Prostate Cancer Survivors

 

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Re: Supplements for Prostate

Interesting subject which I have very little knowledge of. Eating healthy is always good for you of course. As far as any "magic bullet" natural food - the jury is out yet as far as I am concerned. I know a lot of people are firm believers in this concept. Vegetarians are a good example of this thinking. I am very skeptical about any food being able to directly fight cancer as cancer is a defect in our own DNA that lets cell growth go wild and out of control. Our world is full of things that probably cause this and include heredity in that. Chemicals are abundant and a way of life. Every day we are bombarded with various forms of radiation that we have created (cell phones, radar, radio waves and more than we can imagine.) Many of us are victims of agent orange for example and who knows how many forms of it is still used on our crops even today. When I was young, I heard that eating the skin of peaches caused cancer! Don't know where that one came from. There are some products that advertise being good for your prostate but I don't believe any go so far as to claim to prevent or cure cancer of the same. Cancer is a world of suppositions and unknowns. We don't even have a good way to treat it, much less prevent it. (As doc McCoy said in one Star Treck episode commenting on the state of our modern medicine, "My God! What is this, the Spanish inquisition?")

I see nothing wrong with eating healthy or taking things that we think are the cure (as long as they aren't harmful in themselves). Each to his or her own there and more power to them if they feel it helps. I hear a lot about this pomegranate stuff on this site and am tempted to try it but so far have not. I don't place much faith in such things but do try to keep an open mind. If you think it helps, then it helps. Jon.

Re: Supplements for Prostate

Thanks Jon for the informative reply, I am leaning towards your thinking also. One can fill their body with vitamins and supplements etc.But Eating the right kind of foods in moderation goes a long way in prevention. And I try to do just that. I cut way back on alcohol, seldom drink at all.

I think the pomegranate juice belongs in the healthy foods category. I just started juicing a few days ago. It is an expensive drink, but who cares if it is beneficial to ones health. Broccoli and asparagus growers like me, I eat lots of that.

Re: Supplements for Prostate

Roger, you have had good advice. There is no evidence that supplements make an iota of difference to we survivors. Eating healthily and exercising well do make a difference, whatever disease we have. Pomegranate - would be nice if it helped but no disinterested trials show any benefit. Save your money!

Old Codger in England

Re: Supplements for Prostate

There are believers and there are skeptics. I lean toward skepticism. My PCa physician, Dr. "Snuffy" Myers, is a major believer. He routinely prescribes a variety of supplements and vitamins. An excerpt from my initial protocol illustrates this point; see below:

Diet, Over the Counter Drugs and Supplements

A, Mediterranean Diet--as described in a 306 page handout with the definitive title"The New Prostate Cancer Nutrition Book" and as supplemented by a single page listing of foods to consume and foods to avoid.

B. Vitamin D3--the bloodwork submitted as a prerequisite for my initial appointment showed that I was marginally low on this vitamin which controls the absorbtion of calcium, phosphate and magnesium. As I understand it this deficiency interferes with the optimal function of my immune system. Accordingly this prescription is a corrective measure.

C.Full Spectum Pomengranate extract--this product has been clinically proven to dramatically reduce the doubling time of PSA in most cases

D. Super Biocurcumin--an anti-inflammatory antioxident that promotes good health

E. Optmized Reveratol--an anti-inflamatory antioxident that promotes good health

From time to time over the years Dr. Myers changes my protocol based on his monthly blood draws.

Re: Supplements for Prostate

C.Full Spectum Pomengranate extract--this product has been clinically proven to dramatically reduce the doubling time of PSA in most cases

Don,

I read the initial prostate cancer pomegranate study and it was easy to see that it was flawed. Only one patient out of 40 had a significant positive response, the average seemed to be worse if you took that subject out of the study. The follow up study never came out, as I expected, since the result looked more negative than positive. If something worked that easily it would have been found by now. There are government labs testing thousands of compounds/proteins every year trying to find the magic bullet and every year we learn a little bit more but still nothing that you can just eat to cure or slow down PC. On the other hand, despite what I wrote above, I still drank pomegranate juice for a year and it seemed to do me no harm (hmmm - maybe that is why I needed salvage treatment.)

Just eat a heart healthy diet but taking supplements, unless a doctor says you need one, is more likely to be harmful than helpful. And exercise is shown to really help.

Re: Supplements for Prostate

Frank:
Thanks for the thoughtful feedback.
I was quoting Dr. Myers in the protocol report. As you may know he has an impressive research background.
I'll probably continue to follow his lead awhile longer.
One of the bothersome problems with PCa is the bonafide experts rarely agree.

Re: Supplements for Prostate

Thanks every one for the feedback,I appreciate all opinions.

Re: Supplements for Prostate

A different perspective. Some supplements are suspected to contribute to PCa risk. I recently stopped taking fish oil for heart health as it has been identified in some studies as potentially increasing aggressive PCa risk.

Re: Supplements for Prostate

That is very common these days "recent studies" from this source and that source. Even nightly news will come up with something occasionally that studies has found some medication or whatever has been found harmful or does no good. you read this , read that.... Hell, you don't know what to believe any more. And there will be different opinions on just about every thing.

I just value my good common sense and go forward.

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