|
|
by Michael T. Murray, N.D.
Have you noticed the big advertising
and media push for Viagra these
days? How about all of the Propecia
ads for male baldness? And how about all of
the ads for all of the other drugs in magazines
and on television? It seems that the drug
companies aren’t going to quit until every
man with a “problem” buys and tries their product. They have the money to make it
happen. It is a shame that men are spending
billions of dollars each year on these drugs
but are not taking some supplements that at
pennies a day might actually save their lives.
Men are not going to die from impotence
or hair loss but they can succumb to heart
disease, cancer and diabetes. A great deal of
scientific research shows that these diseases are almost entirely preventable through diet,
lifestyle and proper nutritional supplementation.
In particular, there has been a great deal
of focus on prevention of the major killers of
men: heart disease and cancer.
|
With these three foundational supplements, it is possible to reduce your
risk for heart disease, cancer and other chronic degenerative diseases. |
|
Key nutritional supplements for men
There are three key supplements that are
essential in any health promotion plan: a
high potency multiple vitamin and mineral,
especially one that provides sufficient levels of
antioxidant nutrients, a high quality “greens”
drink and long-chain omega-3 fatty acids.
A high potency multiple vitamin and
mineral is one that provides optimal levels of
all essential vitamins and minerals. Such a
product will not be a “one-a-day” product, as
it is physically impossible to get everything
into just one pill. A high potency multiple
for men will usually require that two tablets be taken twice daily. The body needs a constant
supply of essential vitamins and minerals.
One of their critical roles is as
components of enzymes—molecules that
build or break down other molecules.
Enzymes are in charge of repairing damage to
cells, including damage to DNA and cellular
membranes. If your cells’ enzyme defense mechanisms are not up to par because your
body lacks one or more key nutrients, the
cells are vulnerable to malfunction or
damage.
“Greens drinks” are commercially available
products containing dehydrated barley
grass, wheat grass or algae sources such as
chorella or spirulina. These green super foods
are power-packed full of cancer-fighting
phytochemicals, especially carotenes and
chlorophyll, known for their powerful
antioxidant properties. These dehydrated
products can be convenient if you don’t have
time to sprout and grow your own source of
greens. Simply rehydrate by mixing with
water or juice to form a green drink. Drink
one to two servings daily.
Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids refer to
the omega-3 fats eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)
and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) found in fish
oil that play a central role in cell membrane
structure and function. Deficiency of these
fats is associated with an increase risk for
cancer and about 60 other conditions
including heart disease, stroke, high blood
pressure, skin diseases and diabetes. Although
the body can convert short-chain omega-3
alpha-linolenic acid from flax seed to longerchain
omega-3 fatty acids, it can be more cient to get them from fish oils. Adding a fish
oil supplement to your daily routine provides
extra insurance that you are getting sufficient
levels of these important oils.
When selecting a fish oil supplement, it
is essential to use a brand you trust. Quality
control is an absolute must to insure the
product is free from heavy metals such as
lead and mercury, pesticides, damaged fats
(lipid peroxides) and other contaminants.
For prevention, take enough to provide 200
to 400 milligrams of EPA and 100 to 200 mg
of DHA daily.
With these three foundational supplements,
it is possible to reduce your risk for
heart disease, cancer and other chronic
degenerative diseases.
Nutrients that fight prostate cancer
One of the most important health concerns
for men is prostate cancer. In addition to the
foundation supplements described above,
there are other special nutrients for men to
fight prostate cancer. For example, there is
lycopene, a carotene that provides the red
color to tomato products. Recently
researchers at Harvard University discovered
that of all of the different types of carotenes,
only lycopene was clearly linked to protection
against prostate cancer. The men who
consumed the highest levels of lycopene had
an 86 percent decreased risk of prostate
cancer. Lycopene appears to have some therapeutic
effect as well. In a study of patients
with existing prostate cancer, lycopene supplementation
(30 mg per day) was shown to
slow tumor growth, shrink the tumor and
lower the level of prostate specific antigen—
an indicator of prostate cancer activity.
While lycopene has clear benefit, it is
important to point out that in a test tube
study it was found that lycopene alone was
not very effective at stopping prostate cancer
tumors from growing. However, adding natural
vitamin E resulted in a 90 percent
decrease in cancer cell proliferation. This
result implies that lycopene works best (and
perhaps only) if vitamin E levels are sufficient.
Several studies have shown that
vitamin E supplementation prevents prostate
cancer.
Supplementation with selenium, which
works closely with lycopene and vitamin E, is
also critically important in reducing prostate
cancer risk. In a double-blind study of 974
men, selenium supplementation alone produced
a significant (63 percent) reduction in
the development of prostate cancer. Another
showed a greater than 50 percent reduction
in prostate cancer mortality.
Taking saw palmetto extract may also
have some protective effect against prostate
cancer, but the real reason for men to take
this herbal product is to improve the signs
and symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia
(BPH)—a condition that affects
approximately 5 to 10 percent at age 30 and
increases in incidence to eventually affect
over 90 percent in men over 85 years of age.
Roughly 90 percent of men with mild to
moderate BPH experience some improvement
in symptoms during the first four to six
weeks of therapy. All major symptoms of
BPH are improved, especially increased
nighttime urination (nocturia). The mechanism
of action is related to improving the
hormonal metabolism within the prostate
gland.
Michael T. Murray, N.D., is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading authorities on natural medicine. He is coauthor of A Textbook of Natural Medicine and the bestselling Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine. His latest book, How to Prevent and Treat Cancer with Natural Medicine, provides a practical plan to cancer prevention and treatment.
|
|
|
