Phytochemicals against prostate cancer

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TweetNaturalNews) Recent research on prostate cancer continues to highlight the importance of fruit and vegetable consumption in men's health. Flavonoids, a group of phytochemicals that abound in plant-based foods, could easily be considered one of nature's most powerful cures. These tiny molecules have a heap of documented health properties, with powerful anti-microbial, anti-inflamatory and anti-carcinogenic effects. Resveratrol, a grape phenol, could have yet untapped benefits against prostate cancer.

Flavonoids are confirmed for prostate cancer prevention

Building on previous knowledge, a recent study carried out at the Arnold School of Public Health found that a high flavonoid intake is very efficient against aggressive prostate cancer. Susan Steck, study lead and associate professor at Arnold School, stressed on the importance of consuming fruits, vegetables, herbs and green tea for cancer treatment and prevention. "Filling your plate with flavonoid-rich foods is one behavior that can be changed to have a beneficial impact on health," she mentioned. Steck's study is one of the few to successfully prove that flavonoids can reduce the chance of developing prostate cancer in humans.

Different types of flavonoids are only effective when working together, which is why it is important to have a varied plant-based diet. Steck used dietary questionnaires on a sample of nearly 2,000 men to see which plants were most effective, and found that oranges, grapefruits, green tea, grapes, strawberries, onions and leafy greens were the most important contributors to flavonoid-rich regimes.

Resveratrol study shows promising results

A second study published in November 2012 investigated some of the health properties of resveratrol, a famous phenol associated with a reduced risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease. This time, scientists at the MU School of Medicine looked at the relationship between resveratrol and prostate cancer. They found that resveratrol has the potential to weaken cancerous cells, making them much easier to destroy, without damaging healthy tissues.

The highest concentrations of resveratrol can be found in grape skins and red wine. Michael Nicholl, one of the scientists involved in the study, noted that resveratrol "is very attractive as a therapeutic agent since it is a natural compound and something that most of us have consumed in our lifetimes." The next step for MU scientists is to continue testing the properties of restveratrol, and eventually carry out a human clinical trial.

In older studies, resveratrol has been shown to induce cellular death on specific cancerous cells, as well as prevent skin cancer, reduce esophageal tumors, and prevent mammary tumors in animals, although no human clinical trials for cancer have yet been carried out.

Learn more: Phytochemicals against prostate cancer

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TweetLycopene which gives tomatoes their red color lowers risk of prostate cancer. So does selenium.
For enlarged prostate saw palmetto and stinging nettle are helpful.

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TweetHave to watch selenium so you don't get to much. It is good for the thyroid to but should not be over done

TweetHere's the study this article was written about...................


Study Suggests Plant-Based Foods May Offer Reduced Risk for Aggressive Prostate Cancer

Released:10/19/2012 12:35 PM EDT
Source:University of South Carolina
Newswise — President George W. Bush made no secret that he detested broccoli.

With all due respect to our former leader, researchers have found one more great reason to add fruits, vegetables, herbs and tea to your diet.

A study by Susan Steck of the Arnold School of Public Health finds that a high intake of flavonoids, a group of compounds found in plants, may lower the risk for highly aggressive prostate cancer.

“Incorporating more plant-based foods and beverages, such as fruits, vegetables, herbs and tea, into the diet may offer some protection against aggressive prostate cancer,” said Steck, an associate professor at the Arnold School and an affiliated scholar with the Center for Research in Health Disparities.

“Filling your plate with flavonoid-rich foods is one behavior that can be changed to have a beneficial impact on health,” she said.

Steck presented her findings at the International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research. The annual event is sponsored by the American Association for Cancer Research, whose mission is to prevent and cure cancer through research, education, communication and collaboration.

Prior preclinical studies have shown that flavonoids have beneficial effects against prostate cancer, but few studies have examined the effect of flavonoids on prostate cancer in humans.

Steck and her colleagues used data from 920 African-American men and 977 white men in the North Carolina–Louisiana Prostate Cancer Project who were newly diagnosed with prostate cancer. Participants completed a self-reported dietary history questionnaire to assess flavonoid intake, which was measured using the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2011 Database for the Flavonoid Content of Selected Foods.

Men with the highest total intake of flavonoids had a 25 percent lower risk for aggressive prostate cancer compared with those men with the lowest flavonoid intake.

“We found that higher total flavonoid intake was associated with reduced odds for aggressive prostate cancer in both African-American and European-American men, but no individual subclass of flavonoids appeared to be protective independently, suggesting that it is important to consume a variety of plant-based foods in the diet, rather than to focus on one specific type of flavonoid or flavonoid-rich food,” Steck said.

In addition, the risk for aggressive prostate cancer was even lower in those men younger than 65 and in current smokers with the highest levels of flavonoid intake. Dietary questionnaire results revealed that citrus fruits and juices, such as oranges and grapefruits, tea, grapes, strawberries, onions and cooked greens were the top contributors to total flavonoid intake among the participants.

“The results support public health recommendations and guidelines from organizations such as the American Institute for Cancer Research to consume a more plant-based diet,” Steck said. “In particular, consuming more flavonoid-rich foods may be beneficial for those people who are at increased risk for cancer, such as smokers.”