The three most common problems with the prostate are prostate inflammation (prostatitis), prostate enlargement (benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)), and prostate cancer. There are numerous natural supplements that are useful in maintaining excellent prostate health.

Saw palmetto, pygeum africanum, stinging nettle and beta-sitosterol are all effective in dealing with an enlarged prostate and its attendant problems. The ayurvedic ProstaCare formula has been clinically tested and found to be very effective in dealing with both the static and dynamic components of BPH.

Most cases (90%) of prostatitis are non-bacterial in orgin so antibiotics are of limited use. However, I have found Zyflamend, a turmeric-containing anti-inflammatory, to be very effective and extensive research has shown that quercetin, a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, is highly effective in dealing with category III prostatitis or chronic pelvic pain syndrome.

Not surprisingly, a vast amount of research has gone into finding medications that will help prevent and treat prostate cancer. At this time, there are no pharmaceutical products that do a good job of this although aspirin and NO-ASA (nitrogen oxide containing aspirin) have shown some promise. Fortunately, there are numerous natural supplements that have been found effective either in clinical trials, epidemiological studies or in cell culture investigations.

Clinical trials have found lycopene effective in both the prevention and treatment of prostate cancer. The best sources of lycopene are processed tomato products such as tomato paste and tomato sauce, but supplements based on Lyc-O-Mato are equally effective. About 15 mg/day is the recommended dosage for prevention while double that is suggested for treatment.

Several epidemiological studies have found fish oils to be effective in preventing both BPH and prostate cancer. A daily intake of about 500-1000 mg of EPA plus DHA is needed for maximum benefit.

British researchers have found that men who consume garlic at least twice a week have a 44% reduced risk of prostate cancer.

Chinese researchers have found green tea to be highly effective in preventing prostate cancer and Italian researchers concluded that the active component in green tea (EGCG) may serve as a natural inhibitor of prostate cancer progression.

Several studies have found that that low vitamin D levels are associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer.

There is strong evidence that a combination of vitamin E and selenium is highly effective in preventing prostate cancer. A large clinical trial (SELECT) involving over 32,000 men is currently underway to investigate this further. The daily dosage used in the trial is 400 IU of vitamin E and 200 micrograms of selenium. NOTE: Vitamin E should always be taken in combination with vitamin C (3x 500 mg/day) in order to avoid undesirable effects.

There is some evidence that zinc supplementation may be helpful in preventing both BPH and prostate cancer, but that amounts greater than about 40 mg/day may be detrimental in the long term. Zinc should always be taken together with copper in a 10:1 or 15:1 ratio.

At least two clinical studies have found red clover (Trinovin) effective in halting the progression of low-to moderate-grade prostate cancer tumours. The dosage used was 40 mg four times daily.

A recent clinical trial concluded that pomegranate juice is effective in slowing the progression of prostate cancer.

The antioxidant resveratrol is found in red wine and at least three studies have found that it inhibits the growth of prostate cancer cells.

Zyflamend is a standardized combination of carbon dioxide (supercritical) extracts of turmeric, ginger, Holy Basil, green tea, rosemary, skullcap, and oregano. A clinical trial is currently underway at New York’s Columbia-Presbytarian Medical Center to investigate its application in prostate cancer treatment.

According to the National Cancer Institute, as much as 80 percent of all cancers are due to identified factors, and thus are potentially preventable. (It is estimated that only 5 to 10 percent of all cancer cases are inherited.) Thirty percent are due to tobacco use, and as much as 35 to 50 percent are due to foods. The evidence also indicates that although genetics is a factor in the development of cancer, cancer cannot be explained by heredity alone. Behavioral factors such as cigarette smoking, dietary choices, and physical activity modify the risk of cancer at all stages of its development. The introduction of healthful diet and exercise practices at any time from childhood to old age can promote health and reduce cancer risk. Stress can also lead to unhealthy and potentially cancer-causing habits which can contribute to an increased risk of developing cancer. There are things you can do to control these and other risk factors.  

Complete pre-conception vitamin support has also been shown to help enhance fertility. Vitamins C and E are important cleansing antioxidants that play a vital role in repairing damage caused by the environment, aging and in preventing cellular damage due to oxidizing free radicals.

Vitamin E is an important antioxidant central to overall reproductive health and wellbeing. In a preliminary human trial, couples with fertility difficulties that were given vitamin E showed a significant increase in fertility. Other studies indicate that pre-conception vitamin supplementation can increase fertility. Folic acid supplementation is also essential to help prevent birth defects.

Fertility supplements may promote the restoration and balance of hormones that play a pivotal role in menstrual health and regular ovulation, supporting a woman’s reproductive organs and the development of reproductive tissues.

What are Polyphenols?

Polyphenols are compounds found in nature. More specifically they are found in plants and provide coloring for some. Their purpose appears to be a potent, natural antioxidant. There are many plants that we consume that contain polyphenols. Concentrations are high in Olive oil and Green Tea and have been the subject of many health articles and promoted to enhance your health.

How do Polyphenols work?

These antioxidants eliminate free radicals, unstable molecules that are the major cause of both aging and disease, in both plants and humans. Free radicals continually attack the body. Free radicals are a normal product of metabolism and result in a process called oxidation. Polyphenols and other antioxidants, including beta carotene (a vitamin A precursor), vitamin C, vitamin E, and selenium, scavenge these free radicals and help to prevent formation of unstable oxygen molecules, known as oxidation. Oxidation can damage healthy cells in the body and have been linked to many diseases including cancer, heart disease and stroke. Polyphenols not only work to prevent diseases but may also help to reduce abnormal cells and inflammation; get rid of cancer causing agents and restore cells back to normal health.

What foods contain Polyphenols?

There are many but there are only a few, which contain particularly high levels. They include red wine, olive oil, black and green tea. Green Tea is the #1 source of polyphenols. These extremely high levels of polyphenols deliver green tea’s unique results in several ways. Just one example is a subgroup of polyphenols, exclusive to green tea, called catechins. EGCG, the most abundant and powerful of green tea’s 5 main catechins, is dubbed the ‘super antioxidant’ because it is 200 times more powerful than the popular antioxidant vitamin E. Unfortunately, polyphenols have a quick life span (short half life) of about 3 hours, thus the scientific reason behind researchers’ recommendation to drink green tea a minimum of 8 times a day.

Not only may green tea protect and heal the body from disease but also clinical trials, conducted by the University of Geneva, in Switzerland, indicate that green tea raises metabolic rates and speed up fat oxidation. In addition to caffeine, green tea’s catechin polyphenols raise thermogenesis (the rate at which calories are burned) and hence increases energy expenditure. And, research at the University of Chicago has shown green tea extract injections in rats to cause appetite suppression. They consumed 60 percent less food and lost 21 percent of their body weight. However, as explained by the scientists, a person would have to drink green tea almost constantly to obtain these results. Green tea patches have been developed as a solution. They contain up to 300mg of polyphenols (30 times the potency of regular green tea) and provide a constant supply over 48 hours.

Research is still continuing with green tea and more health benefits continue to be discovered. For instance, EGCG’s may one day play a role in treatment of mad cow disease (Nature Structural and Molecular Biology, DOI:10.1038/nsmb743). And the formation of unstable oxygen molecules in the body is unavoidable. Aging, smoke, and environmental pollutants are all sources of the damaging free radicals. Japan and China have benefited from drinking green tea vs. black tea, like the rest of us, for centuries. The west is just now catching on to the benefits of green tea. With green tea being no more harmful than a cup of coffee (and actually containing less caffeine) there’s no reason why you shouldn’t begin today to benefit from green tea too.

Several years ago, it was all over the news. Free radicals were damaging – we all had them, and antioxidants were the solution. But what role really do free radicals play in damaging the body, and how are we supposed to best get rid of them? How do antioxidants work and what is the best way of adding them to our diet?

24 hours a day, while the body is constantly working, cells are metabolizing and creating energy as they carry out their tasks. This natural process results in free radicals, the same way driving to work in your car creates exhaust fumes. Some free radicals are natural byproducts of the ongoing workings of the body. Some are from environmental factors, such as pollution, radiation, and cigarette smoke.

A free radical is simply a molecule that is missing an electron. As soon as a molecule loses one of its attached electrons, it becomes unstable and seeks to re-stabilize itself by stealing an electron from the nearest molecule. This causes the attacked molecule to then become a free radical, and starts a chain reaction. Ultimately as the process continues this can lead to cell damage.

Free radicals become extremely damaging to the body as they steal electrons from your cells. They begin to spread like a wildfire through the years if your body does not have enough antioxidants to keep them in check. They can attack cell walls, get inside the cell, and cause damage to the DNA. This leads to cancer. Cancer is defined as a degenerative stress condition, and we can understand this better when we understand the role free radicals play.

The brain is the most active part of the body. It uses the most energy, and therefore is subject to bombardment with the most free radicals. The significance of this is not only that we feel negative effects in our mind – such as feeling tired and muddled – but also because brain is very important in its control of so many of the vital workings of our bodies.

When a free radical attacks, it can get into the cell and cause the mitochondria, the powerhouse of the cell, to die or cease to function fully. This can disrupt one of a multitude of processes. A dead or poorly functioning mitochondria in a cell can disrupt or slow down neuronal firing. Mental illness is largely due to imbalances in the neuronal processes of our natural brain chemistry. A poorly working or dead mitochondria can prevent certain natural functions from working, causing symptoms like hormonal imbalance.

Untreated, the damage from free radicals accumulates with age. They are the cause of many degenerative diseases, and are associated with many of the signs of the aging process.

Antioxidants are molecules loaded with extra free electrons. When we have enough antioxidants the free radicals get their electrons from the antioxidants in our body, rather than stealing them from our cells.

The body is naturally built to handle free radicals. Antioxidants are found in the vitamins A, C and E in the fruits and vegetables we eat. However even eating the 5-8 recommended servings a day, or using supplements still often does not do enough to combat the massive free radical damage.

Antioxidants from Vitamins E, C, and A actually pale in comparison to the phytonutrient antioxidants such as those found in red wine and blueberries. This is the reason for the French paradox, why it is being recommended to drink wine, eat chocolate, and drink green tea. They provide better sources of antioxidants.

There is an even better source: the newly discovered acai berry, of the Brazilian rainforest. It provides antioxidants in strengths 33 times more powerful than red wine. It floods the body with massive amounts of antioxidants and other essential nutrients. The acai berry is the number one ingredient for anti-aging recommended by Dr. Nicholas Perricone, in his book the Perricone Promise.

The acai berry can be best added to the diet in liquid form. A small dose of several ounces daily will flood the body with the vital antioxidants it needs. The acai berry is the best way to add to your diet the most powerful antioxidants combating free radical damage.

Author Bio
Carina MacInnes is a writer and entrepreneur who chooses for her daily antioxidant supplement a powerful nutrient packed juice containing vital amounts of the acai berry. Try it yourself: drinkacai.com – For information on how to make a living distributing this top-quality product, visit imagineacai.com

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We’ve heard a lot about antioxidants lately and with good reason.  They provide essential uses to our health and are an important anti-aging supplement.  Most often, antioxidants come from fruits and vegetables, but the lowly flaxseed is perhaps one of our most powerful sources.

What is Flaxseed Oil?

Flaxseed Oil is also known as Linseed Oil. The oil is created from the seeds of the flax plant. Typically, linseed oil is the yellowish drying oil that is extracted and used as a carrier in oil paint and also as a wood finish.  When the flax seed is cold pressed without the extraction, it is called flaxseed oil and is used as a nutritional supplement.  More information than you need to know? Maybe, but I thought it was interesting that a lowly plant seed could be used for both furniture finish AND the next best nutritional supplement since the multi-vitamin.

Flaxseed oil is rich in Omega 3 fatty acids which are excellent in a whole host of ways – heart disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and arthritis to name a few.  Omega 3
fatty acids are typically linked with fish oils but flaxseed oil provides a good alternative source of the Omega 3′s for the vegetarian that prefers plant based supplements.

Lignan is a chemical compound produced in plants that is a powerful antioxidant.  Flaxseed oil contains one of the highest concentration of lignan known. Why is that important? Studies have shown populations that ingest a high amount of lignans have a lower incidence of cancer. Lignans are antioxidant molecules with anti-cancer, anti-viral, and anti-bacterial attributes.  These plant hormones are also believed to block the manufacturing of hormone-based tumors.

Here’s an interesting tidbit:
Dark chocolate is also an antioxidant. It has the same antioxidants as tea.

Antioxidants have proven to have considerable health uses and anti-aging attributes. As an antioxidant, the flaxseed oil’s lignans can help increase the body’s immune system, keeping harmful, disease-causing germs from deteriorating the cells.  Lignans also increase the manufacturing of a substance attached to estrogen and transports it out of the body which also makes it helpful in relieving PMS symptoms.

Other uses of flaxseed oil include helping to protect the body against inflammations, high blood pressure, lowering cholesterol and triglycerides and improves the absorption of calcium.

As you can see, flaxseed oil is a nutritional supplement that should not be overlooked. Easy to take and less expensive than the considerable supplements touted today.

CoenzymeQ10 (CoQ10) is a vitamin-type nutrient found in the body. First identified in the late 50′s by Karl Folkers, who conducted over 30 years of research on the subject, CoQ10 is seen as an antioxidant, which is used by the body to produce energy. In a nutshell, the cells in the body need energy to survive. Mitochondria within the cells make this energy (by breaking down fats, sugars, etc.), and CoQ10 is contained within the mitochondria. After age 20, it appears that production of CoQ10 in the body declines, with a marked decline after the age of 50. CoQ10 also is found in some foods, such as peanuts, sardines, and ‘organ’ meats.

Using a CoQ10 supplement has a variety of applications. Widely used in Europe and Japan as a treatment for and protection against heart disease, it also has been reported by users as enhancing energy and increasing clarity of mind. Another application is defense of the immune system as well as the already discussed antioxidant properties it contains. Various studies have been undertaken as to the body’s response to the use of CoQ10 against Diabetes, Hypertension, Cholesterol, Parkinson’s Disease, Cancer, even Gum Disease. Although no absolute conclusions have been reached, CoQ10 has been proven to be a safe supplement, and in individual patients, benefits such as increased energy and stimulated immune system have been attained.