Prostate cancer

Although not as life threatening as breast cancer, prostate cancer become lethal after it has metastasised. 13% of cancer deaths in men result from metastic prostatic cancer. Traditional treatment for this condition was achieved by surgically removing the testes and/or blocking the synthesis or activity of dilydrotestosterone (DHT) – a converted chemical by-product form the hormone

Prostatic Hyperplasia is another common problem relating to the prostate, which also involves DHT. Prostatic hyperplasias is characterised by enlarged, non-tender prostate, giving rise to urinary frequency, urgency and nocturia, hesitancy and intermittency, with reduced force and calibre of urine. The underlying cause of this is excessive conversion of testosterone to DHT.

50-60% of middle age men suffer from this problem, due to changes in steroid hormone levels in ageing men. Increases in DHT are also associated with increased risk for coronary artery disease. Chronic or recurrent infection of the prostate with E.Coli may contribute to prostatic problems. Zinc is a key nutrient in treating this condition.

Other nutritional considerations:

• elevated total dietary fat intake and increased ratio of saturated to unsaturated fatty acids correlates with increased incidence of prostate cancer.
• high blood cholesterol may aggravate/accelerate prostatic hyperplasia
• avoiding exposure to cigarette smoke and pesticides is important
• increasing consumption of garlic, onions and cabbage is beneficial due to their detoxifying effect on cadmium (derived from smoke and pollution)
• studies of Japanese cultures show a very low incidence of prastatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer. The phenolic food components present in their diet (lignans and isoflavones) are shown to reduce risk of DHT related diseases. Lignans are widely available in berries, seeds, cereals, grains, fruit and vegetables. A plant based diet will help reduce the risk of prostate cancer.
• increased intake of fibre binds to testosterone and eliminates it from the body
• the herb Saw Palmetto has an inhibitory effect on prostatic hyperplasia
• avoiding shift work helps, because this disturbs melatonin cycle rhythms, affecting the prostate.