March 11, 2016 general

There seems to be a major tactical error in the “war on cancer”. They are looking for a cure. That is “a” as in one magic bullet. The problem is that like many other diseases, cancer is complex. It is usually the result of many things being wrong. While our genetic deck can be a predisposing factor, our diet and lifestyle determine which cards are played. Something as simple as a toxin (e.g. smoking) or a needed mineral (see selenium below) can turn genes on or off and can therefore be an important piece of the prostate cancer puzzle…or the missing piece in other cancers, heart disease or Alzheimer’s.

Good news:

As you have likely heard, prostate cancer screening is controversial. That is because the real threat is the fast-growing aggressive form of prostate cancer. Unfortunately, screening increases the use of risky treatments for less concerning slow growing cancers. (Men may die of old age before they do as a result of the slow growing type.) Here is the good news: In a study of 1,800 men, it was found that higher intake of antioxidant nutrients reduced the risk of the men suffering those more aggressive prostate cancers by an astounding 64-72%. And, it did not matter whether they got the antioxidants from diet or a combination of diet and supplements. Researchers looked at 42 different antioxidants. (Most people might be surprised to know there are that many!) STUDY

Sadly, the public is often scared away from many useful antioxidants. Here are two examples:

• In an exciting interview with Dr. Richard Passwater, the researcher told us about a large randomized trial showing that a particular type of the antioxidant mineral selenium reduced prostate cancer 63%. It also cut cancer deaths in half and dramatically cut the incidence of other cancers (e.g., colon cancer by 58%, etc.). The study used selenium yeast (methylselenocysteine) which is the same type found in broccoli, onions and garlic. Sadly, when the National Cancer Institute began a study supposedly to “replicate” the research, they used a different kind of selenium and reported no benefit. Other selenium supplements such as the more common selenomethionine (as used in the misguided study) and sodium selenite have not been shown to have this dramatic effect. Follow the link to see an example of the correct form of supplement.
• The “SELECT” trial and a follow up implied that not only was the antioxidant vitamin E unhelpful for prostate cancer, it might even cause more trouble. However, they didn’t use a natural form of vitamin E. They used just a single component rather than the whole family of vitamin E types. The chemical form they used (rac-a-tocopheryl acetate) has been shown to be only ½ as helpful as even a similar form found naturally in food. Many experts believe that the pills they used in the study blocked the protective effects participants would have enjoyed from natural complex vitamin E (mixed tocopherols including alpha, beta, delta, gamma forms plus Tocotrienols) as is contained in Jarrow’s FamilE.

This looks like a pattern to me. What’s more, all these antioxidants work together in teams, so any time you supplement just one, such as beta-carotene, you are asking for an imbalance and trouble. There are many many more puzzle pieces. For example, in my new book I mention the link between antibiotic use and prostate cancer. Also, prostate cancer patients have been shown to be lower in vitamin D than healthy subjects. My article on pancreatic cancer might provide a good model. A lot of the same protective factors and risks apply. It is good news indeed that detoxifying and getting good balanced nutrition is protective against most of our health complaints and disease risks.