resourcesABOUT MT AUTHOR GUIDELINES CLASSIFIEDS EDITORIAL CALENDAR MEDIA GUIDE MASSAGE MART SCHOOLS & EDUCATION FEEDBACK
The Top Seven Website Mistakes Clinics Make
The majority of acupuncture clinics finally have a website for their business. Having a website is crucial for being found online through Google, Facebook and review sites like Yelp.
Connections Worth Making
"If most doctors are like me, [they are] isolated physically and professionally. I do not make the time to connect with other doctors and also a lot of doctors do not want to be connected for a lot of reasons. Dynamic Chiropractic keeps me grounded and connected.
Are You Really a Healthy Eater?
I always giggle a little bit (to myself) when someone comes into my office and informs me that they are a healthy eater. What exactly does that mean? Does that mean they eat sugar in moderation? And what's that, exactly?
Reflections: The Art of Teaching Asian Medicine
Over the past three decades, my global workshops have been translated into German, Swiss German, French, Romansch, Spanish, Lithuanian and Xhosa. Time to offer you new teachers a few tips!
Online Efforts That Convert Traffic Into Patients
Most chiropractors are using "dinner with the doc," "refer a friend," customer appreciation days, grand openings, health fairs, chamber of commerce meetings, and other networking events to get new patients.
It's Time to Create a Strong Acupuncture Footprint
Footprints in the sand. Footprints in the snow. Where do these footprints go? Some are big, some are small, but footprints are made by all.
The Conscious Evolution of Healing, Part 2
The idea of transmission is very important in the Chinese medical classics. According to author Claude Larre, the ancient Chinese were highly interested in the connection between things. Nothing was looked at as an isolated entity.
Case Histories from Bali: Treating Balinese Chidren with TCB and Shonishin
When I moved to the island of Bali in 2005, I offered my services in Bumi Sehat, which means Healthy Mother Earth, a free birthing center for poor and disadvantaged local women located in Ubud.
Put the Social Back Into Social Media
Social media is more than a passing fad, it is definitely here to stay. Social media apps and channels of distribution may evolve, but the concept of social media is now big business and a part of all our lives.
Finding Balance in the Clinic
This past December, I celebrated 11 years in practice. I seriously don't know where the time went. I feel beyond blessed and grateful to be practicing our profound and beautiful medicine and to be helping guide my patients restore a state of optimal health.
What's Triggering That Point?
An orthopedic friend recently saw a patient of mine. He felt an injection of a trigger point (TP) at the upper trapezius and surrounding areas was necessary, since that was the patient's area of chief complaint and there was a tender, radiating nodule.
A New Era of Injury Awareness Means a New Focus on Prevention
Despite a dramatic Super Bowl last month, the National Football League has taken quite a few hits lately concerning player injuries, particularly concussions.
Joint Supplements for Athletes (Part 1)
Maintaining joint health should be a daily focus for athletes. Joint health is a complex issue for everyone, but for athletes it poses a greater concern.
Neuroscience: Where Western Medicine and Chinese Medicine Can Come Together
The recent advances in neuroscience are truly incredible. With this expansion of scientific knowledge, I would like to see even more research into the neuroscientific basic of acupuncture and Chinese Medicine.
Adjusting the Occiput on the Atlas
You may never see a particular set of patients in your office – the ones who are either afraid of neck adjustments or have had a bad experience. A vast majority of those who had a bad experience did not have a life-threatening vascular event.
We Get Letters & E-Mail
We Have Come a Long Way – But There's a Long Way to Go; Grounded and Connected.
Old TCM Sayings: Treat the Front to Treat the Back
Chinese medicine college was, and always will be, a memorable time. It was a time of massive personal and professional growth.
It might have been a miserable start to the day in the heart of downtown San Diego. A heavy rain had soaked the large homeless population congregating near the intersection of Third Avenue and Ash Street as they waited for a free breakfast to be served at the First Lutheran Church on the corner.
Leg Length and Pelvic Fixations
A common component of low back pain is sacroiliac joint dysfunction. Signs of SIJ dysfunction can include fixation with reduced range of motion, and localized pain or joint laxity and inflammation.
The Easy Way to Learn How to Document ICD-10
The 2015 Work Plan for the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) includes a focus on chiropractic services. This means chiropractors can expect to see more audits and reviews in the coming year because private payers pay attention to the OIG's focus as well.
April, 2002, Vol. 02, Issue 04
Diet and Prostate Cancer: Helping Your Patients Beat the Odds
By James P. Meschino, DC, MS
Recent Trends and Research Findings
Prostate cancer incidence increased steadily from 1981 to 1989, with a steep increase in the early 1990s, followed by a decline.Incidence rates were forecasted to remain stable through the year 2001. However, the exaggerated rate of increase in the early 1990s was transient, likely a result of increased early detection of preclinical prostate cancer from the widespread implementation of the new PSA (prostate-specific antigen) blood-screening test. Nevertheless, prostate cancer remains the most common form of cancer in North American men, as well as in other Western countries, and is the second leading cause of cancer death in males.1
As reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, as many as 75 percent of prostate cancer cases may be prevented if men follow more prudent nutritional practices, many of which will be outlined in this review.2 In Japan, the incidence of prostate cancer is 80 percent lower than in North America and much of the Western world. Low rates are also found in Africa and Eastern Europe. Migration studies reveal that when men relocate from low to high-risk regions of the world and abandon their traditional dietary patterns, their incidence of prostate cancer rises to approach that of North American men.3,4
In recent years, a number of nutritional factors and bioactive compounds have been identified that are strongly linked to the development of prostate cancer. In the past year, published data from the Harvard alumni study revealed that men with moderate liquor consumption (three drinks per week to three drinks per day) show a 61-67 percent increased risk of developing prostate cancer, compared to men who never or infrequently consume alcohol. Wine and beer did not appear to be as hazardous as liquor. However, men initiating alcohol consumption of any kind between 1977 to 1988 had double the risk of prostate cancer compared to men with almost no alcohol consumption at both evaluation dates (after controlling for other confounding variables). This study followed 7,612 Harvard alumni (mean age was 66.6 years) from 1988 -1993.5
Also in 2001, the study by K.T. Bogen and G.A. Keating provided evidence that higher intakes of heterocyclic amines among African-Americans, especially from pan-fried meats, may partially explain the twofold increase in prostate cancer in this group, as it was shown to consume approximately two and three times more heterocyclic amines at ages less than 16 and over 30, respectively. Heterocyclic amines are potent mutagens that increase the rates of colon, mammary, prostate and other cancers in bioassay rodents.6
In the journal Oncogene (2001), S.R. Chinni, et al. provided strong evidence to show that the indole ring structures present in cruciferous vegetables may play an important role in the prevention of prostate cancer. This study demonstrated that indole rings (indole-3-carbinols) can inhibit the growth of PC-3-type human prostate cancer cells by arresting their cell division cycle, and promote their demise through apoptosis (programmed cell death). The authors concluded that indole-3-carbinols may be an effective chemopreventive or therapeutic agent against prostate cancer. Previously, similar findings have argued for the ingestion of indole-3-carbinols as a means to prevent breast cancer in women.7
A link between vascular disease and increased risk of prostate cancer has been reported recently, suggesting that heightened central sympathetic stimulation, which can lead to elevated blood pressure and heart rate, may overstimulate the androgen activity of prostate cells. Increased an-drogen activity is strongly linked to prostate cancer. Thus, heart rate and blood pressure may represent indirect markers of sympathetic stimulation of androgen activity on the prostate. In support of this model, recent data from a cardiovascular health study (2,442 men) demonstrated that men with a resting heart rate equal to or greater than 80 beats per minute had a 60-percent greater chance of developing prostate cancer during the 5.6-year follow-up period, compared to men with a resting heart rate of less than 60 beats per minute, an indirect indicator of cardiovascular fitness and lower sympathetic tone.8
In addition to these recent publications, a vast amount of prior evidence indicates that risk of prostate cancer is largely determined by nutritional and other lifestyle factors, and age-related changes that occur in the prostate gland. Incredibly, even undesirable age-related changes to the prostate may be preventable and reversible through nutrition and supplementation practices, including changes that lead to prostate enlargement (benign prostatic hyperplasia), which affects 50-60 percent of men by ages 40-59, and 80 percent of men by age 80. Thus, nutritional support for the prostate gland is considered to be an important anti-aging intervention to preserve the health and function of this gland, and important in the prevention and treatment of prostate disease.9,10 This review brings to light the evidence-based research that should prompt all health practitioners to counsel their male patients on the importance of nutrition in lifelong prostate health.
Age-Related Changes to the Prostate
As men age (by age 40), the prostate gland tends to accelerate the rate at which it converts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT). The build-up of DHT in prostate cells stimulates them to divide and multiply at a faster rate. This results in more prostate cells (more prostate mass) and the potential for prostate enlargement and other problems. As the prostate enlarges under the influence of DHT, men often notice symptoms such as reduced strength of their urine stream, more frequent urination, repeated nighttime urination, bladder urgency and related symptoms.10 More rapid cell division rates also increase the chances of forming cancerous DNA mutations. DHT is known to promote the spread of existing prostate cancer, and males born with the genetic inability to synthesize DHT are virtually immune from developing prostate cancer in their lifetimes. There is no question that DHT is linked to prostate cancer and prostate enlargement in a number of ways.11,12 Encouraging is that specific nutrients and natural bioactive compounds in foods and certain supplements have been shown to block the conversion of testosterone to DHT, and exert other protective effects within the prostate gland. As such, the consumption of these products at the correct dosage and/or standardized grade have been shown to be effective in the treatment of enlarged prostate problems, and some of these natural agents are associated with the prevention and (more recently) treatment of prostate cancer.13
Nutrients that Block the Build-up of DHT
There are several known natural agents that can effectively block the build-up of DHT within the prostate gland. The primary agents include the standardized grade of saw palmetto, pygeum africanum, beta-sitosterol, soy isoflavones and stinging nettle (urtica dioica).
Numerous studies have shown that the fatty acids and sterols present in saw palmetto block the build-up of DHT, and exert other favourable effects on prostate health. Saw palmetto extract is a proven therapy for enlarged prostate problems, and has recently been used in trials with prostate cancer patients, yielding impressive results in helping to contain the disease and lower PSA levels by more than 75 percent in many cases. For the prevention and treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), the usual dose is 160 mg (twice daily) of saw palmetto extract (standardized grade containing 90 percent fatty acids and sterols) or 320 mg (twice daily) of a standardized grade containing 45 percent fatty acids and sterols.
Pygeum africanum contains active compounds known as triterpenes, which have also been shown to be effective in the treatment of enlarged prostate problems in numerous human studies. The usual dose of pygeum for the prevention and treatment of BPH is 100-200 mg per day (standardized grade containing12-14 percent triterpenes).
In recent years, prestigious medical journals such as The Lancet and the British Journal of Urology have published research papers demonstrating that beta-sitosterol (found in saw palmetto, soy products and other plant foods) at 20 mg three times per day, or 65 mg twice per day, is also extremely effective in reversing BPH.
Contained within soy products, including soy extract, are several important isoflavones, the most important being genistein and diadzein. These isoflavones directly inhibit the build-up of DHT and exhibit many other biological properties related to the prevention of prostate disease and prostate enlargement as men age. Soy isoflavones have been shown to induce apoptosis of human prostate cancer cell lines; decrease androgen stimulation to the prostate gland; slow the cell division rate of prostate cells and prostate cancer cells; and reduce the conversion of androstenedione to estrone hormone in adipose tissue by acting as an aromatase enzyme inhibitor. All of these physiological effects are known to reduce prostate cancer development and/or arrest prostate cancer growth. In Japan, where soy isoflavone intake is high (avg. 50 mg per day), prostate cancer incidence is 80 percent lower than in North America.
The herb stinging nettle also enjoys a reputation as a natural agent that has consistently been shown to reverse prostate enlargement in European studies. Prostate combination formulas often include 20-60 mg of stinging nettle as part of the complex.14-34
Studies indicate that prostate cancer may also arise from free radical damage to prostate cells, converting them into mutated cancer cells. Evidence is very strong to suggest that the antioxidant lycopene (derived from tomatoes) plays an essential role in protecting prostate cells from free radical damage. Lycopene is known to concentrate in the prostate gland and its fluids at levels much higher than are found in serum. As such, it has been shown to be a tissue-specific antioxidant in prostate health. Human studies, such as the Physicians' Health study and the Health Professionals' Follow-Up study have shown a striking correlation between higher lycopene blood and intake levels (six mg per day), and a marked reduction in prostate cancer development (as much as a 40-percent reduction). Experimental evidence also supports this protective effect of lycopene on prostate health.
Soy isoflavones (mentioned earlier in this review) are also known to provide antioxidant protection to the prostate gland. Soy intake is highly correlated with reduced prostate cancer development in epidemiological and experimental studies.
There has also been the suggestion from human intervention trials (placebo-controlled) that vitamin E (60 IU per day) and selenium (200 mcg per day) supplementation provide antioxidant support to the prostate, resulting in a 30 to 60 percent reduction in the risk of prostate cancer.4,11,35-41
Protecting the Prostate
To help combat the age-related changes to the prostate gland that lead to problems of enlargement, and the multistep processes involved in prostate cancer development, all men should practice prudent nutritional practices. Due to the changes that occur at around age 40, men this age and older should consider taking a supplement that contains the correct dosage and standardized grade of saw palmetto; pygeum africanum; beta-sitosterol; soy isoflavones; stinging nettle; lycopene; and other prostate- related nutrients, as a form of chemoprevention and general prostate gland support. The scientific evidence suggests that the following nutrition and lifestyle factors can favourably affect prostate health, and should be strongly considered by all men:
For more information on this or other related topics, go to Dr. Meschino's website at: www.renaisante.com.
Click here for previous articles by James P. Meschino, DC, MS.
Join the conversation
Comments are encouraged, but you must follow our User Agreementcomments powered by Disqus
Keep it civil and stay on topic. No profanity, vulgar, racist or hateful comments or personal attacks. Anyone who chooses to exercise poor judgement will be blocked. By posting your comment, you agree to allow MPA Media the right to republish your name and comment in additional MPA Media publications without any notification or payment.