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The
men in my practice have tended to be very
positive in their health action plans.
They get results. For
me that is rewarding and I request that you
refer your friends who want to live long and
healthy lives. Please feel free to forward this
newsletter.
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Prostate
When
it comes to "men only" health concerns the
prostate tops the list. This newsletter will
focus on what is known to increase prostate
health. Studies have yielded many ways to
balance the odds in favor of avoiding
prostate enlargement or cancer. As it turns
out, research has shown the same lifestyle
that protects from heart disease and colon
cancer is the healthiest way to maintain a
healthy prostate.
The American Cancer Society estimates that
about 1 man in 6 will be diagnosed with
prostate cancer during his lifetime. (By
comparison 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed
with breast cancer). At
current rates only 1 man in 34 will die from
it. Many die of something else not even
knowing they had prostate cancer and others
have curative treatment or live many years
with treatments.
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) is
enlargement that is not cancer.
BPH is common in men over 50 and by
age 85, 90% of men have BPH. One solution to
BPH is to never stray far from a urinal. A
better solution is to stay in the 10 % of
men who avoid the problem.
I have been designing effective treatment
plans for men with prostate cancer and BPH
for years now. There is much to be done
either with or without conventional
treatments. In this
newsletter I will focus on how to know what
you are treating and how to avoid either BPH
or cancer.
The two primary diagnostic tools are the
digital rectal exam and the blood test for
prostate specific antigen (PSA).
I begin these tests when my male
patients are 50 years old or earlier if
their family history shows genetic tendency
to Prostate cancer. The
testing should be done once a year. Both
tests have limitations and do not tell with
certainty which problem you may have.
These tests let you know when a
biopsy of the prostate would be indicated.
The biopsy is the only way to be sure
the cells are not cancer.
The PSA test is a measure of a substance in
the blood that is secreted by the prostate
gland. The larger the
gland the more PSA is found in the blood.
The number reflects the size of the
gland. A very large
prostate that is not cancerous can have a
higher number than a small cancerous gland.
If the PSA is increasing faster over time,
or if the PSA is higher than expected for
the size of the gland, it is more worrisome.
When the doctor feels the gland with a
finger (digital rectal exam) the size of the
gland and its texture are assessed.
If lumps are felt, or if the gland is
very firm or hard it is worrisome.
Sometimes there is a cancer located
where it cannot be felt.
It may then be noticed by a PSA that is
increasing. These two
tests together help the patient decide if a
biopsy is warranted.
Every year I ask the men in my practice to
fill out the prostate questionnaire.
This is a form about common symptoms
related to prostate enlargement.
Symptoms of urinary frequency,
urgency and changes in the urinary stream
may come on so gradually they are not
recognized as early warning signs.
An increasing yearly score can signal
the need to get on a better plan.
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Maintaining Prostate Health 
Activities that Promote a Healthy Prostate:
Walking, dancing, cycling, hiking,
playing basketball, tennis or other sports that
keep you moving. This should
be done at least 4 hours a week.
Avoid prolonged sitting.
Yoga postures to tone the pelvis
and increase circulation in the pelvic area.
Spinal manipulation and massage.
An active, joyful sex life.
Diet:
Eat whole fresh organic food.
(Pesticides can stimulate growth of cells).
Avoid dairy
especially high fat dairy and if you use any
assure it is organic.
Avoid animal fat.
Fish and soy are helpful as substitutes.
If you use meat assure it is grass fed or
that poultry and eggs are free range organic.
The saturated fat in animal products is
associated with faster growth of the gland and
increased risk of cancer. The
side effect can be lower cholesterol.
Avoid foods with
flour, sugar or other starch (bread, pasta,
bagels, deserts) that raise blood sugar and
insulin. These foods
contribute to the risk for prostate trouble,
heart disease and diabetes.
Use more fiber foods such as fruit,
vegetables, oats, brown rice, ground flax meal
and bran. Begin to increase the amount of beans
in your diet such as black, pinto, kidney and
soy (edamame). Fiber and
beans help your body get rid of used hormones
and other toxins which may accelerate the growth
of the prostate or cancers.
Eat more red
foods such as tomatoes that are high in lycopene.
Ten servings a week reduced prostate
cancer risk by 45%.
Eat several
servings a week from the brassica family
(broccoli, cauliflower, kale, brussel sprouts,
cabbage, arugula). They inhibit cancer and
reduce hormones that can cause the gland to
enlarge.
Snack on pumpkin
seeds.
Drink green tea.
If you drink
juice (which is not generally helpful due to
concentrated sugars), use pomegranate juice.
A recent study demonstrated 8 oz. daily
of Pom juice could slow the growth of prostate
cancer.
Supplements:
Begin with a high quality multiple
vitamin to cover any nutritional needs not met
by your diet. Assure it is
high in antioxidants such as Vitamin C, Vitamin
A and mixed tocopherols.
Zyflamend: One capsule twice a day.
This combination herbal product has been
studied at three different clinics including MD
Anderson Cancer Center. It
has shown remarkable effects on cellular
inflammation similar to the drug celebrex.
This may be a way Zyflamend inhibits
cancer cells. If you are at
risk for prostate cancer this seems like a
reasonable insurance with the side effect being
less inflammation ( which means fewer aches and
pains and less risk of heart disease.)
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Diagnostic Tools
The two primary diagnostic tools are the digital
rectal exam and the blood test for prostate specific
antigen (PSA). I begin these tests when my
male patients are 50 years old or earlier if their
family history shows genetic tendency to Prostate
cancer. The testing should be done once a
year. Both tests have limitations and do not tell
with certainty which problem you may have.
These tests let you know when a biopsy of the
prostate would be indicated. The biopsy is the
only way to be sure the cells are not cancer.
The PSA test is a measure of a substance in the
blood that is secreted by the prostate gland.
The larger the gland the more PSA is found in the
blood. The number reflects the size of the
gland. A very large prostate that is not
cancerous can have a higher number than a small
cancerous gland. If the PSA is increasing faster
over time, or if the PSA is higher than expected for
the size of the gland, it is more worrisome.
When the doctor feels the gland with a finger
(digital rectal exam) the size of the gland and its
texture are assessed. If lumps are felt, or if
the gland is very firm or hard it is worrisome.
Sometimes there is a cancer located where it cannot
be felt. It may then be noticed by a PSA that
is increasing. These two tests together help
the patient decide if a biopsy is warranted.
Every year I ask the men in my practice to fill out
the prostate questionnaire. This is a form
about common symptoms related to prostate
enlargement. Symptoms of urinary frequency,
urgency and changes in the urinary stream may come
on so gradually they are not recognized as early
warning signs. An increasing yearly score can
signal the need to get on a better plan.
Additional nutrients that can assist in
maintaining a healthy prostate:
Vitamin D: 1,000 IU daily. New findings are
showing the benefit of higher levels of intake for
all of us, but especially for the bone and prostate
health and for cancer prevention in general.
Zinc: 50 mg. total
and Copper 2 mg including what is in your multiple.
Selenium: 200 to 300 mcg.
Fish oil especially
on days you do not eat fish. (be sure it is a brand
that has been treated to remove toxins). Fish oil
is good for the heart as well.
Beta- Sitosterol: 60
mg. daily has been more effective than the drug
Finasteride (Proscar)
in some studies. This is a main ingredient in
UltraMeal plus that we sell for lowering choesterol.
Once again heart healthy habits are also good for
the prostate health.
Herbal support:
Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens): 320 mg. daily of the
liposterolic extract has been shown as effective as
finasteride without the side effects.
Pygeum :100 mg. and
Nettle (Urtica dioca) root: 200 mg. are both useful.
They reduce urinary symptoms and may act to prevent
testosterone conversion to DHT and estrogen which
are linked to prostate cancer.
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