Daily Dose

• The Importance of Vitamin D
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• Strategies for Healthy Living During Perimenopause and Menopause
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• Antioxidants - Benefits to Our Overall Health
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• Shingles
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• Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Fish Oil
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• Surviving Spring Allergy Season
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• Agave - The Sweet Alternative
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• Prostate Health
• 
• Coenzyme Q10 and Heart Health
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• Selecting a Sunscreen
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• Top Five Tips for Flu Prevention
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Prostate Health

Herbal supplements, combined with a diet low in fat, can help reduce the risk of prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in American males. The American Cancer Society estimates that one man in six will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in his lifetime and one in 35 will die from it.

By age 50, half of all men have an enlarged prostate and by age 80, that number jumps to 80 percent. In fact, most men have some prostate cancer cells by the time they are in their twenties.

The key to keeping cancer cells from developing and spreading may rest in a diet low in fat and high in omega-3s and certain herbs.

Diets high in fat are associated with increased risk of prostate cancer, according to the National Academy of Sciences. Foods high in omega-6 fatty acids (such as meat, corn, dairy, eggs, and peanuts) are readily converted into arachidonic acid. And when arachidonic acid comes into contact with elevated 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) – a protein found in the human body and a key regulator of cell growth and survival – it creates fuel for cancer cells.

What’s more, the average diet is high in omega-6 but depleted in omega-3. Whereas normal ratio levels of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids are two-to-one, American levels are as high as forty-to-one, putting males at risk for invasive prostate cancer.

Eating a healthy diet is the best way to moderate 5-LO levels and maintain balanced omega ratios. Concentrate on eating more fatty fish such as tuna and salmon, healthy fibers like milled flaxseed and walnuts, and fruits and vegetables (particularly those rich in antioxidants, like blueberries). It’s also smart to consume fermented, soy-based foods such as tempeh and miso and to avoid saturated fats.

Certain herbs and herbal supplements also have the power to help prostate health. Ginger, green tea, nettle root, rosemary, pumpkin seed, and organic olive oil all contain potent modulators of 5-LO and can support a healthy diet in cancer prevention. Look for a high-quality supplement, such as New Chapter Prostrate-5lx, to add to your daily diet.

For more information on prostrate disease, visit Harvard Medical School’s Perspectives on Prostate Disease.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.

Source: The Doctors’ Prescription for Healthy Living.