According to Dr. James Meschino, the director of nutritional
therapies at the Canadian Integrative Cancer Immunotherapies Clinic in Toronto,
Canada higher levels of selenium in the blood and toenails may be an indication
of better health resulting in a lower risk for prostate cancer. He bases his
statement on an article in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition from the
July 2012 issue that analyzed 12 studies to arrive at these conclusions.
Dr. Meschino goes on to explain that blood levels (also
referred to as plasma levels) of selenium as well as the level of selenium
found in toenails are indicative of the oral intake of selenium an individual
is consuming. Several previous studies have suggested that higher selenium
levels may be responsible for defending against the formation of prostate
cancer.
In the article from the American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition there were a total of 13,254 participants spread across 12 studies of
which 5,007 of the participants actually had prostate cancer. The meta-analysis
of these studies showed the incidence of prostate cancer decreased when there
was more selenium in the plasma serum.
Three of the studies used for the meta-analysis in the
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study showed a significantly decreased
risk of developing prostate cancer when toenail selenium levels were higher. However,
studies of this type do not definitively offer proof that adding selenium to
your diet will help prevent prostate cancer but it does suggest that having
higher levels of selenium in your body may be a significant factor in
preventing prostate cancer.
Are there other nutritional supplements or dietary changes
that are useful to soften the impact of prostate cancer? Yes there are and Dr.
Meschino cites an article in the Journal of Urology showing that a
low-animal-fat diet along with soy foods and daily nutritional supplement
consumption that includes Vitamin E, Vitamin C, and selenium showed signs of prostate
cancer regression.
Dietary changes you can make that will help you make the
transition to healthier eating include consuming almond butter instead of
peanut butter which is preferred because almond butter is more nutritious. Using
honey instead of jelly or sugar is a reasonable step to take because honey has
anti-bacterial properties. Using almond milk or coconut milk instead of cow’s
milk is a good idea because there is more nutrition in these types of milk and
they will not cause problems with allergies the way cow’s milk can.
Since many studies have implicated selenium as an important
nutrient to use to help keep your prostate healthier it may be that selenium
possesses various anti-cancer properties that allow it to be helpful in this way.
Some of the ways it may help prevent or aid the battle against prostate cancer
is through apoptosis (instigating the programmed cell death of cancer cells),
slowing the rate of cell division of cancer cells, and by protecting DNA from
hazardous mutations that may lead to cancer when the body is exposed to certain
carcinogens (cancer causing agents).
The best way to assure you are receiving the requisite
amount of the nutrients that may help your prostate is to take nutritional
supplements because your food probably does not have the nutrients you need in
the quantities and quality demanded by your body. This is because most of the
soils in the United States have been depleted of minerals for over 75 years.
Modern farming practices do not replace the minerals that are lost when crops
are grown then harvested and transported to far away locales.
Dr. Meschino suggests you take 200 mcg of selenium every day
along with 400 IU of vitamin E succinate, 1,000 mg of vitamin C, 1,000 IU of
Vitamin E, 6 mg of lycopene and 15 mg of zinc. He makes these suggestions based
upon what has been shown in various studies to be of benefit to and promote the
health of the prostate gland.
If you have more questions about our services, contact us at 410-256-9650 or sign-up at www.phcpt.com for a free consultation!
Perry Hall Chiropractic and Physical Therapy
8817 Belair Road
Perry Hall, MD 21236
410-256-9650
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