ve reached a resolution in your psyche (your mind), your brain directs your body to re-establish its original balance, i.e. go in and remove the cell growths it created in defense to the trauma.
Certain breast cancers, for example, can occur after traumatic events related to the potential, or actual loss of a child. Your body responds to the acute emotional crisis by increasing cell proliferation in your milk ducts, because your biological solution to saving your child’s life is to make sure you have plenty of milk to nurse your child back to health, and in so doing resolve the emotional crisis, which is “my child is hurt, or dying.”
Depending on the emotional trauma, different parts of your brain is affected, which in turn determines which part of your body may start proliferating cells (conventional medicine calls this cancer), and it also determines whether your tumor is created during the active stage of your emotional crisis, or if it’s created during the healing phase, in response to lesions or cell necrosis.
This explains how tumors go into remission, and/or disappear completely.
The most tragic part of standard cancer treatment is that when you receive the shocking news that you now have cancer and may die, your body re-enters a state of shock, often leading to additional cancers. Conventional medicine calls this metastasis – that your cancer is spreading. According to German New Medicine, you were healing, but the “death-fright shock” launched another set of tumors. Between the intense fear created by being diagnosed with cancer, and the deadly cancer treatments offered, death is unfortunately more common than healing.
Dr. Hamer has more than 40,000 case studies backing up his new science, and his cancer cure rate is over 95 percent. “Cure” being defined by conventional medicine as still being alive five years after the onset of cancer.
Compare that to conventional chemotherapy, which comes in at a dismal 2.5 percent cure rate, and you may grasp the vital implications of this information.
Consider also the fact that Dr. Hamer, as a reward by his conventional peers for his incredible success rates, has served time in jail for “inciting the public” and refusing to disavow his medical beliefs, and is currently in exile, seeking asylum from persecution.
Does That Mean It’s All in Your Head?
Certainly not. But it does mean that your psyche/mind and body are intricately connected, and that you cannot separate the two without dire consequences.
However, maintaining a strong healthy immune system is a mandatory step in maintaining robust health and creating an environment where your body has everything it needs to heal at its disposal.
I am a firm believer in that you can virtually eliminate your cancer risk, and radically improve your chances of full recovery from cancer if you currently have it, by following the following all-natural strategies to optimize your health and innate regenerative power.
And, by refocusing on the importance that your mental and emotional state has on your physical body, and learning to resolve your emotional conflicts rather than deaden them with toxic mind-numbing antidepressant drugs (see # 11 below), your chances of leading a long, healthy life seems almost inevitable.
True Cancer Prevention – Giving Your Body a Fighting Chance to Heal
These are my 12 risk reduction strategies that can optimize your health and aid in your natural self-healing process.
Reduce your processed food, sugar and grain carbohydrate intake. Yes, this is even true for whole unprocessed organic grains as they tend to rapidly break down and drive your insulin and leptin levels up, which is the last thing you need to have happening if you are seeking to resolve a cancer.
Control your fasting insulin and leptin levels: This is the end result, and can be easily monitored with the use of simple and relatively inexpensive blood tests.
Normalize your ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fats by taking a high-quality krill oil or fish oil and reducing your intake of most processed vegetable oils.
Get regular exercise. One of the primary reasons exercise works is that it drives your insulin levels down. Controlling insulin levels is one of the most powerful ways to reduce your cancer risks.
Normalize your vitamin D levels and vitamin A levels by getting plenty of sunlight exposure and consider careful supplementation when this is not possible. If you take oral vitamin D and have a cancer it would be very prudent to monitor your vitamin D blood levels regularly.
Get a good night’s sleep.
Eat according to your nutritional type. The potent anti-cancer effects of this principle are very much underappreciated. When we treat cancer patients in our clinic this is one of the most powerful anti-cancer strategies we have.
Reduce your exposure to environmental toxins like pesticides, household chemical cleaners, synthetic air fresheners and air pollution.
Limit your exposure and provide protection for yourself from information carrying radio waves produced by cell phone towers, base stations, phones and WiFi stations.
Avoid frying or charbroiling your food. Boil, poach or steam your foods instead .
Have a tool to permanently reprogram the neurological short-circuiting that can activate cancer genes. Even the CDC states that 85 percent of disease is caused by emotions. It is likely that this factor may be more important than all the other physical ones listed here, so make sure this is addressed. Energy psychology seems to be one of the best approaches and my particular favorite tool, as you may know, is the Emotional Freedom Technique. German New Medicine is another powerful tool.
Use broccoli sprouts as an adjunct to everything above unless you simply do not like broccoli.
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Exercise Helps Radically Lower Your Risk of Cancer
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March 08, 2007 • 8,635 views
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Upwards of six hours of strenuous activity each week could reduce the risks of invasive breast cancer by as much as 23 percent. A recent survey of over 15,000 women shows that exercise has a lifelong protective effect against invasive breast cancer.
The survey was of women between the ages of 20 and 69 living in Wisconsin, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. During structured telephone interviews, researchers questioned almost 8,000 women without breast cancer, more than 1,500 survivors of non-invasive breast cancer, and more than 6,000 survivors of invasive breast cancer.
The women were asked about their physical activity, occupation, family history of breast cancer, menopausal status, and body mass index.
A reduction in risk for women who exercised was apparent whether the physical activity took place early in life, in the postmenopausal years, or in the recent past.
Dr. Mercola’s Comments:
Many don’t realize my initial intention when I went to medical school was to help people use exercise to stay healthy. Virtually no one disagrees that it is essential to achieving health and treating illness. However, I have noticed that many physicians tend not to advocate exercise as much as they could.
I suspect this is likely related in most cases to them personally not adopting exercise in their own life so it would be “hypocritical” of them to advise their patients to exercise when they aren’t. This is certainly not true of all physicians but it is for a great many of them.
This is a major pity. I really do believe one of the requirements for medical school should be personal disciplines that help the physicians achieve high levels of health and wellness so they can model it to their patients. Unfortunately, this is simply not the case nor will it likely happen in the near future.
In the meantime you can “Take Control of Your Health” by understanding how you can use exercise to improve and optimize your own health.
One of them is realizing that the most common cause of death for you and for nearly everyone reading this is actually cancer. So what can you do to prevent cancer?
Exercise
Not only does it treat and prevent heart disease but it is equally as effective in cancer — most likely for similar reasons, improvement of insulin levels.
Last night I learned that my brother-in-law, who is several years younger than me, had a heart attack and will be having bypass surgery. Even though I helped him stop smoking 20 years ago and he stopped his six cans of soda a day about 10 years ago there were many other elements of a healthy lifestyle he did not embrace.
One of the things he had not embraced in his lifestyle changes was exercise. Not only would exercise have dramatically lowered his risk of a heart attack, it would have also radically lowered his cancer risk. This is a “hidden” benefit of exercise that most people are not at all aware of.
Interestingly, both diseases are likely affected by the same mechanism, lowering insulin and leptin levels.
Probably the most important aspect about using exercise to optimize your health: You must treat it like a drug, meaning it must be prescribed precisely to do the most for your body. There’s no truer evidence than this recent study about exercise and its protective effect on invasive breast cancer. At least six hours of strenuous exercise every week — a prescription for health — cut a woman’s risks of invasive breast cancer by 23 percent.
Most importantly, a woman can receive the very same protection exercise affords her against breast cancer at any stage in her life, meaning it’s never too late to start. If you need some help, you’ll want to review my beginner’s exercise page today.
Please remember, though, that while exercise is a vital component of optimal health, restricting your health plan to exercise exclusively is a prescription for disaster. The evidence for this assertion becomes apparent when you examine elite endurance athletes who develop cancer. You can learn more about virtually eliminating your cancer risks by reviewing my major recommendations.
On Vital Votes, Lifestyle and Nutrition Coach Josh Rubin from <!–?xml:namespace prefix = st1 /–><st1:place><st1:city>San Marcos</st1:city>, <st1:state>California</st1:state></st1:place> adds:
“I agree 100% that exercise is one piece to the healing and prevention puzzle. I have found as well that most of my clients that have breast cancer in their family, are worried or get it, are estrogen dominant. This can mean high levels, but as well normal levels of estrogens. Estrogen dominance means that one has low levels of progesterone in order to oppose estrogen.
“Estrogen caused cell proliferation and cell growth. Estrogen dominance in this day and age in my opinion comes from many places, but the most common are:
“1. Plastic water bottles and containers contain xenoestrogens.
“2. Stress causes the body to steal pregnenolone (precursor to progesterone) from the metabolic pathways in order to keep up with the production of cortisol. This leads to adrenal issues and low progesterone levels.
“3. Most hygiene products, perfumes, etc will cause estrogen levels to increase, as well as make a women’s hormones go haywire.
“4. The pill causes most women’s hormones to go haywire. Most have synthetic estrogens in them, which cause adrenal stress, as well as add to estrogen dominance.
“5. Soy, and this is a whole discussion topic in itself.”
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Crinum – Hope prostate and Ovarian sufferers.
Although this article can be found on many sites, I thought it may be of some interest to those who visit here. I would personally try this herb.
“Quote”
Crinum Latifolium: Traditional Vietnamese Herb Shows Great Promise for Prostate & Ovarian Health
By Dr. Robert J. Rowen, M.D
Traditional Vietnamese Herb
One of Vietnam’s most potent and effective medicinal herbs for prostate and ovarian health, Crinum Latifolium, has recently come into the spotlight. Used traditionally for longevity, Crinum was so revered in Vietnam, that it was reserved only for royalty, commonly referred to as the “Medicine for the King’s Palace” and the “Royal Female Herb.” These traditional nicknames highlight one of Crinum’s most unique aspects – its ability to target both prostate and ovarian health conditions. As clinicians well know, it is quite unusual for an herb to be effective for both men and women’s health conditions, but Crinum appears to be effective for both. Crinum’s benefits have also been reported to extend beyond prostate and ovarian health.
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
Crinum has been shown to alleviate the symptoms of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) (enlarged prostate). BPH is one of the most common male health conditions, the main symptom of which is frequent and sometimes painful urination. There are over 500 successful case histories using Crinum for BPH. After seven years of research, the International Hospital in Vietnam reported that 92.6 percent of BPH patients had good results using Crinum (confirmed by measurements of prostate size and clinical evaluations by urologists).1 The doctors used the extract for 21 day cycles, with 7 days off in between cycles. They reported no side effects and no lethal level in animals (meaning incredible safety).
In a Vietnamese study, 158 BPH patients were given a Crinum-based herbal preparation two times per day. After 64 days, patients were evaluated by clinical and ultrasound examinations. Researchers found that prostate size returned to normal in 154 patients (97%). A three-year follow up confirmed a high rate of long-term success for those patients who completed therapy.2
In a recent report from the Vietnamese Central State News Agency (September 2005): Crinum Latifolium extract has a very good therapeutic effect on benign hyperthrophy of prostate (BHP), the National institute of Traditional Medicine, the Institute of traditional Medicine of Ho Chi Minh City, and the Institute of Aging Disorders Hanoi tested Crinum in a large number of patients (627 patients) with BHP. The results have shown a 33-93% reduction in urinary symptoms. 90% of the tested patients achieved a reduction in prostate size. Among them a significant number of patients achieved a normalization of prostate size and urinary health after three months of therapy. There were no significant adverse reactions.3
CASE HISTORIES
Case History 1:
Some patients find that their PSA levels drop on Crinum. One such case involved a 58-year-old man who had a starting PSA level of 93. He had waited so long to go to the urologist that his cancer had already spread to his bones, intestines, and lymph nodes. He was placed on an aggressive herbal protocol that included Crinum. After only four mouths, his PSA level was down to .9 and his symptoms of difficult urination, swelling in his legs, and extreme fatigue, had all completely resolved.
Case History 2:
A 52-year-old male patient who had been diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1999, with a PSA level of 40, and cancer confirmed by biopsy. He was just about to have surgery, anti-hormone therapy and radiation, when he heard about a Crinum formula from a family member. His symptoms included frequent night-time urination and difficult and painful urination during the day. After only five days on the Crimea formula, he began to notice improvement, and continued to improve each day. He also began to sleep better. After three years of continued improvement on Crinum, he went back to his urologist and had a biopsy, which came back completely normal and free of cancer cells. Interestingly, during the three-year period his PSA level had fallen from 40 to 12, but also had risen back up to 20 – all the while feeling great and symptom free. The above case histories are just some of the many written testimonials that I have received regarding the use of Crinum. Most of my personal patients using Crinum have experienced a significant reduction in frequent nighttime urination.
The Hoang Family of Doctors
Although most of the research available on Crinum focuses on the prostate gland and men’s health, much of the early research using Crinum for ovarian cysts was published by the Hoang family of medical doctors. The Hoang family is made up of three generations of progressive Vietnamese physicians who have shared their research with each other and worked together to move the uses of Vietnamese and Chinese herbs to a new and innovative level in modem alternative medicine. Dr. Kim Hoang was the grandson of the Chief Teacher for the Vietnamese royal family and was responsible for making Crinum a “national treasure” for prostate and ovarian health. In 1984, Dr. Hoang’s daughter had so many ovarian cysts that she was scheduled for surgery. But instead, Dr. Huang put her on a Crinum tea protocol, and six weeks later, her cysts were gone. In all, the Hoang family of doctors have used Crinum combined with other herbs to successfully treat well over one hundred patients with varying stages of prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, ovarian cysts, and bladder cancer, and to date have reported a success rate of almost 70%.4 Biopsies have confirmed sixteen cases of advanced-stage prostate cancer resolved, regardless of Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) levels, In fact, the Hoang family reports that sometimes patients’ PSA levels actually rise when taking Crinum, even though their biopsies show normal, healthy prostate cells. This is exactly what happened to Ken Malik, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Prostate Awareness Foundation, a San Francisco-based nonprofit organization that offers support, information, and resources for prostate cancer patients.
Ken’s Story
In his own personal battle with prostate cancer, Ken Malik decided to take the natural approach opting for nutritional protocols and lifestyle modification. He had been using the herbal supplement PC Specs for eight years and found that it stabilized his condition. PC Specs had been marketed as an all-natural herbal formula, and had shown remarkable results for prostate conditions. But recently, it was pulled from the market after researchers found that certain PC Specs products actually contained synthetic and potentially harmful sub-lances. Ken was one of thousands of men worldwide who were negatively affected when PC Specs was pulled off the market. After discontinuing the product, Ken’s PSA levels slowly began to rise, so he began his search for a replacement. This is when he found Crinum.
Ken started taking Crinum, along with a number of other supplements, in January of 2002, and over the course of ten months, his PSA levels continued to rise, however his biopsies showed his prostate to be completely free of cancer cells. (Ken’s rise in PSA levels coupled with normal biopsies is just one more report that adds possible credibility to recent claims that PSA testing may not be an accurate assessment tool for diagnosing prostate cancer)
Ken was so excited about his personal results with Crinum that he organized an informal trial with ten members of The Prostate Awareness Foundation. Participants took a proprietary Crinum formula daily for three months, and all ten reported some level of functional improvement. (To view a recap of this informal trial go to: www.prostateawarenessfoundation.org)
The Prostate Awareness Foundation (PAF) is a 501(c)(3) educational foundation that provides men and their families with non-biased, patient-driven information on prostate health issues and treatment options. The foundation places an emphasis on lifestyle changes, diet and supplements as preventative measures. They also provide free-of-charge consultations, a support group program, monthly bulletins and a mentor program, PAF recommends an integrative approach to prostate problems using the best from both conventional and alternative medicine and encourages men to take proactive responsibility for their health and healing.
Crinum for Women
There is much less data available on the use of Crinum for women’s health conditions. However, as Crinum becomes more popular, new data is emerging. Below are some very promising case histories from prominent doctors on the use of Crinum for polycystic ovarian disease.
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
Dr. Thomas Dorman, M.D.
Case History: Dr. Dorman recently had a female patient with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Her symptoms included irregular periods, decreased sex drive, weight gain, and excessive facial hair (from excess male hormones, confirmed by a laboratory), all of which are quite common in PCOS. After only two months on a Crinum formula, as a single intervention, her menstruation and weight normalized, her facial hair diminished, and her sex drive returned. There has now been nine months follow-up without a deterioration in this regard.
Dr. Abram Ber, MD
“I have shared this case history to confirm the efficacy of Crinum Latifolium. I have found it to be universally effective for several other patients with ovarian cysts.” – Dr. Abram Ber, MD.
Case History: C.G. is a 39-year-old woman who has polycystic ovaries as a part of the complex Syndrome X. She developed menontagia and her gynecologist referred her for a pelvic sonogram on 4/26/05. She subsequently had a visit in my office and I prescribed Crinum Latifolium 3 caps tid. She began to take the Crinum capsules over the Memorial Day weekend and felt twitches in the area of her right ovary. 3-4 days later, she had a fever of 103, which lasted for three days. During these days she was anorexic. After the fever, she was ten pounds lighter, This weight loss was very welcome and the weight was not regained. On June 16, 2005, a repeat pelvic ultrasound showed a complete resolution of the previously described complex cyst. She now feels wonderful and relieved of all symptoms pertaining to the cyst.
Dr. Graeme Shaw, M.D.
Case History: A 52-year-old woman in perimenopause was evaluated by her gynecologist for heavy periods and was diagnosed by pelvic ultrasound as having a uterine fibroid minor and multiple bilaterial cysts. Her gynecologist suggested ovarian surgery, but she requested a trial on natural supplements and was placed on a Crinum compound (3 caps 2x per day), Seven weeks later, she had a repeat pelvic ultrasound and there was no evidence of any cysts, and her surgery was cancelled.
Speculations About Mechanism
The Crinum plant is a large tropical plant with lily-like flowers that is found in the tropical and subtropical regions throughout the world. Phytochemical analysis has recently yielded a vast array of compounds, including more than 150 different alkaloids of the Amaryllidaceae type, whose most noted effects are analgesic, anticholinergic, antitumour and antiviral.5 While numerous successful case studies exist, researchers are still not sure exactly how Crinum works. Some researchers believe it may enhance the cellular communication that is responsible for maintaining the balance between cellular proliferation and apoptosis. Without this check and balance system, unhealthy cells may be left to proliferate. Recent research has shown that Crinum encourages cells to produce a substance called neopterin, which is responsible for communicating with immune cells – calling them into actionagainst foreign invaders and unhealthy or proliferative cells. This suggests that Crinum may not only be valuable for prostate and ovarian conditions, but may also be beneficial for other conditions in which unhealthy; proliferative cells are involved. Crinum has been shown to be a strong immune stimulant based on the research of Drs. Nguyen Ngoc Tram, Do Tat Loi, D. Fuchs (Austria), Dr. Popov and Zvekova (Bulgaria).6
Crinum Offers Protection
Another potentially valuable benefit of Crinum is that it may be used as a preventative agent, offering protection against prostate and ovarian conditions before they start.
References:
Reference to be obtained from Katy Wright at Health Science Newsletter.
Reference to be obtained from Rob Rowan.
Clinton Latifolium extract has a my good therapeutic effect on benign hyperthrophy of prostate (BHP). Vietnamese central state news agency September 22, 2005, @ www.vietnamnet.vn
Personal communication with Hoang family.
Fennell CW, van Staden J. Crinum species in traditional and modem medicine. J Ethnopharinsical. 2001 Nov;78(1):15-26.
Zvetkova E, Wirleituer B.Tram NT, Schennach H, Fuchs D. Aqueous extracts of Crinum Latifolium (L.) and Camellia sinensis show immunomodulatory properties in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Int Immunopharmocol 2001, Nov;1(12):2143-50)
