Pomegranates have long been used in traditional folk remedies to treat sore throats, inflammation, and rheumatism. And recent scientific research has suggested they are also potentially effective in both preventing and treating prostate cancer.

One study, conducted on human prostate cancer cells in lab dishes, at the University of Wisconsin, found that there were dose dependant improvements. Another study at the same facility injected mice with human prostate cancer cells. These mice developed malignancies. Some mice were fed plain water, whilst two other groups of mice were given water mixed with different concentrations of pomegranate extract.

Those mice that had water only had tumors that grew much faster than the pomegranate and water groups. The quantities given to the mice were comparable to that which people might get if they drank pomegranate juice on a daily basis. And whilst pomegranate juice hasn’t been tested on humans with prostate cancer yet, the results are very good.

The study did not indicate what aspects of pomegranate juice were responsible for slowing down prostate tumour growth. But the scientists involved did mention the antioxidant polyphenolic compounds, which are more effective than green tea and red wine.

Pomegranate extract not only inhibited the growth of cancer cells, it also worked by another means - apoptosis.

Apoptosis refers to a way that cells can die. Cancer growths are characterized by an uncontrolled growth of cells that do not follow the normal processes of cellular differentiation of regular, healthy cells. Cellular differentiation means that the characteristics of a cell change and get the functions that a mature, healthy cell would. For example, liver cells have specialized liver functions, as do prostate, breast, kidney, and all other types of cells. This is normal and healthy.

In tumour growths, although some cells fully differentiate, many only differentiate partially, and some not at all. And the tumors which have more undifferentiated cells grow faster. So, inducing cellular differentiation is one approach to cancer treatment. The other two ways that doctors and researchers try to treat cancer is by causing the death of cancerous cells. They do this through apoptosis, mentioned above, and necrosis.

In apoptosis, cell death is programmed into the cell when it is ‘born’. So the cell dies in a more natural way that is less destructive on its environment. By this I mean it doesn’t cause inflammation and the damage associated with it to neighboring cells that may be healthy. Cells die either when they reach cellular old age or when their death benefits the body as a whole. Necrosis, on the other hand, does cause inflammation.

Generally, prostate cancer grows very slowly, although it is unpredictable and can grow quickly and spread.

References:
1. John Boik, Cancer and Natural Medicine (Oregon Medical Press, 1996)
2. Australian Healthy Food, March, 2006
3. www.nutraingredients-usa.com/news/ng.asp?id=62811
4. www.nutraingredientsusa.com/news/ng.asp?id=62811

If you’re interested in a good health prostate supplement, click here, and check out the prostate health tips. Maca root is another great supplement for regulating and normalizing hormones, for both men and women. Rebecca Prescott runs this website that provides researched information on vitamins and supplements.

The main majority of experts agree the fact that obesity is among the many risk factors for prostate cancer. They found a suspect relation between a man’s body mass index (BMI) and prostate cancer condition.

A study involving 787 patients concluded that is more difficult to detect prostate cancer among obese patients, because the significant man’s weight may affect the accuracy of a common blood test . Expressing a big concern, the same study found that obesity itself might cause development of the most aggressive form of the disease. Once more obesity was evidenced as a higher risk for the cancer, a killer indeed.

According to Prostate Cancer Foundation, symptoms of the ailment include a necessity to urinate very often, weak urine flow, difficulty in starting urination, painful or burning urination, painful ejaculation, blood cells in the semen or urine, as well as frequent pain and cramps in the lower back, hips and upper thighs.

Because prostate cancer is a relatively slow-growing disease and easy to control if it is detected early enough, the regular screenings are recommended for obese people experiencing the above symptoms. They can determine whether cancer is present and reveal how quickly the cancer changes over time and how much aggressive is the type developed.

Valerian D is a freelance writer interested in health issues affecting men such as prostate cancer screening

Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in men, after lung cancer. Every year it kills more than 30,000 American males.

There are two different types of the cancer - an aggressive and deadly one and the other a slower-growing and less harmful one. Making possible prostate cancer detection and its severity anticipation is the way to save thousands of men a year from surgery (treatment) they don’t need. The big problem is not the surgery itself, but the situation they will face the side effects of that treatment such as impotence, bladder control troubles and possible worst conditions.

To be able for this performance, doctors use varying techniques. The newest methods involve 3-D mapping, a biopsy method in which a grid is placed over the prostate to evaluate the amount of cancer and its precise location. The prostate specific antigen (PSA) is another possibility to detect the severity of prostate cancer. Because PSA can reveal how quickly the cancer changes over time, specialists hope that they will be soon able to anticipate the more aggressive form of prostate cancer.

In the context of accuracy, more typical methods have recently been the subject of debate. One of panel conclusion was that the still standard biopsy helps doctors determine whether cancer is present.

Prostate cancer patients should be very interested in doctor’s abilities and methods to determine the severity of their illness. They need a right evaluation of stage and progression of cancer as more men die with prostate cancer than of it.

Valerian D is a freelance writer interested in health issues affecting men such as prostate cancer

For prostate cancer treatment we give the patient hormones that will suppress the male hormones (andrones) in their body. Androgens (male hormones) are produced mainly in the testicles. Sometimes androgens will stimulate the growth of prostate cancer and speed up the growth of the cancer cells. If the levels of the androgens is lowered then the cancer will grow much slower and possibly shrink. Hormone therapy is not meant to cure the cancer in the prostate but if used in conjunction with other therapy such as radiation or surgery if their is a risk of recurrence.

There are numerous ways that the androgen levels can be lowered in the bloodstream:

Orchiectomy - is the surgical removal of one or both of the testicles which are the main source of androgen production in the male body. By removing the testicle or testicles the levels of male hormones will drop enough to slow the growth of the cancer

Luteinizin hormone-release hormone analogs (LHRH) - often chosen instead of having an orchiectomy, LHRH analogs are injected or inserted as small implants underneath the skin. These injections are usually given every month or ever 3, 4, 6 or 12 months. The LHRH analogs that are used most of the time are Lupron, Viadur, Eligard, Zoladex or Trelstar.

Antiandrogens - are given to block the action of the androgens (production of male sex characteristics). Antiandrogens are given in daily pill form and the drugs used are Eulexin, Casodex, and Niandron. Antiandrogen treatments is often used in conjunction with an Orchiectomy because even after the orchiectomy there are sill androgens that will be produced by the adrenal glands.

Estrogens - largely replaced by LHRH therapy because of severe side effects, the use of estrogens (hormones that produce female sex characteristics) was often used in the past as a substitute for Orchiectomy

Side Effects of Hormone Therapy

The side effects for Orchiectomy and LHRH treatment are basically the same:

-reduced or no libido (sexual desire)

-impotence

-hot flashes (these may go away with time)

-breast tenderness and growth of breast tissue

-osteoporosis (weakening of bones) leading to bone fractures

-anemia (low red blood cell counts)

-decreased mental acuity

-loss of muscle mass

-weight gain

-fatigue

-decrease in HDL ("good") cholesterol

-depression

The Side Effects of Antiandrogen Treatment

-diarrhea

-nausea

-liver problems

-tiredness

*Note that the biggest difference between the side effects of LHRH treatment and Antiandrogen treatment is when Antiandrogens treatment is given alone their are less sexual side effects. The patients libido and potency can still be maintained.

Many of the side effects noted above can be treated so if they do arise consult with you doctor about what can be done to reduce them.

Steven Wallace provides information about Prostate Diseases and Prostate Cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment options at http://prostate-answers.com

No other human organ is as susceptible to cancer as the prostate. Each year, an estimated 209,900 American men are diagnosed with the disease, making it the most prevalent form of cancer in the United States. Although lung cancer claims more than twice as many men’s lives each year, prostate cancer is the second most lethal male cancer, killing 41,800 men annually.

In fact, the malady is so widespread that by age 65, nearly two out of three males may develop minute tumors producing in their “prostates,” the walnut-size gland that is wrapped around the urethra, the tube that drains the bladder. And some doctors believe that if men lived long enough, every man would develop the disease.

Curiously, the vast majority of men who have the disease will never know it. That is because prostate cancer normally manifests a gradual growth of tumor, often taking 20 to 30 years to become large enough to be detected by any currently available tests or to bring about serious health problems.

By then, many older men who had these small tumors will have long since died of other origins such as heart disease and stroke.

According to some urologic oncology experts, many more men die with prostate cancer than from it. They contend that if they could just slow the growth of the tumor so that it takes 40 to 60 years to progress instead of 20 to 30, which would amount to a cure for many men.

Doctors suspect that dietary changes may help men stall the progress of disease and prevent it from becoming life threatening. Here are a few prostate protectors.

1. Go lean fat

Lowering your fat intake to 20% of your total calories, that is about 44 grams of fat if you eat 2,000 calories a day, is one of the best things that you can do to slash your risk of developing aggressive prostate cancer.

2. Turn away from red meat

Beef and other red meats are loaded with saturated fat, a type of fat linked to development of several cancers including prostate cancer.

In one study of 51, 000 American men, those who ate the most red meat were 2.6 times more likely to cultivate complex prostate cancer than men who avoided meat consumption.

3. Catch some fish

One reason why advanced prostate cancer is rare in china may be the quantity of fish in the diet. One study compared cancer rates of American men to men living in Shanghai, China, where people consume three times as much fish in their daily diet. The rate of prostate cancer for the American men was a dramatic 25.9 times higher than for the Chinese.

4. Discover the joy of soy

Health experts suggest that instead of meat, try substituting tofu, miso, and other soy foods in salads, casseroles, and soups.

Men in Japan eat many soy-based foods, benefiting from significantly high levels of genistein and genistin, two substances found in soy that may help clamp down on the disease.

5. Learn to like lycopene

A study at the Harvard School of Public Health tracked the eating habits of almost 50,000 health-care professionals for more than six years. The researchers concluded that lycopene, an antioxidant compound that gives tomatoes their distinctive red color, helps fight cancer.

So now you know the preventive measures in order to avoid developing prostate cancer, it is best that you start employing these tips in order to have a healthier, cancer-free life.

As the old adage goes, you are what you eat. So eat healthy in order to be healthy.

Robert Thatcher is a freelance publisher based in Cupertino, California. He publishes articles and reports in various ezines and provides prostate cancer resources on http://www.all-prostate-cancer-resources.info.

On ABC news this week there was a segment on prostate cancer. The first night they talked about the poor survival rate for those who accepted treatment. It was a prospect that would not encourage me even if I did know that odds were worse than playing Russian roulette.

The second night they talked about how for some it made sense to do nothing. That in many cases the cancer grows so slow that it is best to leave it alone, and hope for the best.

Nothing was said about the thousands who have adopted Natural Hygiene in one form or another and been completely healed of Prostate Cancer.

When you stop causing prostate cancer, like most other diseases, it will simply go away.

Cancer cannot live in an alkaline environment. Removing all animal products, and anything else that would cause an acid condition in the body, puts the body back in control. When the body is in control it can destroy the cancer cells all on its own.

The reason for the poor survival rates, for prostate cancer patients following the medical way to health, is that the drugs destroy the bodies defense systems. Without our defense system at peak efficiency, how can we expect a good outcome?

It makes more sense to build up the bodies defense system so it can do the job God intended, destroy the cancer, and heal the body.

Charles Snyder is the author of Health by Design, available at http://arthritis-back-knee-pain-free-health-restored.com/

If you want to contact Mr. Snyder you will find a contact form on that web site.

He has a fiction book available at book stores called Six Months to Live. It incorporates what he learned on health that ended 13 years of suffering with arthritis for him. It is based on testimonies of real people, set into an exciting fiction story. You can get an autographed copy from hif through his website.

http://arthritis-back-knee-pain-free-health-restored.com/

Recent researches targeting prostate cancer have associated the prostate cancer development with the presence of a newly identified virus called XMRAV. According to study conclusion the XMRV was identified as an infectious agent in humans and closely related to a virus that causes leukemia in mice.

The findings are based of screening prostate tumor samples from 85 men with prostatectomy with a DNA ViroChip containing the genetic sequences of about 5,000 human viruses. The researches confirmed the possibility that a viral infection might lead to prostate cancer developing in men.

XMRV could be transmitted trough sexual activity. Then it is possible that XMRV to cause an infection able to lead to chronic inflammation of the prostate. In a way similar human papillomavirus (HPV) can trigger cervical cancer, this chronic inflammation caused by XMRV could result in prostate cancer.

This could be the first time an evidence is produced that a virus is related to prostate cancer development.

The research team conclusion suggests that more research is needed to confirm their findings. The good news seems to be the fact that if prostate cancer is caused by a virus such as XMRV, then its action can be cancelled using special targeted drugs or vaccine. The use of condom could be also a way to prevent XMRV sexual transmission.

Valerian D is a freelance writer interested in health issues affecting men such as prostate cancer

Prostate cancer warning signs…

Every man should be concerned about their prostate’s health.

Indeed, for men not paying attention to it, it can be deadly as prostate cancer comes second only to lung cancer with respect to cancer-caused deaths for American men…and is near the top for Canadian men as well.

Prostate cancer is also the most common type of cancer for men in the United States. Tens of thousands of new cases are diagnosed yearly.

Although there is most likely a hereditary component to your chances of getting prostate cancer, like many things in life, a lot of it comes down to choices you make, such as taking quality prostate health promoting supplements and eating food for good prostate health.

Prostate cancer warning signs

Although the aforementioned prostate statistics don’t seem to be good, the truth of the matter is that if prostate cancer is detected early, treatments are often very successful and chances of surviving are very high.

Therefore, one of the best things you can do other than take the necessary supplement and dietary steps to promote good prostate health is to have what is called a PSA test (prostate specific antigen tests) done every year. It doesn’t take long and it’s not painful so don’t put it off.

The drawback of the PSA test is that it isn’t perfect in what it reveals.

Now, what about prostate cancer warning signs?

Well, unfortunately, prostate cancer does not really give off any warning signs.

In addition, another confusing aspect is that most of the possible warning signs, if they appear, are also the same signs for other prostate health problems that are non-cancerous in nature, such as BPH, which is called an enlarged prostate gland.

However, these signs are still worth mentioning.

The following are some potential prostate cancer warning signs or signs of BPH:

• incomplete emptying of the bladder
• dribbling
• difficulty starting urination
• reduced force of the stream
• frequent urination of small amounts
• pain with urination
• ejaculation pain
• blood in the urine

Dietary and Supplement Protocols

Although saw palmetto is touted as the best herb to take for prostate health, it actually isn’t. Something called Beta sitosterol is much better. Here’s why:

Even the best Saw Palmetto supplements are comprised of 99% fatty acids and 1% sterols. The sterol component is where the therapeutic benefit lies (hence the name Beta Sitosterol).

In short, by taking Beta Sitosterol, you will be getting only the active component of Saw Palmetto that is responsible for its medicinal properties. Beta sitosterol is literally thousands of times more powerful than saw palmetto.

Other beneficial nutrients and supplements include: lycopene, pygeum, stinging nettle, and cornsilk.

With respect to food for good prostate health, recent research by the authoritative US National Cancer Institute revealed that men who consumed more than 1/3rd of an ounce of onions, scallions, garlic, chives per day were much less likely to have prostate cancer.

In conclusion, don’t wait for prostate cancer warning signs or signs of other prostate problems to show up before you do anything about it.

On the other hand, if you are already experiencing possible signs of prostate problems, don’t panic.

This is a very treatable condition if caught in its early stages. Just make sure you take appropriate action and talk to your doctor about it right away so you don’t become a statistic.

Get more info on prostate cancer warning signs and supplements to consider using to promote prostate health at: http://www.nutritional-supplement-info.com/prostate-herbs.html

Have you heard the news about a relationship between obesity and cancer death rate? You should know that researchers evaluate that as many as 90,000 cancer deaths in the United States each year may be linked to obesity and, therefore, could be prevented.

Obesity and overweight may make it harder to diagnose prostate cancer, resulting to delayed diagnosis and leading some men at an even higher risk for dying of this disease. This is the conclusion of a recent multi-university study. As a consequence, the study authors are recommending that physicians be especially thorough when investigating fat men for prostate cancer.

According to the study findings, up to a level, prostate gland size grows as body mass index (BMI) increases. BMI is a body fatness evaluation formula based on weight adjusted for height. Due of larger prostate glands existed among obese men, doctors may be 20 percent to 25 percent less able to diagnose prostate cancer.

Most people don’t think that obese or overweight condition is a risk factor for cancer. Usually, the prostate cancer diagnose is a bit like finding a needle in a haystack Going back to obese condition, the bigger the haystack is, the harder it is to find the needle. Therefore in many obese patients physicians may not identify prostate cancers at the right time.

Valerian D is a freelance writer interested in issues affecting men such as obesity and cancer

Modern men understand that it is vital to pay attention to their health as much as women. With illnesses such as prostate cancer, it is obvious that men must be more vigilant with their wellbeing.

Natural prostate health means that you must give your prostate the internal protection it needs. In order to help your body not to wear down and produce abnormal, tumour cells, you must find a natural health routine.

Natural prostate health also means that you must know which kind of supplements will protect and nourish your prostate.

If you do not have any prostate problems, your best option in the long run is a natural approach to prostate health. You will significantly cut the risk of getting cancer or other prostate irregularities, if you increase the amount of antioxidants you take and at the same time decrease the amount of preservatives you eat.

Natural prostate health is the best option that lots of men are making these days to guarantee their health. Men should be aware that indeed they can protect themselves from getting prostate cancer.

Natural prostate cancer institutes know that men must have the know-how, so that they will not be caught uninformed.

For this reason, you need to get in touch with your nearest natural health institute before you suffer irregularities to talk about what options you have.

Allow natural prostate health help you for the rest of your life. Rather than exposing your body to chemicals and radiation after you get cancer, deal with it proactively by living a healthier everyday life.

Make that commitment to your prostate health by committing yourself to a natural health lifestyle. It is your way to make sure that you are not unexpectedly caught by prostate cancer unaware.

Prostate cancer is one of the main causes of death among men. Visit Prostate Cancer Information for the latest news and information about this disease. You will learn the recent discoveries regarding prostate cancer treatment.