Foods that help protect against prostate cancer

Prostate Issues
Frequent urination, , uneven, unintentional urination, bloody urine, pain burning or difficulty in passing urine are symptoms of abnormal prostate health. Three areas of concern are prostatitis, benign prostatic hypertrophy and prostate cancer.
Prostate cancer is reported on autopsy in 34% of men between the age of 40-49
and a 70% incidence by age 80.(1) Risk factors for prostate cancer include a mother or sister with breast cancer before 50,(2) 55 years old or older, African American male, father with prostate cancer, occupational exposure to cadmium and smoking.
Diagnosis is performed by digital rectal exam, PSA level (controversial) and PSA is frees IGF-1 from its binding protein (BP-3) resulting in increased levels of IGF-1 which can lead to tumor growth. The rate of PSA increase is a better predictor of mortality than the PSA reading itself. Men who showed a 2.0 ng/ml increase orgreater from the previous year are 10 times more likely to die within seven years. (3) DHT, a byproduct of testosterone metabolism, stimulates androgen receptors to produce greater amounts of PSA. DHT has growth promoting effects on prostatecells 2.4 to 10 times greater than testosterone.(4) By age 80, 80% of men have Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy. At age 60 the
incidence is 40-50% and even in the 31-40 year old age group men have an 8% rate of disease.(5) Urinary pain and burning indicate an infectious process or prostatitis. Diagnosis is made via digital rectal exam to obtain seminal fluid which appears infected on microscopy.
75% of all Prostate Cancers can be prevented with proper diet and lifestyle.(6)
Foods that help protect against prostate cancer include: amino acids, carrots, citrus fruits, cruciferous vegetables (the broccoli family), garlic and onions, green vegetables, legumes, raw vegetables, soy beans, green tea and tomatoes.
Beneficial lifestyle changes include stress reduction, frequent sexual activity, urinate before bedtime, and warmer climates. Caffeine, alcohol, antihistamines and decongestants cause bladder neck constriction. Spicy and acidic foods can contribute to prostate irritation. Mineral and herbal remedies to protect against prostate cancer include Vitamin C, folic acid, beta-carotene found in carrots, spinach, kale, sweet potatoes, wintersquash, cantaloupe, and watercress, and 2-10 gm of lycopene (from tomatoes and red peppers.) Lycopene treatment is helpful and safe in the treatment of hormone-refractory prostate cancer. Lycopene improves bone pain.(7) Other prostate cancer protective remedies include soy, fiber, Gamma and Delta Tocopherol, selenium, boron, EGCG (green tea), Beta-Sitosterol, and curcumin.
Lowering DHT levels can reduce the risk of prostate cancer by 52-93% (8) Compounded Progesterone 1% cream, Propecia, Proscar, and Advodart are the treatment options to improve DHT.
Medications to relieve Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy prevent the breakdown of
1. terazosin (Hytrin)2. finasteride (Proscar) Herbal remedies to relieve Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy:
1. Saw palmetto (320 mg twice a day)2. Pygeum (beta-sitosterol: 60 mg a day)3. Stinging nettles (120 mg twice a day)4. Amino acids: glycine, alanine, glutamic acid5. Pumpkin seeds, Watermelon seeds, Zinc and B6 6. Bachu- use with Couch Grass and Echinacea for prostatitis7. Buckthorn, Cernilton8. Couch grass9. Cramp bark10. Cranberry11. Dong quai12. Echinacea13. Garlic-use with echinacea and goldenseal14. Goldenseal-saw palmetto and echinacea for prostatitis15. Juniper16. Marshmallow17. Pipsissewa18. Queen of the meadow19. Rosemary20. Skullcap21. Siberian ginseng 22. Valerian23. Pycnogenol Prostatitis

Parsley and pumpkin seeds stimulate urination offering relief of Prostatitis.
Spicy foods, alcohol, and coffee act as prostatatic irritants. Heavy lifting, prolonged driving, and vigorous exercise also exacerbate this condition.
Herbal remedies for Prostatitis include Echinacea, goldenseal, saw palmetto and garlic. To increase flow add cornsilk, couch grass, don quai, juniper, kelp and watermelon seeds. For pain relief and prostate size reduction add muscle relaxants, chamomile, cramp bark, skullcap, valerian, and bee pollen. Bee pollen contains lycopene, beta-sitosterol (pygieum) and flavonoids. Soaking in a solution of St John’s Wort (2 oz.), chamomile (4 drops) and 1/8 tsp of lavender and rosemary oil is another therapeutic route.(8) – Coffee– Heavy lifting, prolonged driving, vigorous (1) (6) Holund., B., et al., “Latent prostatic cancer in a consecutive autopsy series,” Scan Jour Urol Nephrol 1980; 14(1):29-35.
(2) American Cancer Society(3) D’Amico, A., et al., “Preoperative PSA velocity and the risk of death from prostate cancer after radicalprostatectomy,” NEJM 2004; 351(2):124-35.
(4) Lee, C., et al., “Regulation of proliferation and production of prostate-specific antigen in androgen-sensitive prostatic cancer cells, LNcaP by dihydrotestosterone,” Endocrinology 1995; 136(2):796-803.
(5) Glynn, R., et al., “The development of benign prostatic hyperplasia among volunteers in theNormative Aging Study,” Amer Jour Epidemiol 1985; 121(1):78-90.
(7) Ansari, M., et al., “Lycopene: a novel drug therapy in hormone refractory metastatic prostate caner,” Urol Oncol 2004; 22(5):415-20.
(8) Fillon, M. Natural Prostate Healers. Paramus, NJ: Prentice Hall Press, 1999.

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