A
Practical Guide to Using Diet and Supplements for a Healthy Prostate
by Roger Mason
CONTENTS
Chapter 1: Diet
Chapter 2: Science and Beta-sitosterol
Chapter 3: Other Benefits of Beta-sitosterol
Chapter 4: Supplements
Chapter 5: Progesterone
Chapter 6: Melatonin
Chapter 7: Androgens
Chapter 8: Estrogens
Chapter 9: Home Hormone Testing
The information contained in this booklet should not be considered
medical advice. The ideas, thoughts, and opinions expressed herein
belong solely to the author who is not a medical doctor. Except as
otherwise noted, no statement in this book has been reviewed or
approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
ABOUT THIS BOOK
This book contains the distillation of 30 years of prostate research
including BPH (benign prostate hypertrophy), prostate function, beta-sitosterol,
saw palmetto and other natural supplements considered to support good
prostate health.
Literally every entry in Chemical Abstracts (the “Chemist’s Bible”
which contains every published medical article of importance in every
scientific journal in the world) for all these topics was reviewed by
hand one by one. Every potentially worthwhile entry was carefully
scrutinized and, when pertinent, the actual article was obtained even
if it had to be translated from a foreign language. Each of these
articles, in turn, was read care- fully and any further references
followed up on. This took months of work which was done by the author
mostly at the National Institute of Health Medical Library (the
largest such library in the world) in Bethesda, MD. Unfortunately no
one else had ever taken the time and effort to do this much needed and
necessary job. All the information was condensed, refined and written
in plain English. This the only book that has taken this life saving
information out of the medical journals and put it in the hands of the
general public.
In particular much of the information on diet, supplements, hormone
testing and supplementation, and testosterone : estrogen ratios has
never been taken out of the medical literature, simplified and
published in a mass distribution book. The dozens and dozens of
medical citations are only here to prove the reality of these facts.
And certainly no one has ever researched every single medical study
listed in Chemical Abstracts for the last 30 years on the amazing and
varied potential benefits of beta-sitosterol itself and brought it to
the general public. Nature has help for all your problems instead of
allopathic (symptom curing) radiation, surgery and poisonous drugs.
It’s not the disease that’s the problem - it’s the patient.
Roger Mason, September 1999
Chapter 1 - Diet
Diet is the first chapter as it is the most important aspect generally
of good prostate health. In one word we can sum up everything you need
to know about diet and your prostate - FAT. Look at the chart on
dietary fat intake and prostate cancer; it is almost a 1 to 1
relationship no matter where you go in the world. In the countries
like China and Viet Nam that eat as little as 10% vegetable fat
calories and almost no animal fats they have as low as one 120th of
the prostate cancer rate we do in America. That is less than 1%. If
these people move to America and adopt the American forty per cent
plus fat intake they get as much or more prostate cancer as we do.
This is called a “migration study” and cannot be argued with.
Saturated fats come from red meat, dairy products, and the
hydrogenated fats we find in margarine and so many processed foods.
Eating vegetable oils is better but not good at all. Countries like
Italy and Greece that eat large amounts of olive and other vegetable
oils have much higher prostate disease rates than Asian countries. So
there are no good fats (with the exception of two grams of flax oil as
an omega-3 supplement which is a mere 18 calories and is proven to
promote prostate health).
Dairy milk regardless of the fat content has been shown to be very
correlated with prostate disease (J. Cancer 58 (1986), p. 2363-71) due
to the lactose. Use soy milk instead as this is now commonly available
in any grocery store. All adults of all races are allergic to lactose
as they do not produce the enzyme lactase after the age of three.
Surprisingly no studies have shown a correlation with sugar intake
harmful as that is and considering Americans eat over 120 pounds of
sugar a year. Sugar is sugar is sugar whether it is honey, maple
syrup, brown sugar, “raw” sugar (a real victory of advertising over
reality), molasses, sorghum syrup, cane syrup, dextrose, fructose,
maltose, amazake, fruit juice, invert syrup, corn syrup, dried fruit,
fruit concentrate or any other form of sugar regardless of the name it
is given.
Also surprisingly no relation has been shown by smoking, drinking or
caffeine intake no matter how unhealthy they are in other ways. I say
this reluctantly, but alcoholics have smaller prostates. Nor does
excercise seem to correlate with prostate disease although one or two
studies seem to show that, others do not. Does anything correlate with
prostate health? Yes, grain and cereal intake does as does fiber
intake. Also the lower your calorie intake and lower your body weight.
In fact Life Sciences, vol. 40 (1987), p. 1761-8, published a study
that showed a whole grain based diet raised male testosterone levels
substantially. A good 90% of the health and diet books on the market
are worthless and the worlds best selling diet author is Robert Atkins
who says you should eat 70% fat and meat!!! There are some good
authors out there including Dean Ornish, John McDougall, Nathan
Pritikin, Susan Powter, Gary Null and any of the “macrobiotic”
authors. There are almost no good books on natural prostate health.
The most inspiring is Dirk Benedict’s “Confessions of a Kamikaze
Cowboy”. He overcame prostate cancer over 20 years ago by simply going
on a macrobiotic diet of whole grains and vegetables. He is alive,
well, happy and youthful today as he turned his back on traditional
treatments.
Basically you should be eating whole grains like brown rice, whole
grain breads, whole wheat pastas, oatmeal, corn meal, barley and other
cereals. Dried beans of all kinds are almost as good as whole grains.
Most vegetables are good for you, but you should avoid Nightshade
species such as potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants and peppers. If you
doubt this go eat a cup of potato eyes and you will fall over dead
from solanine poisoning. You can eat seafood if you want and even
skinless chicken once a week. Fruit is limited as it contains
basically sugar and water with little nutrition. Tropical foods such
as bananas, mangoes, coconuts, avocadoes, pineapples, citrus fruits
and other such foods should be avoided as they are meant for people
living in very hot tropical climates. Basically you do not eat dairy,
milk, poultry, eggs, red meat, refined foods, sweeteners of any kind,
preservatives, chemical additives or hydrogenated oils.
The less you eat the longer you live, the better you feel, the
healthier you will be and the less prostate problems you are likely to
have. Unfortunately Roy Walford is about the only person to write
about calorie restriction and longevity and his two books, “The 120
Year Diet “ and “Maximum Lifespan” can be hard to find. Doctors in
Japan (Takeda Kenkyushoho 53 (1994), p. 134-50) reduced the prostate
weight of rats with simply lowering their calorie intake. Doctors at
the University of Wisconsin (Prostate 33 (1997), p. 256-63) showed
that lowering caloric intake in rats not only reduced the prostate
weight but lengthened their lives dramatically.
Fasting goes even further and is the most powerful of all healing
methods as well as the most difficult. You don’t need to be a
Christian to appreciate Matthew 17:21 where Christ heals the man
possessed by demons saying, “this kind goeth out not but by prayer and
by fasting” or Mark 9:29 “this kind can come forth by nothing, but
prayer and fasting”. Please remember that fasting means water only.
People who advocate so-called juice fasts are just kidding themselves
and really going on juice feasts. A look at your local public library
or amazon.com or barnes& noble.com will give you a list of books on
fasting.
Numerous studies suggest that dietary fat intake, especially animal
fats are the main cause of prostate disease are too numerous to
mention but we can cover some of them quickly to prove the point
inarguably.
The American Health Federation has done a wonderful job of studying
the relation between diet and disease especially prostate cancer. In
Bull. N.Y. Acad. Med (1980), vo.56, p. 673-96 they showed the
development of prostate cancer can be slowed with a low fat, high
fiber diet. In Cancer Res. (1982), vol.42, p.3864-9, South African men
with prostate cancer have high estrogen levels and low testosterone
levels even on their natural diet (only a fraction of American black
cancer rates though). When switched to a high at American diet their
estrogen rose even further and their testosterone dropped even lower.
This is more proof a high estrogen to testosterone ratio could
facilitate prostate cancer.
In Lipids (1992), vol. 27, p. 798-803, it was shown fat intake as well
as obesity were major causes of prostate disease and backed up with 59
references. Omega-3 fatty acids inhibited cancer while omega-6
stimulated it. This is further proof vegetable oils could be
detrimental for you as they mainly are made up of omega-6 fatty acids.
Again in the Amer. J. Clin. Nutr. (1997), vol. 66, p. 998S -1003S
dietary fat intake was related to prostate cancer while omega-3 fatty
acids inhibited it. In the same issue on pages 1513S - 1522S high fat
diets especially those high in omega-6 fatty acids promoted prostate
cancer. In Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med. (1997), vol. 216, p.224-33, they
showed omega-6 acids promoted prostate cancer and omega-3’s inhibited
it.
Doctors at the University of Vermont (Amer. J. Clin. Nutr.51 (1990) p.
365-70, showed high fiber diets reduced excessive estrogen levels and
thus promoted prostate health.
At Harvard Medical School (JNCI 85 (1993) p. 1571-9) a most definitive
study was done showing dietary fat intake, especially saturated animal
fat, promoted prostate cancer.
At Loma Linda University in California a 43 page study was done
complets with 249 references (Nutrition Research, 14(1994) p.
1853-95), showing beyond any doubt that high fat, low fiber diets are
responsible for prostate disease.
At the University of Tokyo (Cancer Research 54 (1994) p. 6129-32) high
fat diets in test animals caused both BPH and prostate cancer.
At the University of Wales (Brit. J. Urol. 77 (1996) p. 481-93), a
study with 149 references show prostate cancer can be largely
prevented with an Asian-style low fat diet.
At the University of Michigan (Anticancer Res. 16 (1996) p. 815-20)
doctors showed that the omega-3 fatty acids inhibited prostate cancer
while omega-6’s stimulated it, thus proving even vegetable oil is not
good for prostate functioning.
The National Cancer Institute (Cancer Epidem. Biomarkers Prev. 5
(1996), p.859-60), showed again that dietary fat intake is the main
preventable cause of prostate disease.
At the University of Ohio State (Ann.Rev. Nutr. 18 (1998) p. 413-40) a
28 page study with 193 references was published showing yet again it
is dietary fat intake that causes prostate disease.
At Wageningen Agricultural University in the Netherlands (Amer. J.
Clin. Nutr. 68 (1998) p.142-53) a study with 178 references to verify
it showed the clear relation of animal fat intake to prostate
diseases.
At the University of Umea in Sweden (Prostate 36 (1998) p.151-61)
human prostate cancer cells were transplanted into rats but both soy
isoflavones and calorie restriction inhibited their growth.
These studies have been detailed to show beyond any doubt that it is
dietary fat intake, especially saturated animal fat, that is a primary
cause of prostate illness.
Chapter 2: Science and Beta-sitosterol
Traditionally such herbs as saw palmetto, Pygeum species, nettles,
star grass and other herbs have been used to treat prostate problems.
The trouble with using these is that generally they only contain a
mere one part in three thousand! of the beta-sitosterol complex. That
means you would literally have to eat about a pound of saw palmetto
berries to get a mere 330mg of beta-sitosterol. Even with the best
“10x” (ten times) extracts of these herbs one would still have to eat
about two hundred 500mg capsules to get the 330mg of beta-sitosterol!
So it is obvious these herbs are useless despite their continual
promotion by the so-called natural health industry. Please under-
stand that saw palmetto, Pygeum africanum and other herbs and their
extracts are simply not effective.
But what about the herbal extracts sold by prescription only over in
Europe? These extracts are standardized according to beta-sitosterol
content regardless of their source. Whether you buy Permixon in
France, Harzol, Tadenan and Azuprostat in Germany or Prostaserene in
Belgium, these are all based on how much beta-sitosterol content they
have. And they are very, very expensive. A bottle of 60 tablets of
Permixon, for example, containing 30mg of beta-sitosterol per tablet
will cost about 50 American dollars.
After one really researches beta-sitosterol it becomes obvious that
herbs are a completely uneconomic source, but soybeans, sugar cane
pulp and pine oil (tall oil) are excellent, inexpensive sources. Many
sugar processors now extract the valuable chemicals from the pulp
after the sugar is pressed out.
There are dozens and dozens of classic double blind studies done with
real men on the effects of beta-sitosterol on benign prostate
hypertrophy or BPH. We’ll discuss a few of these to give you some
exaples of the first rate research that has been done around the
world.
A study published in volume 21 of Eurpean Urology (1992), at the
Institute of Clinical Medicine at the University of Rome, DiSilverio
and his colleagues studied 35 men with BPH for 3 months and gave half
of them a placebo (inert capsules). They concluded, “On the basis of
these considerations, monotherapy with S. repens extract (beta-sitosterol
extracted from saw palmetto) may be more favorably accepted, since on
account of similar clinical results, when compared to the combination
therapy cyproterone acetate plus tamoxifen...”
The British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology in volume 18 (1984) at
the Hospital Ambroise in Paris, Champault and two other doctors did a
classic double blind study with 110 men half of them getting a
placebo. They concluded, “Thus as predicted by pharmacological and
biochemical studies PA109 (4 tablets of Permixon daily) would
therefore appear to be a useful therapeutic tool in the treatment of
BPH.”
In volume 98 of the German journal Fortschrifte Medizin (1980) at the
Klinische Endokrinologie in Freiburg, Zahradnik and other doctors
studied the beta-sitosterols taken from star grass sold as the
prescription extract Harzol in regard to the development of prostate
enlargement and prostaglandin levels. High prostaglandin levels
support tumor growth.
In the Italian journal Minerva Urologica e Nefrologica, volume 37
(1985), doctors at the University of Padova studied the effect of
beta-sitosterol extract on 27 men with BPH. Dr. Tasca and his
associates measured urine flow and other parameters in men ranging
from ages 49 to 81 compared to men receiving a placebo.
In Medical Science Research, volume 16 (1983), Drs. Malini and
Vanithakumari at the Institute of Medical Sciences in Madras, India
studied the effect of beta-sitosterol on the fructose concentration of
the prostate. Fructose is vital to the function of the prostate with
regard to the androgenic hormones such as DHEA and testosterone. This
was a very unique and thorough study lasting almost two months.
One of the very best studies done was published in the British Journal
of Urology, volume 80 (1997), at the University of Dresden. Drs.
Klippel, Hilti and Schipp studied 177 men for 6 months who suffered
from BPH. Half the men got a placebo and half got the prescription
extract Azuprostat containing 130mg of beta-sitosterol. They cited a
full 32 references to substantiate their research. They carefully
screened all the men and tested them extensively during the study.
They concluded, “These results show that beta-sitosterol is an
effective option in the treatment of BPH.”
In the journal Urolage A, volume 24 (1985) at the University of Basel,
Switzerland, Dr. Vontobel and his colleagues studied a strong extract
of nettles containing a high concentration of beta-sitosterol in a
double blind study of 50 men for nine weeks. They said that the use of
beta-sitosterols from nettles, “The evaluation of the objective
parameters showed significant differences.”
In the Lancet, vol 345 (1995) a very professional study was done at
the University of Bochum in Herne, Germany by Dr. Berges and his
associates. They used pure beta-sitosterol with 200 men half of whom
received a placebo over the course of a year. They said, “Significant
improvement in symptoms and urinary flow parameters show the
effectiveness of beta-sitosterol in the treatment of BPH.” This is
clearly one of the most important and well done studies on prostate
ever published.
Again, in Minerva Urologica e Nefrologica, volume 39 (1987), Drs.
Bassi et al at the University of Padova studied 40 men with BPH with
and extract of Pygeum africanum with a high beta-sitosterol content.
Half the men received a placebo and many parameters were measured for
the two month study. They concluded, “The preliminary results
demonstrate a significant improvement of the frequency, urgency,
dysuria (difficult, painful urination) and urinary flow in patients
treated with the active drug.”
In the German journal Wiener Klinische Wochenschrift, volume 22 (1990)
at eight different urological clinics in Europe 263 total patients
with BPH were studied over a two month period. They were given either
Tadenan (a Pygeum africanum extract standardized for beta-sitosterol
content) or a placebo. This very extensive study compiled from
different clinics and different doctors yet all agreed that,
“Treatment with the Pygeum africanum extract led to a marked clinical
improvement: a comparison of the quantitative parameters showed a
significant difference between the Pygeum africanum group and the
placebo group with respect to therapeutic response.”
In volume 77 of the German journal Midizinische Klinik (1982) a study
done at the Urological Clinik of Krankenhauser in
Ludenscheid-Hellersen was performed on 23 patients. Dr. Szutrely gave
the patients either Harzol (herbal extract standardized for beta-sitosterol
content) or a placebo for patients with prostate enlargement over a
two month period. They measured their prostates with ultrasound
equipment before and after treatment. At the end he said, “Within the
scope of a controlled double blind study to demonstrate the effect of
conservative therapy of benign prostatic hyperplasia with Harzol,
ultrasonic examination of the prostate adenoma (enlargement) was
carried out on 23 patients before and after therapy with the trial
preparation of a placebo. Within a two month treatment with Harzol
there was a significant change in echo structure of the prostate
adenoma, and this is interpreted as a reduction in the interstitial
formation of oedema (swelling).”
A most unique review of 31 years of studies was published in the
volume 280 of the Journal of the American Medical Association (1998)
where they chose 18 different trials involving 2,939 men in total who
were treated for BPH with strong extracts of saw palmetto containing
beta-sitosterol. They said after reviewing all these studies, “The
evidence suggests that Serenoa repens (saw palmetto) improves urologic
symptoms and and flow measures.”
Another unique review in a different manner was done by Dr. Buck in
the British Journal of Urology, volume 78 (1996). At the Department of
Urology in Glasgow, Scotland he did a 12 page review of herbal therapy
for the prostate including Harzol, Tadenan, Permixon, Strogen and
Sabalux (all European prescription herbal extracts standardized for
beta-sitosterol content). He documents his review with 59 published
worldwide studies and discusses the biological basis of prostate
illness. His conclusions of the efficacy of herbal treatment of
prescription drugs and therapy are well founded certainly.
In volume 55 of Current Therapeutic Research (1994) a study done at
the University of Brussels, Belgium by Dr. Braeckman using
Prostaserene (an extract standardized for beta-sitosterol) for a mere
six weeks led him to conclude, “Tradi tional parameters for
quantifying prostatism, such as the International Prostate Symptom
Score, the quality of life score, urinary flow rates, residual urinary
volume, and prostate size were found to be significantly improved
after only 45 days of treatment. After 90 days of treatment, a
majority of patients (88%) and treating physicians (88%) considered
the therapy effective.”
These have been only a few of the many dozens of studies that have
appeared in the major medical journals around the world that have been
done in some of the most important urological clinics. This shows that
it is, in fact, beta-sitosterol that is the active ingredient in
herbs. American herbal products - even the most expensive extracts
that claim “85% fatty acids and sterols” - have almost no beta-sitosterol
in them and it is never mentioned on the label because of this fact,
suggesting that every OTC natural prostate remedy sold in the U.S. has
little if any value at all.
Chapter 3: Other Benefits of Beta-sitosterol
While beta-sitosterol is a ost important supplement you can use for
good prostate health, it has many other benefits and can be used by
both men and women.
A notable benefit is the promotion of healthy cholesterol and
triglyceride levels. Over thirty years ago studies showed this effect
with no change in diet or exercise and since then over 50 articles
have been published in international medical journals for studies done
on both humans and laboratory animals. You need to take about 300mg a
day and this can be split in order to take 150mg in the AM and 150mg
in the PM. If you do lower your fat intake and exercise the results
could be much more dramatic of course, but in these studies there were
no changes in either to get results. Common sense tells you to cut
down or cut out saturated animal fat, dairy and especially unnatural
hydrogenated fats which are found in so many of our processed foods.
Surprisingly the intake of vegetable oils does not raise cholesterol
or triglyceride levels. However vegetable oils generally contain high
amounts of omega-6 fatty acids (which are very different from
healthful omega-3 fatty acids) that have been shown to contribute to
such conditions as arthritis and prostate disease.
We will not list the over 50 studies, but human studies were published
in journals such as Canadian Journal of Biochemistry, Scandinavian
Journal of Gastrology, Journal of Lipid Research, American Journal of
Clinical Nutrition, Joshi Eiyo Daigaku Kiyo, Clinica Chimica Acta,
Journal of Clinical Investigation, Metabolism Clinical Experiments,
Current Thera peutic Research and Canadian Journal of Physiology and
Pharmacology. With this overwhelming proof of the effectiveness of a
safe, natural, inexpensive plant extract with no material side effects
you would think doctors would be giving this to all their patients
with high cholesterol levels. Instead they are given prescription
drugs with side effects that aren’t known entirely or even very
effective in reducing cholesterol. And surprisingly beta-sitosterol is
very hard to find in drug stores, health food stores and mail order
vitamin catalogs.
Studies have been done in other areas of illness that suggest beta-sitosterol
may have great potential in many other areas such as diabetes, blood
clotting, ulcers, atherosclerosis and inflammation. Since beta-sitosterol
is found in nearly all our vegetables it makes sense that this really
a necessary nutrient and will be so recognized in the future.
The following studies are discussed for educational and not to infer
that beta-sitosterol can be used to cure these conditions.
In Food Chemistry high blood sugar levels in hyperglycemic rats were
lowered by giving them oral beta-sitosterol. This was also shown in
Archives of Internal Pharmacodynamics. In Biochemical Biophysical
Research Communications diabetic rats improved their diamine oxidase
levels (DAO) with oral beta-sitosterol. DAO levels are a basic marker
in this condition. The same thing was shown in Pure and Applied
Chemistry where glucose-6-phosphatase levels were lowered, which is
desirable in diabetes.
Studies also indicate beta-sitosterol may help to protect our stomach
linings and prevent the formation of ulcers. In the Chinese journals
Huaxi Yike Daxue Xuebo and Huaxi Yaoxue Zazhi doctors showed oral
beta-sitosterol protected against stomach ulcers in rats. In Digestion
Dissertation Science stomach lesions were reduced 80% with oral beta-sitosterol
in test animals.
Anti-bacterial and anti-microbial ability has been shown as well as
anti-viral and anti-fungal properties. Such activity was even shown
against deadly bacteria such as Staph and E. coli. These studies were
published in such journals as Plant Science, the Journal of
Agricultural Food Science, Biorganic Chemistry, Journal of
Ethnopharmacology, Fitoterapia, and Hon’guk Nonghwa Hakhoechi.
Studies have shown beta-sitosterol intake to improve blood parameters
generally in various ways. Such studies have been published in
journals such as International Journal of Immunopharmacology, Sogo
Rinsho, Folio Haematol, Biochemical Society Transactions, Medical
Philosophy, and Tanpakushitsu Kakusan Koso.
The potential for preventing high blood pressure has been shown. This
is epidemic in America due to the fat clogged arteries which, in turn,
leads to heart attacks and strokes. Four such studies were published
in Zhongcaoyao, Atherosclerosis, Journal of Atherosclerosis Research
and Patol. Fiziol. Eksp. Ter. (Russia) where oral supplements of beta-sitosterol
suggested improvement atherosclerotic symptoms.
Beta-sitosterol has shown strong anti-inflammatory and anti-pyretic
(anti-heat) properties which should be investigated especially for
various arthritis conditions. Patents were granted in America and
Europe for treating inflammation with beta-sitosterol orally and
studies were published in Boll-Soc. Italia Biologica and Planta
Medicina.
To show that beta-sitosterol intake has value for women as well as men
in addition to normalized cholesterol three studies suggested
beneficial effects on the uterus and reproductive system of female
test animals. In Plant Medicine Phytotherapy, Biochemistry Molecular
Biology International and Medical Science Research studies were
published showing these benefits.
Without mentioning any more journals it is important to know that many
other studies of beta-sitosterol on both humans and animals have shown
a wide range of potential benefits. Increases in SOD (superoxide
dismutase) levels which are critical in immunity and lifespan. People
with certain illnesses also have low beta-sitosterol intake.
Vegetarians eat 50% more beta-sitosterol than meat eaters and are
known to be healthier and live longer.
Topical uses have been studied for keratosis, acne, psoriasis and skin
protein synthesis. Cattle with fat necrosis have been treated with
beta-sitosterol. It has been shown to have anti-tussive (anti-cough)
properties. It may raise glutathione levels which are vital to
immunity and lifespan. Beta-sitosterol has strong immune enhancing
properties which need to be studied more.
And why hasn’t this been studied more and why isn’t it more available
and information like this widely disseminated? There’s just no profit
in selling an unpatentable, non-prescription, plant extract that can
inexpensively be extracted from sugar cane pulp, soybeans and pine
oil.
Chapter 4 : Supplements
It is important to always remember that diet is the most important
thing we can do for our health. Or to put it more broadly our diet and
lifestyle including smoking, drinking alcohol, exercise, coffee and
other such things. Supplements are very secondary to diet but very,
very important. You can do a lot more with both diet and supplements
than just diet alone. All the supplements we are going to discuss are
natural, safe and inexpensive.
A most important supplement you can take is beta- sitosterol. The
prescription herbal extracts used by doctors in Europe are taken from
herbs like saw palmetto and Pygeum africanum and are very weak and
expensive. Harzol is only 30mg and Azuprostat is the strongest at
120mg. It is a good idea to take a full 300mg of beta-sitosterol a
day. Taking more than this will not help and just costs you more. You
can cut the tablet in half and take 150mg AM and PM if you want to.
The studies on beta-sitosterol are listed in chapter 2
A
most important mineral you can take is zinc. The prostate contains ten
times more zinc than any other part of the body and there are too many
studies to count on the importance of zinc in prostate metabolism. Low
zinc levels have been correlated with low testosterone levels. In the
Japanese journal Kitakanto Igaku researchers found low levels of zinc
in prostate cancer patients. Some other valuable studies have been
done in such journals as Journal of Nutrition, Journal of Steroid
Biochemistry, Endokrinologiya, Prostate and too many others to list.
You only need about 15 mg of zinc daily and taking too much is
detrimental. Zinc is generally deficient in our diets and there are
many other benefits to supplementing it.
Flax seed oil is very good for prostate health and contains omega-3
fatty acids. We’ve emphasized that you have to eat a diet low in both
vegetable and animal fats, but omega-3 fatty acids are the one
exception. Two articles in Anticancer Research suggest that omega-3
fatty acids may have important protective properties for human
prostate cells in vitro. Take two grams a day - one in the AM and one
in the PM. This is a mere 18 calories of beneficial flax oil. The more
research that is done on flax oil the more benefits are seen from it
and flax is by far the best source. Do not take fish oil supplements
for many reasons even though many of the studies on omega-3 fatty
acids earlier were done using fish liver oils. Keep your flax oil
refrigerated.
Soy isoflavones have gotten a lot of attention recently but who has
bothered to tell you they may have great value for your prostate? The
studies on soy isoflavones on prostate health have been numerous but
only in the last seven years. The main constituents in soy that we are
concerned with are genestein and daidzein. These are not
“phytoestrogens” as many people will tell you as there is no estrogen
(or testosterone, progesterone, DHEA, melatonin, etc.) in any plant.
Studies on prostate health and isoflavones have been published in
journals such as Prostate, Anticancer Research, Journal of
Endocrinology, Nutrition and Cancer, Journal of Steroid Biochemistry
and many other journals. The proof here is overwhelming. Get a good
brand that lists the amount of genestein and daidzein on the label and
take one in the AM and one in the PM.
The value of selenium is undeniable and this is a most important trace
element you can take and you only need a mere 200mcg (one fifth of one
milligram) a day. Even if this is in your multi-vitamin and mineral
tablet it is probably not enough. Take a 200mcg tablet a day of any
brand. Selenium, like many minerals and trace elements, is often
deficient in our diets due to processed foods. There are many other
benefits to taking this as well.
Vitamin D rarely occurs in our diets and is basically made by our
exposure to sunlight. It is important to take 800 IU of vitamin D a
day, preferably 400 IU AM and PM. It is surprising that nearly all the
research on vitamin D and prostate has only come out in the last five
years but there are about a dozen clinical studies proving the
importance of vitamin D to prostate function. These include studies in
such journals as Cancer Research, Anticancer Research, Prostate,
Clinical Cancer Research, Cancer Letters, Surgical Forum and other
respected international journals.
We all know that vitamin E is a very beneficial nutrient especially
for our cardiovascular health and that our American diets are
generally deficient in vitamin E. Whole grains are the best source.
Take a 400 IU supplement daily and don’t pay a lot of money for it;
just get the usual dl-alpha tocopherol you see everywhere. At East
Carolina University in North Carolina researchers found vitamin E to
suppress human prostate cancer cells in vitro. In Finland a study in
the Journal of the National Cancer Foundation showed a 32% reduction
in prostate cancer when vitamin E supplements were taken. Other
studies were published in the Journal of Urology and Nutrition and
Cancer.
We all have heard garlic is good for cardiovascular health but who has
ever told you garlic may help your prostate? You need a good,
dependable name brand here as some garlic extracts are almost useless
and they differ very much in constiuents. In the book “Nutraceuticals”
by Lachance he lists 44 references in his study of the beneficial
effects of garlic extracts on prostate health. In the American Journal
of Clinical Nutrition in 1997 a very good study showed the value of
garlic supplemen- tation for prostate health.
A Chinese study showed the importance of glutathione levels for
prostate health in the journal Shondong Yike Daxue Xuebo. Our
glutathione levels are critical for immunity and how long we live.
Taking glutathione itself surprisingly is expensive as well as
somewhat ineffective. Fortunately you can take an inexpensive 600mg
capsule of N-acetyl-cysteine and enhance your glutathione levels very
effectively and safely. This is widely available so buy any brand. You
will gain many benefits by raising your glutathione levels especially
raising your immunity so you fight disease.
The value of green tea extract has been shown in the Journal of the
National Cancer Institute and Cancer Letters. The problem is finding a
good brand that is decaffeinated. It is not good to buy the many
cheaper brands that contain caffeine obviously so look for a brand
that is clearly marked “decaffeinated” if possible.
Citrus pectin has been shown to have value in actual prostate cancer.
It most probably has value in BPH as well. Studies were published in
the Journal of the National Cancer Institute and Biochemical Molecular
Biology International showing the anticancer properties of citrus
pectin. Expensive “modified” pectin is promoted but plain, inexpensive
citrus pectin is very bioavailable. Take a good 5 grams a day in juice
as it is tasteless.
In Cancer Research beta-carotene intake showed a strong correlation
with reduced prostate cancer in Japanese men. This is an important
antioxidant and 25,000 IU of any brand daily is good.
Quercitin is something you may have never heard of but studies in the
Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and the Japanese journal Daizu Tan.
Ken. Kaishi show it can help promote prostate health. 250 to 500mg of
any brand daily is good. This is a good supplement for many other
reasons as well, a good antioxidant.
Vitamin C has received too much attention in the media especially for
megadoses, but studies do show its importance in prostate function.
Studies in Surgical Forum, Prostate, Cellular Biology International
and many other journals suggest strong anticancer properties. Be sure
to not take more than 250mg a day. Taking megadoses of vitamin C will
acidify your blood (blood is naturally alkaline) and cause numerous
side effects over time.
As we age our human growth hormone falls and as it falls the
likelyhood of developing prostate disease rises. Raising our growth
hormone levels could strengthen our immunity and allow us to live
longer. Unfortunately actual HGH is very expensive, must be injected,
is dangerous and is known to cause severe side effects. There are
countless promotional products that claim to raise HGH but none of
them appear to do so. Fortunately, there is a simple, inexpensive,
effective and safe way to do this by simply taking a gram of
L-glutamine in the AM and one in the PM. Please do not fall for the
promotional products that claim to raise HGH. L-glutamine is an amino
acid with many health benefits especially in strengthening our
intestines.
And speaking of intestines, while there are no studies to show the
value of taking acidophilus for prostate health this is another
supplement you should take. Our intestines are generally in terrible
shape from eating the wrong foods and too much food. Eating healthy
foods and eating less and taking a good brand of acidophilus twice
daily will change that. You must find a good brand that states every
tablet or capsule has at least 3 billion live organisms at time of
manufacture. Keep this refrigerated. Take “FOS” with this. FOS is an
indigestible sugar that feeds the good bacteria in our intestines.
Take a capsule with your acidophilus.
Herbs such as saw palmetto and Pygeum africanum, etc. have been shown
to contain insignificant amounts of phytosterols and no matter how
strong the extract they are useless. The exception is rye and other
similar pollens as they contain a hydroxamic acid called “DIBOA”.
Unfortunately pollen (not bee pollen!) extracts contain very little
DIBOA and are very expensive. Unless someone synthesizes this and puts
it on the market don’t bother. And we must discuss a very questionable
promotion called lycopene which is the product of the major ketchup
manufacturer in the world. It is claimed that the more pizza men
remembered eating on questionaires correlated with prostate health!
This is asinine on the surface. Many studies contradict this and
actual serum level studies of lycopene proved there is no correlation
between tomato intake and prostate health. In fact no matter how many
fresh tomatoes or tomato juice you eat you won’t raise lycopene levels
at all - you must eat cooked tomatoes with fats. Don’t fall for this
no matter how much advertising you hear about it. Men in Asia who have
the lowest rates of prostate disease in the world almost never eat
tomatoes in the diets anyway.
There are seventeen supplements recommended here all of which have
been shown to be safe, effective, natural and inexpensive. Within
reason take as many as you can as they have many other health
benefits. Please remember the alternative probably is surgery,
radiation, dangerous prescription drugs and you can end up wearing
diapers and never having sex again before you die a painful premature
death.
Suggested supplements:
- beta-sitosterol complex 300mg - zinc 15mg
- flax oil 1gram twice daily
-
soy isoflavones 750mg twice daily- selenium 200mcg- vitamin D 400 IU twice daily
- vitamin E 400 IU
-
garlic extract 500mg twice daily- N-acetyl cysteine 600mg- green tea extract 200mg twice daily
-
citrus pectin 5g- beta-carotene 25,000 IU- quercitin 250 - 500mg
- vitamin C 250mg
-
L-glutamine 1 gram twice daily- acidophilus 3 billion twice daily
- FOS 750mg twice daily
Chapter 5: Progesterone
First of all, progesterone is thought of as a
female hormone, but it is not feminizing in men at all. Quite the
contrary. Estrogen is the feminizing hormone in men and it is
progesterone that is the natural antagonist to it. It is estrogen
excess in men over 50 that causes breast growth and other problems nad
progesterone can help inhibit this. Please do not confuse real natural
progesterone with the progestin analogs like Provera that have serious
side effects and do not have the advantages of real, natural
progesterone. Nature has given progesterone to both men and women to
balance and offset the strong effects of estrogen. Men, of course,
have much lower levels of progesterone than women so they need less.
Progesterone is very poorly absorbed orally and broken down into
unwanted metabolites. Fortunately, it is readily absorbed by the skin
into the blood so transdermal creams are very practical and effective.
Get a good cream that contains 800- 1000mg of real natural USP
progesterone per two ounce jar (400-500mg per ounce) and states so
clearly on the label. Avoid anything with the words “wild yam” on the
label as this is known as “yam scam” in the trade. Yam does contain an
alkaloid called diosgenin which can be converted into progesterone
through sophisticated chemical procedures in a laboratory but cannot
transform in the body and is not a “precursor” of progesterone. Apply
a mere 1/8th teaspoon directly to your scrotum (testical sac) daily.
This allows it to get into the prostate receptors.
Progesterone has been shown to be non-toxic and very safe especially
in these very low amounts. You will by applying about 7mg daily of
which about 5mg will actually get into your system.
Now let’s quickly discuss the research to
prove progesterone antagonizes estrogen, is a powerful 5-alpha
reductase inhibitor (stops DHT formation) and that the prostate has
specific progesterone receptors that no other hormone can attach to.
We will not bother to list the journals, volumes and dates but the
following studies were published in the most prestigeous medical
journals in the world such as Endokrinologie, Indian Journal of
Experimental Biology, Gynecological Investigation, International
Encyclopedia of Pharmacological Therapy, Acta Endocrinology, Journal
of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, Journal of Endocrinology,
Journal of Steroid Biochemistry, Oncology, Annals Endocrinology, Acta
Physiologica Latinoamerica, Prostate, Urology Research, Endocrinology
and Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics.
The Center for Drug Research in India did four different studies
suggesting that progesterone shrank enlarged rat prostates,
progesterone antagonized the stimulating effects of estrogen, that
progesterone stimulates alkaline phosphatase and depressed acid
phosphatase in the prostate and generally is supportive of proper
prostate function.
Six different studies at the University of Milan in Italy, the
University of Turku in Finland, Montreal General Hospital in Quebec,
St. George’s Hospital in London, the University of Mainz in Germany
and the Roswell Park Memorial Institute in New York all independently
had results that suggest that progesterone is a powerful 5-alpha
reductase inhibitor that stops the conversion of testosterone into DHT
in test animals. In fact at Staten Island College in New York and Mt.
Sinai Medical School (also in New York ) progesterone was shown to
raise the level of androstenedione in the prostate gland itself.
Remember that a healthy prostate needs an abundance of androgens such
as testosterone and androstenedione and DHEA to function well as it
does in your youth.
At the University of Laval in Quebec
progesterone inhibited estrogen from binding to the prostate and
progesterone receptors were clearly demonstrated.
At Central Hospital University in Paris progesterone was shown to
inhibit the formation of DHT as well as binding of it to the prostate.
DHT content in the prostate is the single most causative factor in
prostate disease.
At the Institute for Biological Medical Experiments in Buenos Aires it
was shown progesterone shrank prostate weight in test animals as well
as reduced 5-alpha reductase activity.
At the Biochemical Medical Laboratory in France the doctors
demonstrated in human BPH tissue there are more progesterone receptors
which show how responsive the prostate is to this hormone.
At the University of Maryland in Baltimore human prostate cells were
shown to have progesterone receptor sites. This was also demonstrated
at the Institute of Clinical Medicine in Rome.
At the Institute of Clinical Chemistry in Bochum, Germany progesterone
in human BPH tissue reduced the activity of 5-alpha reductase
strongly. In 1988 a very important study was done at Nanjing Medical
College in China where progesterone reduced the prostate weights of
test animals and the doctors concluded this therapy should be used on
humans. Since that time there has been almost no published studies on
the use of progesterone for BPH and prostate cancer. Progesterone
cannot be patented, progestin alalogs don’t do what real progesterone
does and there is just no profit in what is now an over-the-counter
cream.
Chapter 6: Melatonin
When doing the research for prostate health,
melatonin was often mentioned. Almost never in a book or article has
there been a mention of melatonin being critical for prostate health.
Yet, dozens of international scientists in countries around the world
were independently using melatonin in clinical studies on prostate
health and function. The hallmark of this research is that the
prostate actually contains melatonin receptors that make melatonin
necessary for the prostate to function at all.
This was both surprising and not surprising at the same time. You have
to do an in-depth search of the scientific literature to find out how
important melatonin is to prostate function. And all the studies were
unrelated by separate researchers in different countries. No one has
taken the time until now to gather all these studies together and
report on them to the general public. Now men can know that taking an
inexpensive, safe, over the counter supplement can help support their
prostate health.
But it is not surprising in the sense that much has been written on
the amazing effectiveness of melatonin - and some excellent books have
been written. Russel Reiter in his book “Your Body’s Natural Wonder
Drug” does report one unpublished study on melatonin and prostate
cancer.
There are a number of books available on melatonin. amazon.com lists
over 50 books on melatonin such Pierpaoli’s “Melatonin Miracle”, Le
Vert’s “Melatonin: The Anti-Aging Hormone”, Challem’s “ABC’s of
Hormones” and Bock’s “Stay Young the Melatonin Way”.
You can see by the chart that melatonin peaks at about age 13 and
falls severely until it’s almost nonexistent by age 60. Melatonin is
produced by the pineal gland at night as light tells the body not to
produce it. So it is important to take it only after the sun goes
down. It is very safe and has no known lethal dose. Even common table
salt has a lethal dose. What does it do? The most important thing
melatonin does is to extend the lifespan. Lab animals given melatonin
in their drinking water have lived as much as one third longer. It
boosts the immune system. It may be the most powerful of all known
antioxidants. It promotes good cardiovascular health according to new
research. It exhibits anticancer preventive properties and could help
make other cancer therapies more powerful. And it is remarkably safe
and non-toxic without any known side effects. Amazingly melatonin was
not even identified as the pineal gland hormone until 1958 when it was
finally isolated at Yale University.
There have been many studies in laboratory
animals showing that melatonin in varying doses could lower prostate
weight and shrink the prostate, thus facilitating the prevention of
prostate cancer. These studies have been published in such journals as
Endocrinology, Progress in Brain Research, Experientia, Hormone
Research, Archiva Farmacologia Toxicology, Hormone Metabolism
Research, Journal of Pineal Research, Journal of Urology, European
Journal of Pharmacology and many others. This clearly shows the value
of melatonin in prostate disease. More recently human studies have
been done due to the most impressive animal studies. At the University
of Tuebingen in Germany men with prostate cancer were found to have
low melatonin levels (Clin. Chim. Acta 209 (1992) p. 153-67). In a
later study at the same university (Int. Cong. Series 1017 (1993) p.
311-6), they found the same phenomenon and suggested using melatonin
supplements to treat prostate cancer.
At the University of Lodz in Poland researchers came to the same
conclusion to use melatonin to treat prostate cancer (Int. J. Thymol.
4 (1996) p. 75-9). Studies in Endocrinology, Journal of Clinical
Endocrinology and Metabolism, Frontiers of Hormone Research and others
have found definite melatonin receptors in the prostate gland proving
how important this hormone is for proper function, regulation and
metabolism. The fact that there are now known to be melatonin
receptors in our prostates only discovered in the last 10 years in
very enlightening as regards treatment of diseases of the prostate.
There have also been studies where melatonin could inhibit prostate
cancer in laboratory animals such as the University of Alberta in
Canada, the University of Texas in Houston and San Gerardo Hospital in
Italy.
A very good study was done at Tel Aviv University in Israel that
showed the melatonin receptors in human prostates
can suppress prostate enlargement. They noted that BPH is due to the
imbalance of estrogen and testosterone as we age and found that this
excess estrogen also interferes with normal melatonin metabolism (J.
Clin. Endoc. Metab. 82 (1997) p. 25 35 - 41).
There are many studies we could go on with,
but the proof is overwhelming. Simply take a 3mg tablet every night.
If you are very old, very sick or have outright prostate cancer you
could take two tablets. ONLY TAKE MELATONIN AT NIGHT as it is produced
at night when our eyes don’t detect sunlight.
Chapter 7: Androgens
This chapter is called “Androgens” rather than “Testosterone” as we
will cover androstenedione and DHEA as well. Androgen simply refers to
basically masculinizing hormones although women also have important
levels of all three. Most of this will be on testosterone because it
is the most relevant, most powerful, most controversial and least
understood.
Testosterone falls gradually in men after the age of about 50. It does
not fall steeply like DHEA or melatonin. One of the biggest myths
going is that somehow testosterone is your enemy and contributes to
BPH and prostate cancer. This theory is considered sacred and
unquestionable. Doctors used to - and still do - castrate men and cut
their testicles off to stop testosterone production. This insanity is
based on the fact a doctor named Huggins noticed that castrated men
did not develop BPH so he started castrating men with prostate cancer.
They temporarily got better but then the cancer returned with a
vengeance. Now castration is generally done with dangerous drugs that
stop testosterone production and cause severe side effects.
TESTOSTERONE IS YOUR FRIEND, IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN YOUR FRIEND AND WILL
ALWAYS BE YOUR FRIEND. Any thinking person can see that.
If you look at the medical studies over the
last 60 years it is completely obvious that testosterone does not
contribute to BPH or cancer in any way. First of all there is no such
condition called “hypergonadism” in men where they have high
testosterone levels. Every study ever done shows that prostate disease
depends on AGE and testosterone falls as we age. No study has ever
shown higher testosterone levels for men with prostate disease
compared to normal men. In fact, many studies have shown men with
prostate diseases have low testosterone levels. But the fact remains
that men under 50 rarely have prostate cancer when their testosterone
is high, yet nearly all men will end up with prostate cancer in their
70’s when their testo- sterone is low. The prostate disease rates
parallel the fall in testosterone. We’ll detail more than two dozen
studies to prove this point since the medical profession is completely
wrong about this and isn’t interested in the truth of the matter. At
the Veterans Administration in Los Angeles¹ they proved in men that no
matter how low they made the testosterone levels fall it did not
inhibit the cancer growth.
Ath the Imperial Cancer Research Fund in London² doctors gave mice
huge doses of testosterone and could not get their prostates to grow.
At the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond³ men were measured for
serum testosterone levels and no difference could be found between
cancer patients and normals.
At the Harbor General Hospital in California4 it was shown that
testosterone itself competes for binding in the prostate against DHT.
When testosterone levels fall more DHT success- fully binds thus
causing dysfunction and DHT accumulation.
At the Leeds Medical School in England5 human prostate BPH tissue was
shown to be deficient in testosterone yet had excess DHT levels.
At the University of Innsbruck in Austria6 doctors found the lower the
testosterone as men aged the higher the BPH and cancer and
individually higher testosterone levels were unrelated to disease.
Again at the Leeds Medical School in London7
the same doctors did another study and found men with individually
higher androgen levels did not have higher rates of disease of the
prostate. As men aged and their androgen levels fell BPH and cancer
rates rose dramatically to parallel the change.
At the Institute of Endocrinology in Russia8 doctors found test
animals with prostatitis have low levels of blood testosterone and
androstenedione.
At the Bicetre Hospital in France9 researchers made the point in
laboratory animals very clearly where testosterone supplemetation kept
the prostates small and youthful, while the untreated animals
prostates grew with age.
At the Granada Medical Facility in Spain10 104 men with BPH had lower
testosterone levels compared to healthy men. Studies like this should
leave no doubt in your mind that testo- sterone is your friend and low
levels of it are pathological.
At the Tenous Cancer Research Institute in Wales11 researchers found
low testosterone in prostate cancer patients using saliva testing.
At the Moscow Medical Institute in Russia12 doctors studied the
hormone levels of men over 60 and found those with prostate cancer
have much lower testosterone levels and higher estrogen levels giving
a very low testosterone to estrogen ratio.
At the Landeskrankenanstalten Urology Clinic in Austria13 men with BPH
or prostate cancer had no higher testosterone levels than healthy men.
At the Institute of Cancer Research in Norway14 doctors found that
supplementing aged rats with testosterone reduced 5-alpha reductase
activity and increased prostate enzyme activity generally leading to
healthier functioning and metabolism.
At the Polish Urology Clinic in Bialystok15 doctors consistently found
low testosterone in men with BPH.
At the Principe Hospital16 in Spain men with
prostate cancer had low testosterone levels compared to healthy men as
verified by both serum and saliva testing. Again at the Principe
Hospital17 another study confirmed these findings with another group
of men.
In China, 18 doctors studied men with BPH and found cosistently low
levels of testosterone generally.
A most important study done at the famous Johns Hopkins University in
Baltimore19 men with BPH and prostate cancer were compared to healthy
men and it was found testosterone levels were unrelated to progress or
severity of the disease. This study was done by some of the foremost
doctors in the country and published in the most important of all
medical journals regarding prostate illnes appropriately enough titled
“Prostate”. This study in itself completely disproves the
“testosterone is bad for you” theory.
At the Karolinska Institute in Sweden20 another landmark study was
done but this time with 2,400! men. The doctors found men with
prostate cancer generally had lower testosterone levels than healthy
men. Yet today doctors are still cutting off men’s testicles and
giving them toxic drugs to stop their testosterone production knowing
this treatment never works.
At the Unversity of Southern California in Los Angeles21 doctors
studied 1,127 aged men from four distinct racial groups. They found
the Asian men with the highest testosterone levels had the lowest
levels of prostate illness while Caucasians with the lowest
testosterone levels had the highest rates of BPH and cancer.
At the Ben May Cancer Research Institute22 in
Chicago some very brilliant doctors studied human androgen dependent
cancer cells in vitro and found that testosterone actually prevented
tumor growth. They said androgen deprivation is clearly wrong and we
should be studying androgen supplement- ation for treatment. Doctors
like these are going to be responsible for putting reality into
medicine instead of the current insanity of stopping testosterone
production.
And yet another landmark study was done at the University of Utah in
Salt Lake23 where doctors found the lower the testosterone level in
men the larger the prostate volume as men age. Men with higher than
normal testosterone levels did not suffer mor BPH.
To show the value of testosterone supplementation generally
researchers at the University of New Orleans24 found that 62 aged men
given testosterone supplements had increased sexual interest, more
sexual arousal, and better sexual enjoy- ment as well as improved
mood. Studies are going to show more and more that men over 50 who
retain youthful testosterone levels are going to be healthier and live
longer and better lives.
At the University Medical Center in Norway25 239 men were tested for
serum testosterone levels and they discovered higher levels had no
relation at all to BPH or cancer of the prostate.
If you want to know more about the benefits of testo- sterone
supplementation the only book available now seems to be Eugene
Shippen’s “The Testosterone Syndrome”. He has valuable information on
testosterone, but androstenedione is a much safer way to raise your
testosterone than using actual testosterone salts. Also please ignore
his advice on estrogen supplementation for women and read up on
natural progesterone
You can go to a doctor and get oral
testosterone salts or injections or even patches. If you read the side
effects on the package insert for any prescription form of
testosterone itself you’ll be scared to death - and with good reason.
The side effects are frightening. Fortunately you can buy
over-the-counter andro- stenedione tablets cheaply and raise both your
androstenedione and testosterone levels safely and effectively.
Androstenedione is the direct precursor of testosterone and their
levels generally parallel each other. There are now many analogs of
androstene dione such as 5-androstenedione, 19-norandrostenedione and
many -diols instead of -diones. Avoid all of these as there is almost
no studies done on these and we simply do not know what they do.
Mostly these are directed at young weight lifters who should not be
taking any of these in the first place. Only men over 40 should even
consider raising their testosterone.
It is never talked about but it is important to raise androstenedione
levels per se as well as testosterone. At Gumna University in Japan 26
androstenedione was found to be a strong 5-alpha reductase inhibitor.
At Leeds University in England5 human prostate tissue with BPH was
found to be deficient in adrostenedione.
At the University of Edinburgh in Scotland27 doctors demonstrated
androstenedione was a powerful inhibitor of 5-alpha reductase activity
in the human prostate and had clinical therapeutic potential.
At the University of Rochester in New York28 doctors found an analog
of androstenedione called 5-androstenediol (commonly sold
over-the-counter) had potential anti-cancer activity in human prostate
cells. They concluded that the current theory of androgen blockage
needs to be changed.
Test your hormones with saliva and if your
testosterone is low you can use a 50mg tablet of androstenedione daily
and monitor your results every 3 - 6 months. If it is very low or you
are very old or very sick you can take one tablet in the AM and one in
the PM until your levels are normal. You can take 25mg to maintain
your levels once you reach the point you want, or take one tablet,
say, 3 days per week. Please remember that vegetarians (and fish
eaters) have lower levels of androgens than carnivores.
The third androgen to discuss is DHEA. Much has been argued over
whether or not to take DHEA, but looking at the chart here there isn’t
much question if you are over 40 since your levels have already fallen
by 50%. At the Urology Clinic in Budapest, Hungary (Magy. Onkol. vol.
14 (1970), p. 108-10), doctors found men with prostate cancer had low
DHEA levels. There is also a condition where DHEA levels are too high,
so it is good to saliva test and make sure. Take 25mg and monitor
every 3 - 6 months until your levels are normal again. Life extension
advocates like to keep the hormone levels they had at the age of 30
generally. You can maintain your levels either by taking a half tablet
or taking it, say, 3 times a week.
It is very obvious that prostate problems do not happen until DHEA
falls. It is true that BPH and prostate cancer patients do not show
low DHEA levels compared to healthy people, but it is also true that
these rates of disease parallel very closely the fall in DHEA after
the age of 50 - the lower the DHEA level the higher the rates of both
BPH and prostate cancer. DHEA has many, many other benefits to
immunity, length of life and quality of life you can read about in the
dozens of books that have been published on it.
1. J. Urol. 99 (1968) p. 788-92 2. Gerontol.
14 (1968) p. 133-41 3. J. Lab. Clin. Med. 76 (1970) p. 530-6 4. J.
Ster. Bio. 6 (1975), p. 1373-9 5. J. Endoc. 69 (1976) p. 15P 6. Prog.
Clin. Biol. Res. 6 (1975) p. 143-58 7. J. Endoc. 71 (1976) p. 99-107
8. Probl. Endokrinol. 23 (1977) p. 111-4 9. Cancer Res. 38 (1978) p.
4126-34 10. Experientia 35 (1979) p. 844-5 11. J. Endoc. 83 (1979) p.
31P 12. Vestn. Akad. Med. Nauk USSR 3 (1980) p. 72-7 13. Klin. Exper.
Urol. 4 (1982) p. 1930 14. J. Ster. Bio. 22 (1985) p. 521-8 15. Rocz.
Akad. Med. Supl. 42 (1984) p. 177 16. Rev. Esp. Fisiol. 46 (1990) p.
63-8 17. Rev. Esp. Fisiol. 47 (1991) p. 161-6 18. Zhonghua Yixue Zazhi
73 (1993) p. 489-90 19. Prostate 27 (1995) p. 25-31 20. Brit. J. Urol.
77 (1996) p. 433-40 21. Cancer Epidem. Bio. Prev. 4 (1995) p. 735-41
22. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 93 (1996) p. 11802-7 23. J. Clin. Endoc.
Metab. 82 (1997) p. 571-5 24. Hormone Behav. 31 (1997) p. 110-19 25.
Cancer Epidem. Bio. Prev. 6 (1997) p. 967-9 26. Endoc. Japan 19 (1972)
p. 97-106 27. Steroids 52 (1988) p. 237-47 28. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci.
95 (1998) p. 11083-8
Chapter 8: Estrogen
Men and women have exactly the same hormones in different amounts.
There is no “estrogen” per se and estrogen is merely a convenient term
to use when referring to the class of hormones collectively known as
estrogens. Men have smaller amounts of estrogen - until the age of 50
when male levels rise, female levels fall and men commonly have more
estrogen than women! This is a dangerous situation obviously as the
testoste- rone : estrogen ratio is now reversed. The reversal of this
ratio is the key to understanding not only prostate disease but many
other male illnesses including cardiovascular health, immunity,
cancer, baldness and the other ills of male ageing.
There are actually three estrogens - estradiol (the most powerful and
most carcinogenic), estrone, and estriol (the least powerful and
sometimes even beneficial which comprises 80-90% of human estrogen).
Over the last thirty years there are dozens of studies showing the
harmful effect of excessive estrogen in ageing males and the reversed
androgen : estrogen (including androstenedione and DHEA) ratio as the
key to prostate disease. It is beyond the scope of this book and would
probably bore the reader to list and discuss these dozens of studies.
But we will pick 17 of them to quickly prove the point that
testosterone is your friend and excess estrogen is your enemy and the
reversal of the androgen : estrogen ration is the most important
insight we have into prostate disease.
At the University of Glasgow in Scotland1 estradiol added to human
normal, BPH and cancer prostate tissue completely changed the
metabolism, clearance and uptake rates of testo- sterone and
androstenedione and increased the uptake of DHT.
At Kurume University in Japan2 excess estradiol and estrone caused
cancer in rat prostates whereas androgens reduced tumor weight.
Estrogen dominance continued to advance cancer growth.
At Strageways Research Laboratories in
England3 estradiol stimulated the uptake of DHT in both human BPH and
cancerous prostate tissue.
At the University of Oulu in Finland4 estradiol given to men raised
SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin), bound free testosterone thereby
lowering available testosterone in men with prostate cancer.
At the University of Bonn5 in Germany men with BPH were found to
convert androstenedione into estrone which then excessively bound to
their prostates.
At Sabbatsberg Hospital in Sweden6 estrone was found to convert into
the more dangerous and carcinogenic estradiol in human BPH tissue.
At the University of Hamburg in Germany7 men with BPH were found to
have excessive estradiol in their prostates in addition to high
5-alpha reductase activity and increased DHT accumulation.
At the American Health Foundation in New York8 high estradiol levels
characterized the prostate fluid of men with cancer.
At the Bielanski Hospital in Poland9 men with prostate cancer
generally had high serum estradiol and low serum testosterone showing
the classic reversed testosterone : estrogen ratio.
At the Sloan-Ketting Cancer Institute in New York10 human BPH tissue
had more than twice the estradiol concen- tration of healthy tissue
and they show excessive estrogen production is a factor in both BPH
and cancer.
At Erasmus University in Holland 11 researchers found estrogen caused
“striking” growth stimulation in LnCAP human prostate cancer cells
which are supposedly androgen, not estrogen, dependent.
At the Schering AG Research Labs in Germany12 doctors finally started
promoting the therapy of reducing estrogen in men with prostate
disease using aromatase inhibitors which prevent estrogen formation.
At Bergmannsheil University in Germany13
doctors found high levels of estradiol and estrone in human BPH tissue
and that the reversed androgen : estrogen ratio as men age basically
accounts for BPH.
At Harvard Medical School in Boston 14 320 men with BPH were compared
to 320 healthy men and high plasma estradiol levels were clearly
related to BPH as well as the obviously reversed testosterone :
estrogen ratio. BPH was not related to androgen levels except for low
levels.
At the Genoa University Medical School in Italy15 researchers found
estradiol stimulated growth of supposedly androgen dependent LnCAP
human cancer cell lines by up to 120%. This contradicts the
“testosterone is bad for you” theory as LnCAP cells are supposed to be
stimulated by testosterone and androstenedione.
At Northwestern University in Chicago16 doctors found that it is
estrogen and SHBG that promote prostate growth and verified their
results with 49 references.
At the University of Palermo in Italy17 they found it is estra- diol
that stimulates LnCAP lines and “the current model for hormone
dependence of human prostate carcinoma should be revised”. In other
words the medical profession has its ass back-
wards regarding testosterone.
Unfortunately it is difficult to lower estrogen levels. Some consider
anti-aromatase drugs to be generally dangerous and/or ineffective. We
need a lot more research in this area. You can lose weight, eat a low
fat diet, stop drinking alcohol, eat more fiber, exercise regularly,
raise your testosterone, androstenedione and DHEA levels and use
transdermal progesterone cream directly applied to your testicles.
Eating fat causes high estrogen as does obesity. It is a chemical
called “aromatase” which converts testosterone to estradiol and
androstenedione to estrone and it is very difficult to lower aromatase
or prevent aromatase activity.
Estrogen References:
1. Biochem. J. 126 (1972) p. 107-21 2. Kurume
Med. J. 22 (1975) p. 113-34 3. Endocrinol. 74 (1977) p. 1-9 4. Invest.
Urol. 17 (1979) p. 24-7 5. Horm. Metab. Res. 11 (1979) p. 635-40 6.
Scand. J. Urol. Nephrol. 14 (1980) p. 135-7 7. J. Ster. Bio. 19 (1983)
p. 155-61 8. Prostate 5 (1984) p. 47-53 9. Rocz. Akad. Med. Supl. 42
(1984) p. 175-6 10. Prostate 9 (1986) p. 311-8 11. J. Ster. Bio. 44
(1993) p. 573-6 12. J. Ster. Bio. 44 (1993) p. 557-63 13. J. Clin.
Endoc. Metab. 77 (1993) p. 375-81 14. Prostate 26 (1995) p. 40-9 15.
Endocrinol. 136 (1995) p. 2309-19 16. Prostate 28 (1996) p. 17-23 17.
Ciba Found. Symp. 191 (1995) p. 269-89
Chapter 9: Home Hormone Testing
It is commonly agreed that prostate problems are hormonally based and
affected more by hormones than any other factor, yet doctors almost
never test their patients for hormone levels especially testosterone.
If you demand a hormone test this requires seeing a licensed medical
doctor, getting blood drawn and paying about $200 per hormone. Then
you often get back results not distinguishing between bound,
unavailable levels and free, bioavailable levels. In fact many doctors
are simply unaware of the difference between the two.
Proteins in our bloodstream called SHBG (sex hormone binding
globulins) attach themselves to the vast majority of our hormones
making them biologically unavailable. Testosterone, for example, is
about 98% bound leaving only about 2% to actually affect our metabolic
processes.
For about twenty years now scientists have been able to accurately
measure hormone levels using saliva samples but this took place only
in clinics and medical studies basically. With technological advances
now saliva samples can be collected at home and sent in to a
laboratory for “RIA (radioimmunoassay) analysis at a cost of only
about $30 a hormone. The World Health Organization approved this
method in the 1990’s due to its ease, efficiency, reliability and
practicality. Now you can test estradiol, estrone, estriol,
testosterone, DHEA, melatonin, pregnenolone, androstenedione or
cortisol by simply spitting in a test tube.
This is a tremendous breakthrough in both
traditional medicine and alternative, natural medicine yet very few
people are aware of saliva testing much less know where to buy the
test kits. It may take years for such a great benefit to become widely
known.
No matter what illness you have medical doctors or even naturopathic
doctors and chiropractors almost never test you for hormone levels of
any kind. Even life extension advocates who promote the use of
over-the-counter hormones like DHEA and melatonin don’t suggest
testing your levels to see if you need to supplement them or how much
to take. Our hormones are obviously extremely critical to every aspect
of our health and that includes mental functioning. It is a little
known fact that men and women have exactly the same hormones only in
different amounts. Women have testosterone and androstenedione, while
men have all three estrogens, progesterone and even prolactin (the
milk secreting hormone). People have no idea what their hormone levels
are and whether they are too high or too low. You can never know the
true state of your health or obtain your optimum health unless you do
know your basic hormone levels.
For women, estrogen deficiency after menopause is a well established
myth which is disproven by thousands of clinical studies in women
around the world. Their real problem is progesterone deficiency. Their
levels of DHEA fall badly as do thei levels of melatonin and
pregnenolone. Testosterone can either be too high or too low. In men
estrogen rises while testo- sterone falls thus reversing the
traditional testosterone : estrogen ratio and causing many problems
such as prostate disease, breast enlargement, baldness, weight gain,
heart problems and many other conditions. Also their DHEA, melatonin
and pregnenolone levels fall steeply after forty. Men also have a
dramatic rise in LH (luteinizing hormone) and FSH (follicle
stimulating hormone even though they have no ovaries) which also
causes dangerous conditions in men.
What should a man with prostate problems do?
Test for testosterone and DHEA as well as estradiol levels and any
other hormones he wants to know about. Generally it is safe after the
age of 50 to take melatonin supplements at night as well as
pregnenolone supplements. If testosterone is low you have a
choice of going to a doctor for testosterone injections (very ill
advised) or patches which are similar to nicotine patches. But be
aware of the dangers of testosterone salts and read the package insert
of the dangers before you consider this course. The other alternative
is to take 50 to 100mg of over-the-counter androstenedione and monitor
your levels every three to six months. Androstenedione is the direct
precursor ot testosterone in both men and women. If DHEA is low you
can take 25mg of DHEA and monitor your levels every three to six
months. If estradiol (the most powerful of the three estrogens) is
high it is very difficult to lower this. “Anti-aromatase” drugs which
prevent the metabolism of testosterone to estradiol and
androstenedione to estrone are dangerous and not advised. You can,
however, lose weight, stop drinking alcohol, eat less food, exercise
vigorously, eat more fiber, quit eating fat and stop eating red meat
as fat intake is highly correlated with high estrogen levels in both
men and women especially saturated animal fat. Progesterone in men
doesn’t need to be tested as it is very non-toxic and rarely high.
You can contact the following three companies which seem to be the
only companies in 1999 offering reliable saliva kits:
Aeron Life Cycle Labs 1933 Davis St. #310 San Leandro, CA 94577
Great Smokies Diagnostics / Body Balance 18-A Regent Park Blvd.
Asheville, NC 28806
ZRT Laboratories 12505 N.W. Cornell Road Portland, OR 97229
Please note that kits cannot be purchased directly from ZRT
Laboratories. One distributor for ZRT Laboratories is Young Again
Nutrients in Spring, TX at (877)205-0040 (toll free).
Generally these labs offer kits testing from
1 - 4 hormones at a cost of about $30 a hormone. Melatonin has to be
ordered separately as it is tested in the early AM or the sample for
all hormones must be taken in the early AM. Vegetarians will have
lower levels of hormones generally. Time of day is very important for
many hormones when the sample is taken.
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