4505 Fair Meadow Lane
(919) 571-4399/(919)
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E-mail – mcclure@urolmd.com
Web page – http://www.urolmd.com.
Diplomate of the American Board of Urology and
American Board of Holisitic Medicine
“Smart Medicine for a Healthy Prostate”
DUKE CENTER FOR INTEGRATIVE
MEDICINE
Educational Series
Durham , NC
At one time or another, most men will be affected by
at least one of the following prostate problems. Prostate cancer – the leading cause
of cancer in men – begins as early as puberty and affects nearly every man if
he lives long enough. Prostate enlargement
(BPH), another common condition, affects half the men over the age of sixty,
one third of whom need treatment.
Finally, prostatitis accounts for more than two million doctor
visits yearly. In fact, prostatitis is
the most frequent reason that men under the age of fifty see a urologist. Fortunately, it is often possible these
prostate diseases – naturally.
How to Prevent Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy
How to Prevent Prostate
Cancer
Every year over 200,000 men are
newly diagnosed with prostate cancer.
That makes prostate cancer the leading cause of cancer in men. Although most of these men won’t die as a
result of their prostate cancer, prostate cancer still claims the lives of
almost 30,000 men every year. This trend
can be reversed.
To begin with, prostate cancer
can be prevented. Scientists theorize
that prostate cancer is a complex interplay between dietary, lifestyle,
environmental, and genetic factors. The
first three of these influences are under our control. Even though the last factor – our genetic
make-up - can’t be changed, we can change the expression of our
genes. For instance, even though there
may be an increased genetic risk of developing prostate cancer (due to a strong
family history of prostate cancer), this risk can be decreased by making
healthy dietary, lifestyle, and environmental choices. In the following pages, I’ll list healthy
choices within each of these three areas – choices that can dramatically
decrease the risk of developing prostate cancer.
In addition, these
recommendations also apply to men who’ve already been diagnosed with or treated
for prostate cancer. Scientific
research suggests that healthy dietary, lifestyle, and environmental choices
may prevent prostate cancer recurrence and/or spread.[1]
Finally, curing cancer requires
more than just surgically removing the tumor or treating it with radiation.
Curing cancer requires a holistic approach that treats the whole person - body,
mind and spirit. Even when cancer can’t
be cured, a holistic approach can significantly improve the quality of life and
survival of men with prostate cancer. In
the following pages, I’ll share some of these simple techniques with you.
Prevention
Cancer
doesn’t occur overnight - it’s a dynamic process. Therefore, it’s is potentially
reversible. Cancer cells originate from
normal cells that have been altered because of dietary, lifestyle, genetic, and
environmental influences. Since cancer
cells (like normal cells) continually adapt to changes in their local environment,
it may be possible to slow down or even reverse cancer by altering these risk
factors.[2]
Dietary Changes
Establishing
healthy eating habits is one of the best ways to prevent prostate cancer. You can immediately start lowering your risk
of prostate cancer by adopting the suggestions made in each of the following
categories:
· Eliminate Fat. Follow a low fat diet (20% or less of total calories from fat) by making the following changes:
1. Eliminate saturated fats by cutting down or eliminating red meat (men who eat red meat have twice the risk of prostate cancer[3] - replace red meat and poultry with cold water fish and soy protein), unskinned poultry, whole milk and whole milk products (since dairy products are high in saturated fat, they also increase the risk of prostate cancer) [4], creamy salad dressings, butter, partially hydrogenated oils (margarine, vegetable shortening), and all products made from tropical oils (palm and coconut oils). (read about the arachidonic acid cascade on page 4 to learn how saturated fat increases the risk for prostate cancer)
2. Eliminate polyunsaturated vegetable oils (safflower, sunflower, corn, soy, peanut, and cottonseed).
3. Reduce total fat by eliminating deep-fried and fast foods.
4. Reduce or eliminate consumption of chips, nuts, avocados, butter, cheese and other high-fat foods.
5. Read labels and look for fat content of different foods. Don’t be confused by high fat foods camouflaged under the label of “no cholesterol”. Focus on low fat health food brands.
6. Increase consumption of omega-3 fatty acids by eating deep-water fish (yellow-fin tuna, cod or haddock). The type of fatty acid found in fish protects against prostate cancer.[5] (read more about fatty acids starting on page 4)
7. Use extra -virgin olive oil as your principal fat.
· Eliminate white sugar. Although not directly related to prostate cancer, refined sugar depresses the immune system, elevates insulin levels, and stimulates tumor growth (by increasing arachidonic acid)[6] Use the natural sweetener stevia (available in health food stores) in place of artificial sweeteners.
· Eat soy protein such as tofu, tempeh and soy milk. Rich in cancer- fighting substances called isoflavones (most notably genistein), soy protein dramatically inhibits the growth of prostate cancer cells.[7] Eat two helping daily (one cup of tofu, two 8 oz. Glasses of soy milk, or one half package of tempeh).
· Increase fiber in your diet by eating oatmeal, bran and legumes. Eliminate white flour - substitute whole grain products instead. Thirty grams of fiber a day is recommended (read package labels or consult a cookbook for the fiber content of different foods).
· Eat fruits and vegetables. Packed with cancer-fighting vitamins, minerals and fiber, fruits and vegetables decrease the risk of prostate cancer.[8] The National Cancer Institute recommends eating at least five (or better yet, nine) daily servings of fruits and vegetables.
· Eat organic foods whenever possible. Regular produce is often contaminated with pesticides and other chemicals. They heighten the risk of prostate cancer by causing DNA damage and altering hormone metabolism. [9] Finally, in addition to being high in fat, dairy and beef products are often contaminated with toxic pesticide and hormone residues.[10]
· Eat garlic - one to two cloves daily. Although the precise mechanism is unknown, garlic prevents prostate cancer by helping the liver get rid of toxins and blocking the conversion of arachidonic acid to inflammatory leucotrienes. [11] ,[12]
· Eat tomatoes. Harvard researchers found that eating tomatoes at least four times a week lowers the risk of prostate cancer by twenty percent. Eating ten weekly helpings of tomatoes lowers the risk by forty-five percent.[13]
Vitamins, minerals and
trace elements
Supplementing your diet with certain vitamins
can also decrease the risk of prostate cancer.
Research suggests that vitamins can decrease carcinogen formation,
improve detoxification of harmful substances, decrease cancer cell growth,
improve cellular communication, and control cellular differentiation and the
expression of cancer.[14]
Antioxidants work better in combination.
Therefore, I recommend taking a high potency multivitamin.[15]
·
Take a high
potency multivitamin that is rich in
antioxidants, trace elements and minerals every day with meals. (Brands such as one-a-day brand or Centrum
silver do not contain sufficient amounts of the necessary vitamins, minerals
and trace elements.) High potency
vitamins are available in any health food store. If your multivitamin doesn’t contain 400 I.U.
of vitamin E and 200 micrograms of the trace mineral selenium, supplement your
multivitamin so that your daily intake equals this amount. (read more about
antioxidants on page 5)
ÞVitamin E 400 I.U. - A number
of studies have shown that vitamin E decreases prostate cancer incidence and
mortality.[16] In fact, taking as little as 50 I.U. daily
cuts the risk of prostate by a third.
ÞYeast-selenium 200 micrograms - Men who supplement their diet with 200 micrograms
of selenium reduce their risk of prostate cancer by two thirds. Selenium also decreased the promotion and
progression of prostate cancer.[17]
Supplements
·
Green Tea (Camillia sinensis). Researchers
at the
·
Lycopene.
For those men who can’t
tolerate eating tomatoes, or tomato-based food products, they can still obtain
the cancer-preventive benefits of tomatoes by taking supplemental lycopene.
According to one study, men with prostate cancer who supplemented with thirty
milligrams of lycopene daily, for three weeks prior to having their prostate
removed, slowed the growth of their cancer cells.[21]
Take a ten milligram, oil-based lycopene supplement, twice daily with meals for
prevention, and three times daily, if there is a family history of prostate
cancer, or if prostate cancer is present.
Life Style Changes
·
Lose
weight.. Overweight men are
two and a half times more likely to develop prostate cancer and three and a
half times more likely to die as a result of their cancer.[22] Shedding even a few pounds lowers the
risk.
·
Stop
Smoking. Male smokers
have a one third greater chance of developing prostate cancer. [23] They’re also more likely to die from prostate
cancer since smoking induces a more aggressive form of prostate cancer. [24]
·
Exercise. According to
one study, regular exercise reduces the risk of prostate cancer by forty
percent.[25] Other
investigators report that men (under the age of sixty) with the highest
cardiovascular fitness were four times less likely to develop prostate cancer
than those least fit.[26]
·
Reduce
stress. Although acute stress
can enhance immune function, chronic stress has the opposite effect.
Reduce stress by doing the following:
a. Eliminate caffeine.
b. Avoid violent movies, books, television programs, etc.
c. Go on a “news fast” by not reading the paper, listening to the radio or watching the news on TV for a week. Then try extending this for a longer period of time.
d. Exercise regularly.
e. Associate with calm people.
f. Practice yoga and meditation daily.
g. Learn biofeedback and guided visualization techniques.
h. Try natural relaxants such as the herbs kava kava, chamomile, or passionflower.
i. Try using Bach flower remedies such as rescue formula (available in health food stores).
j. Get at least 7 hours of deep sleep daily. Try taking valerian, skullcap, or kava kava either individually or in combination if insomnia is a problem.
k. Practice forgiveness and understanding, starting with yourself. Release any grudges.
l. Rectify any existing relationship problems.
m. Beautify your environment. Plant flowers. Appreciate nature.
n. Slow down and smell the roses!
o. Tell yourself you love and appreciate yourself. Learn to mean it. If you can’t, get help understanding why.
p. Tell others you love them.
q. Take time to really listen to others.
r. Find a purpose in life. Volunteer. Do something good for others. Practice random acts of kindness and senseless acts of joy.
s. Practice saying positive affirmations daily. Subscribe to The Daily Word, a treasure trove of positive affirmations, by calling 1-800-669-0282.
t. Make a list every day of ten things you are truly grateful for.
u. Listen to uplifting music. Skip music with depressing lyrics.
v. Cultivate your inner life through reading quality literature, reflecting on it, and keeping a journal of your higher thoughts.
w. Control your thoughts and speech. Speech and the thoughts and attitudes you hold are energies. The dominant ones become the main energies you communicate to your body. Negative energies such as habitual dissatisfaction, depression, despair, ill-will, resentment, hatred, and aggression disrupt the body’s harmony and depress the immune system. Positive energies such as truth, gratitude, patience, harmlessness, generosity, respect, honesty, and peace restore the body’s energy, promote harmony, and strengthen the immune system.
x. Try the following breathing exercise at least 4 times a day. (Adapted from Dr. Andrew Weil):
Place
the tip of your tongue just behind your upper front teeth and keep it there throughout the entire
exercise. 1) Exhale completely
through your mouth (with your lips pursed), making a whoosh sound. 2) Next close
your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of four. 3) Hold your breath for a count
of seven. 4) Exhale completely through your mouth,
making a sound to the count of eight. The absolute time spent on each phase is not
as important as the ratio of 4:7:8.
Repeat the process for a total of five times, at least twice a day and
anytime you feel under stress.
The following information is excerpted from Smart Medicine for a
Healthy Prostate (NY:Avery Publishing Group, 2001).
Arachidonic Acid Cascade
Arachidonic
acid, an omega-6 fatty acid (see the
insert on fatty acids), is a double-edged sword. On one hand, our health depends on
arachidonic acid. Arachidonic acid is
essential to the nervous and immune system.
On the other hand, too much arachidonic acid can be deadly.
Unfortunately, Americans suffer from an overabundance, not a lack, of
arachidonic acid. Excess arachidonic
acid has been linked to the current epidemic of heart disease, degenerative
diseases, and cancer in this country.
Inside
the body, arachidonic is converted to powerful hormone-like molecules called eicosanoids.
Two types of eicosanoids - called prostaglandins and leucotrienes
- are derived from arachidonic acid. (Prostaglandins were first discovered in
prostatic fluid.) Eicosanoids can either
be inflammatory or anti-inflammatory.
The types of eicosanoids that are found in fish (prostaglandin E3)
are anti-inflammatory. The eicosanoids that are derived from arachidonic acid (prostaglandin
E2 and series four leucotrienes) are inflammatory. Arthritic joint
pain and the throbbing pain of a headache are caused by inflammatory
prostaglandins.
Arachidonic
acid-derived eicosanoids cause more problems than inflammation. To begin with,
PGE2 eicosanoids enable prostate cancer cells to evade the immune system. PGE2 inactivates natural killer cells and
cytotoxic T cells (cells that attach themselves to prostate cancer cells, and
kill them). This is particularly scary,
since prostate cancer cells produce ten times as much PGE2 as normal prostate
cells.
Series
four leucotrienes, the other class of arachidonic-derived eicosanoids, are just
as dangerous as PGE2. Series four
leucotrienes by the name of 12-HETE allow prostate cancer cells to form
new blood vessels and invade surrounding tissues. Another class of series four leucotrienes,
called 5-HETE, stimulates prostate cancer growth, and prevents prostate
cancer cells from dying by preventing them from committing suicide.
Fortunately,
the harmful effects of arachidonic acid can be blocked. A combination of nutritional, herbal, and
pharmaceutical agents can interrupt the arachidonic acid cascade at three
critical points by blocking the following enzymes:
êPhospholipase
A2 enzyme. This enzyme allows arachidonic acid to be
mobilized from phospholipids (fats) in cell membranes. This conversion can be blocked by:
Quercetin
, vitamin E, licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra),
tumeric (Curcumin longa), and
prescription corticosteroids (cortisone).
ê5 and
12-lipoxygenase enzymes. This enzyme enables arachidonic acid to be
converted to series four leucotrienes (5-HETE and 12-HETE). This conversion can be blocked by: