9 replies to this topic

[michael55m]

Hi,

 

My father suffers from serious prostatitis and I myself by heredity have some prostate enlargement problems as well.

I am usually on a low-carb vegan diet with lots of olive oil and flax oil, but it seems not effective enough in dealing with the problem. I take some pollen and avoid sedentary lifestyle.

I've seen some mediocre study for the effectiveness of saw palmetto, but not convinced.

 

Is there any other supplement to prevent prostate cancer and  enlargement?  Or lifestyle recommendation?

 

Research shows that most men will develop prostate cancer in their old age although most of them do not aware of it and may die of other disease.

Also, it seems that eunuch have no prostate problems and research does show those who castrated lived way longer....

 

Blocking DHT is a must and the testosterone itself may not be good neither. Muscle loss can be prevented by exercise and many other ways (rather than elevated testosterone).

 

I've made up my mind not to get married and not to have kids so that I can save much more time to contribute to our society rather than wasting 1/3 lifetime for family.

So...I can afford taking supplements which maybe harmful to sexual capacity...  Any recommendations?

All opinions are welcome.

Edited by michael55m, 02 August 2014 - 08:09 AM.

[Jembe]

I would look at excess estrogen instead of obsessing about androgens. Have you gotten your estradiol measured? I used to have problems too, before I took letrozole.

[Gerrans]

I am not sure how to prevent prostate problems in advance, but I have some issues and have been experimenting and reading in order to find ways to counter what seems to be prostate enlargement. Like you I was sceptical about saw palmetto, but I find that the Doctor's Best brand (which is all saw palmetto oil, no fillers) most definitely eradicates my chief urinary issue, which is reflux. I believe it does this by relaxing the prostate so that the tube flowing through it is able to open fully and not be squeezed. On the other hand, it is a relaxant only, not a cure or a healing agent, because when I stop taking it the problem returns.

 

It is not good to take saw palmetto all the time, so I cycle it with nettle extracts and drink nettle tea. Nettle extracts work somewhat in the same way as Doctor's Best saw palmetto for me, except much more crudely. Basically, I think they work by a combination of diuresis and relaxation, so you pee more, but in a freer way. When taking nettle, I do not drink in the later evening, and so I am not troubled in the night, since the diuresis has by then run its course. I have found even the cheapest nettle extracts seem to work. I have not quite worked out which is better, root or leaf--to my surprise they both seem diuretic, despite what one reads--so I take both together.

 

*

 

At the same time, I have kept looking into things that might potentially help prevent prostate cancer. I always have a dollop of tomato paste on the side of my plate, which I believe may be protective because of certain nutrients in it, such as lycopene. Although it is food, I regard it as a supplement and do not leave any on the plate. I also chew a little nigella sativa seed. This is a horribly bitter and unpleasant seed, but I am rather convinced by the mountain of research in its favour re cancer, including prostate cancer. I think if I was diagnosed with prostate cancer, I would take the nigella sativa oil.

 

I also eat walnuts, which some research supports against prostate cancer. Same with milk thistle. I suspect most fruits and vegetables (and seeds) contain nutrients that might help against prostate cancer. We are probably more at risk when not eating enough of them.

 

*

 

Am I getting anywhere? I first started having problems three years ago and went to the doctor with nasty reflux pains that struck when I peed. That never happens now--the most I get is a moment of slight soreness, and that is rare. Flow is not too bad, though not perfect (it used to be much worse, as far back as the 90s). Sexual health is actually improved--what relaxes the urinary system seems to relax the sex system too. In theory, things should just get steadily worse at my age (60), but in effect they have improved beyond measure since I improved my diet and put some thought into what I eat and supplement. I say "in effect", because I do not think this sort of degeneration can be reversed; but one can mask it and prevent it--at least for the time being--from getting worse, I have found.

 

Best of luck.

Edited by Gerrans, 02 August 2014 - 10:29 AM.

[fntms]

You might check you ferritin levels. Mine were very high. Since I have lowered them through regular blood donation and ip6 my prostatitis has gone...

[michael55m]

Thank you for your suggestions.

I usually eat tomato everyday and supplementing lycopene in moderation. I get most of protein from tofu, legumes and sometime natto.

Also plan to take IP-6.

 

I'm wondering is there any kind of herb or chemicals that can decrease body's testosterone secretion in the long run? (a safe, mild castration mimic which can be stopped if needed).

I'm serious.  My hypothesis is that there is a tradeoff between survival and reproduction.

[michael55m]

Many thanks to cryonicsculture's remarks. I revise my hypothesis a little bit:

Maybe testosterone is just like insulin. Both castration and CR cause lower T secretion which in turn force body to improve T sensitivity. Taking T therapy is just like injecting insulin for the diabetics.    

If that's the case, all we need to do is to improve T sensitivity while lowering T production. 

 

[michael55m]

Oh I found out that “A study conducted at a mental institution in Kansas, where a large number of male inmates had been castrated, found that the eunuchs lived an average of 14 years longer than the uncastrated men.” -- from wiki. 

I don't want to go too far on this. Maybe more research is needed.

[Gerrans]

Thank you for your suggestions.

I usually eat tomato everyday and supplementing lycopene in moderation. I get most of protein from tofu, legumes and sometime natto.

Also plan to take IP-6.

 

I'm wondering is there any kind of herb or chemicals that can decrease body's testosterone secretion in the long run? (a safe, mild castration mimic which can be stopped if needed).

I'm serious.  My hypothesis is that there is a tradeoff between survival and reproduction.

 

Another view says that good sexual health is a sign of good general health. When I am ill, I feel less sexual--that is for sure.

 

The other thing is that castration or testosterone-reducing therapies are not guaranteed to work against prostate cancer, particularly in the long term. In many cases, cancer is arrested by castration but then resumes later. This is the difference between hormone-sensitive and hormone-refractory prostate cancer. Once cancer cells have formed, prostate cancer is difficult to treat. But measures to prevent them forming in the first place do not have to reduce testosterone. For example, thymoquinone, a substance in nigella sativa seeds, has been found to prevent cancer formation, independently of androgens (Kaseb, et al, "Androgen receptor and E2F-1 targeted thymoquinone therapy for hormone-refractory prostate cancer", Cancer Res, 2007). Also, sunshine exposure is associated with both raised testosterone and lowered prostate cancer rates.

 

In my opinion, so long as one does not have prostate cancer, it might be best to eat and supplement to prevent cancer generally, as that would help against prostate cancer too. It would be sod's law to target one's testosterone and then contract a different form of cancer than prostate cancer.

Edited by Gerrans, 04 August 2014 - 01:06 PM.

[michael55m]

 

Thank you for your suggestions.

I usually eat tomato everyday and supplementing lycopene in moderation. I get most of protein from tofu, legumes and sometime natto.

Also plan to take IP-6.

 

I'm wondering is there any kind of herb or chemicals that can decrease body's testosterone secretion in the long run? (a safe, mild castration mimic which can be stopped if needed).

I'm serious.  My hypothesis is that there is a tradeoff between survival and reproduction.

 

Another view says that good sexual health is a sign of good general health. When I am ill, I feel less sexual--that is for sure.

 

The other thing is that castration or testosterone-reducing therapies are not guaranteed to work against prostate cancer, particularly in the long term. In many cases, cancer is arrested by castration but then resumes later. This is the difference between hormone-sensitive and hormone-refractory prostate cancer. Once cancer cells have formed, prostate cancer is difficult to treat. But measures to prevent them forming in the first place do not have to reduce testosterone. For example, thymoquinone, a substance in nigella sativa seeds, has been found to prevent cancer formation, independently of androgens (Kaseb, et al, "Androgen receptor and E2F-1 targeted thymoquinone therapy for hormone-refractory prostate cancer", Cancer Res, 2007). Also, sunshine exposure is associated with both raised testosterone and lowered prostate cancer rates.

 

In my opinion, so long as one does not have prostate cancer, it might be best to eat and supplement to prevent cancer generally, as that would help against prostate cancer too. It would be sod's law to target one's testosterone and then contract a different form of cancer than prostate cancer.

 

 

 

While studies on the role of testosterone in prostate cancer are mixed, several case-control studies have shown that having many lifetime sexual partners or starting sexual activity early in life substantially increases the risk of prostate cancer. (http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/11805589  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11415949 and http://www.ncbi.nlm....ubmed/16890703)

 

Empirical evidence also shows that the more often species mate, the shorter lifespan they have. CRONs have lower libido. Intuitively if humans were to achieve immortality, making babies in a natural way might not be necessary... Life is always full of trade-offs, so I go vegan and abstinence, for scientific reasons. But I would say there is nothing wrong that people make different life choices.

Having said that, however, it's better for a married man to have a happy family life than to get divorced.-- Those who have better self-control deserve longer life. 

 

Gerrans, thank you very much for your suggestion on nigella sativa seeds. I will try it definately. I sincerely wish all of you good health and long life. 

Edited by michael55m, 06 August 2014 - 12:41 AM.

[drew_ab]

I'd like to ask if anyone else has any input here.  My health been hampered by chronic non-bacterial prostatitis for quite some time now (a few years).  I haven't discovered anything that helps.