There is nothing like a good kick in the privates to get your attention, or the words from a doctor…informing you that you have prostate cancer.  Somewhere around two hundred thousand men will hear those words this year and about twenty eight thousand men will die of prostate cancer.

What’s a guy to do…?

Well, we have couple of options:

a)    We can shrug our shoulders and say “Hey we got to die of something” (true, but this is a preventable cause of death)

      Or,

b)  We can become proactive and take preventative steps that are known to protect the prostate gland against cancer (I’ll take this option)

One promising new tool against prostate cancer is Pomegranate juice.     Studies on the effects of pomegranate juice and prostate cancer have been steadily accumulating over the past decade and now the evidence is pretty remarkable and deserves attention.

Pomegranate juice displays both preventative and therapeutic activity against prostate cancer cells.

The latest study shows that pomegranate juice exhibits significant       anti-cancer properties with prostate cells.

How does it work?

In simple terms, pomegranate protects the prostate in two ways:

1)     Pomegranate prevents the expression (production) of genes that help to stimulate growth and proliferation of cancer cells, in other words it helps to prevent the onset of prostate cancer in the 1^st place and therefore it may be considered as “chemoprevention”

2)     Pomegranate causes prostate cancer cells to self-destruct a     process known as apoptosis. 

Pomegranate juice also, slows the progression of cancer in those men who have already been diagnosed with prostate cancer, including those who have had surgery or radiation treatments.  In fact pomegranate has been shown to increase the time it takes for the PSA levels to double…Translation: Good News!

Why haven’t we heard more about this?

One reason is that Pomegranate juice/extract can’t be patented and therefore there is no pharmaceutical goldmine to be explored, another reason is that it cannot claim to be the absolute cure but…it is definitely a tool that should be part of our preventative regimen.

Prevention is best

Some other steps shown to be preventative in prostate and other cancers include;

-          Reducing the intake of red meat & animal products in our diet (notice that I do not say eliminate…but only reduce these products to a minimum)

-          Exercise regularly, which means…move your butt, get out of breath  & sweat

-          Reduce alcohol intake…once again, reduction not complete elimination

-          Use a prostate supplement for added protection, one containing saw palmetto, pumpkin seed & zinc.  Also, add Curcumin which has shown to possess anti-inflammatory and anti cancer activities. 

So, ask me do I drink pomegranate juice? …You bet I do

I am going to add this guard dog to my layer of protection against prostate cancer.

However, for most of us…when it comes to our own cardiovascular health, we tend to ‘blow it off’ and ignore it.  We can’t imagine the idea that heart attacks and chest pains will happen to us…well, you better wake up! Because if you don’t…that heart attack is going to bite you in the ass! 

Guys, it’s not that we are going to live for ever, but heart attacks are still the # 1 cause of death and they are happening in younger and younger men.  Who wants to keel over in their 50’s, 60’s or even early 70’s just when we’re supposed to be having some fun?

 Once you have a heart attack (assuming you survive it) you will become a lifelong prisoner to medications, side effects, procedures, doctor’s offices and misery.

IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE THAT WAY!

Prevention, Prevention, Prevention

It’s a choice (even if you have bad genes) you can minimize your risk of a heart attack.  Here are some pointers;

Eating healthy: Eat sensible amounts.  Reduce fats & sugar intake.

  Forget  fast foods and the ‘all you can eat’ mentality.  As a nation we are killing ourselves by over-eating.  Cut back on the feedbag and you will not only feel better, you will look better

Exercise:  at least 3 times a week.  As Nike says… ”Just do it”, get out of breath…and do something!

Reduce Inflammation:  Both the gums and intestines are major areas that sow seeds of inflammation throughout the body, especially in the coronary arteries.  Therefore, Floss your teeth everyday and have a dental cleaning at least twice a year.  Also eat plenty of fiber to maintain regular bowel movements (They should be big enough to belong on the ‘Fear Factor’).  These two exercises will pay off in the long run

Reduce stress: “Easier said than done”, I hear you say…well, better start working on it, because this is the key to reducing the risk of having the big gripper…

Laughter, exercise, anger control, tolerance, prayer & meditation are just  a few tools designed for stress reduction… use them.

Lower cholesterol:  Use Natural cholesterol reducers;  Sytrinol, Niacin, Fiber and Probiotics.  If you are taking statins make sure to supplement with Co-enzyme Q10 which is used up by the medication.

Maintain a normal Blood pressure:  First of all get Blood Pressure checked, if it is high have it treated with the appropriate medication, weight loss and exercise

Add Natural supplements to your cardiac protection regimen,

Omega -3 fatty acids, Green Tea, Acetyl l carnitine, Lutein and CoQ10,

Consider Cardioastin an all-in-one Cardiac maintenance formula

Who would have thought that having a daily bowel movement and flossing your teeth (not at the same time!) can reduce your risk of a heart attack and stroke? …well its true!

Heart Disease continues to be the # 1 killer, and one area that deserves more attention in preventing heart disease and stroke is inflammation.

Inflammation plays an important role in the formation of atherosclerotic plaques on the inside of artery walls, especially the coronary arteries (heart) and the carotid arteries (neck).

 Inflammation also makes the blood platelets become sticky and clumpy which promotes blood clots that block arteries and then…Bam! You have a big “Gripper.”

Two major areas where inflammation silently grows without attracting much attention include the mouth and the gut.

The Mouth

Bacteria that builds up at the gum-tooth interface between teeth, easily enters into the bloodstream and spreads around the body.  These bacteria act like seeds of inflammation and take root on the inner walls of arteries …especially in the coronary and carotid arteries.

The bacteria causes an inflammatory reaction which together with the cholesterol develops into an atherosclerotic plaque and narrowing of the artery.   

Flossing & dental care

It has been shown that daily flossing and regular dental cleaning (2X per year) dramatically reduces the bacterial buildup around teeth and significantly reduces the risk of a heart attack, stroke and dementia.  Dentists have known this for years and even our cardiologists are finally waking up to the idea.

Take home Point:  Clean and floss your teeth every day and have a professional dental cleaning at least twice a year…it will make your heart happy, your brain safe and make you smile more.

The Gut

Another area that is a ‘spark plug’ for inflammation is the gut.

Just think about it for a second, the gut is the main gateway into the body and is exposed to tons of foodstuff, toxins and bacteria over a lifetime.  This creates an intestinal surface that becomes chronically inflamed and hyper-permeable (porous), allowing large undigested particles to enter the system.  These large particles are now free to roam around the blood stream and set up shop in a variety of different places…the arteries, joints, and even the gut itself.  Since, the body doesn’t recognize these large undigested fragments, it mounts an inflammatory reaction to defend itself from what it thinks is a ‘foreign particle.’  

 Therefore, gut protection is a must to prevent inflammation.

Gut Protection

  A star-studded line up to suppress inflammation and protect the gut should include;

-Fiber 25-30 grams/day

 -Probiotics, these are the friendly microbes that defend your gut

 -Omega-3 fatty acids…provide anti-inflammatory protection to gut lining

  -Cumin (Curcumin) the Indian spice that possesses natural anti- inflammatory and anti cancer properties to fortify and protect the gut.

Do yourself a favor!  Floss your teeth and protect your gut…you’ll live longer.

But what happens when the PSA blood test comes back above normal (PSA > 4.0 ng/ml)?

Most doctors on seeing a PSA above 4.0 ng/ml will have a ‘knee jerk’ reflex and immediately send the patient to the urologist for a prostate biopsy.

The idea of a prostate biopsy can be absolutely nerve wrecking, both the apprehension before the biopsy and the interminable waiting for the results afterwards. Not to mention that the procedure can be painful and accompanied by complications (bleeding & infection).

Moreover, elevated PSA scores in the range of 4.0-10 ng/ml lead to prostate biopsies that are negative in 70% of cases.

A convincing study at Memorial Sloan-Kettering looked at the PSA levels in 972 healthy men (median age 62). It was found that 21% of the men had a PSA score that was elevated (>4.0 ng/ml), and which under normal circumstances would have sent them for a prostate biopsy. However, in this study, the biopsy was delayed until a repeat PSA blood test was performed around six weeks after the first PSA test.

The results have an important message to convey to our family physicians and Internists.

In almost half of the men, the repeat PSA level returned to normal range and remained normal for the remaining subsequent tests. Proving that a prostate biopsy would have been unnecessary in these men.

Too few doctors are exercising this good judgment and also too few doctors consider following up with a more advanced PSA II test. Maybe it is time that men become more involved in the decision process…after all it is their health.

By the way…Waiting an extra six weeks to repeat a PSA will not have any adverse affect on those men who actually have prostate cancer.

Meanwhile, the search for a more specific and non invasive test along with a successful treatment plan continues to be researched and explored. One possibility is the use the prescription medications, Avodart & Proscar which are used to treat BPH or enlarged prostate. These drugs have been shown to be successful in shrinking prostate tissue and relieving nagging symptoms that are the hallmarks of an enlarged prostate. The makers of both medications have reported reduced rates of prostate cancer up to 25% in men taking these medications for their enlarged prostate.

This brings up the question… should men who are at a higher risk for prostate cancer (family history, African Americans) take these medications as a preventative measure to protect themselves from prostate cancer?

Although this seems like a reasonable argument, this assumes that the most probable cause of cancer is hormone dependent…and since we still don’t know the cause of prostate cancer, this proposed treatment plan would be based on assumptions. In addition, these medications can also have some drawbacks. Individuals on these medications may experience erectile dysfunction and reduced libido which can be a significant negative for those men who want to remain sexually active.

Therefore, the verdict remains undecided as the jury continues to evaluate the clinical evidence and make a more scientific and decisive conclusion. However, those men in the high risk category should ask their physician about this option as they weigh up the benefits versus the risk and side effects.