Natural Living Newsletter

What men REALLY need!

Introduction

Have you noticed the big advertising and media push for Viagra and Cialis these days? How about all of the Propecia ads for male baldness? How about all of the ads for all of the other drugs in magazines and television? It is a shame that men are spending billions of dollars each year on these drugs, but are not taking some supplements that at pennies a day might actually save their lives.

While erectile dysfunction and male patterned baldness are certainly important issues for men, it is critical for men to realize that they are not going to die from impotence or hair loss, but they can succumb to heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. A great deal of scientific research shows that these diseases are almost entirely preventable through diet, lifestyle, and proper nutritional supplementation. In particular, there has been a great deal of focus on prevention of the major killers of men: heart disease and cancer.

Key nutritional supplements for men

If you are a regular reader of this newsletter, you know there are three key supplements that are essential in any health promotion plan: a high-potency multiple vitamin and mineral, especially one that provides sufficient levels of antioxidant nutrients, a high quality “greens” drink, and long-chain omega-3 fatty acids.

A high-potency multiple vitamin and mineral is one that provides optimal levels of all essential vitamins and minerals. The human body needs a constant supply of essential vitamins and minerals. One of their critical roles of vitamins and minerals is as components of enzymes—molecules that build or break down other molecules. Enzymes are in charge of repairing damage to cells, including damage to DNA and cellular membranes. If your cells’ enzyme defense mechanisms are not up to par because your body lacks one or more key nutrients, the cells are vulnerable to malfunction or damage.

“Greens drinks” are commercially available products containing dehydrated barley grass, wheat grass, or algae sources such as chorella or spirulina. These green super foods are power-packed full of cancer-fighting phytochemicals, especially carotenes and chlorophyll, known for their powerful antioxidant properties. These dehydrated products can be convenient if you don’t have time to sprout and grow your own source of greens. Simply rehydrate by mixing with water or juice to form a green drink. Drink one to two servings daily.

The long-chain omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA) found in fish oils play a central role in cell membrane structure and function. Deficiency of these fats is associated with an increase risk for cancer (including prostate cancer), heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, skin diseases, diabetes, and about 60 other health conditions. Although the body can convert short-chain omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid from flax seed to longer-chain omega-3 fatty acids, it is much more efficient to get them from fish oils. Adding a fish oil supplement to your daily routine provides extra insurance that you are getting sufficient levels of these important oils.

When selecting a fish oil supplement, it is essential to use a brand you trust. Quality control is an absolute must to insure the product is free from heavy metals such as lead and mercury, pesticides, damaged fats (lipid peroxides) and other contaminants. For prevention, take enough to provide a total of 1,000 mg of EPA and DHA daily.

With these three foundational supplements, it is possible to substantially reduce the risk for heart disease, cancer, and other chronic degenerative diseases.

My Specific Recommendations

The specific products that I recommend are manufactured by Natural Factors - one of the leading manufacturers of nutritional supplements in the world. This family owned company has been in business for over 50 years and adheres to the highest standards in the natural product industry. I chose to align myself with Natural Factors because of their tremendous reputation and my firsthand knowledge of their quality control standards. The bottom line is that when you buy a Natural Factors product you can be assured that what is stated on the label is actually contained in the product. Beyond adhering to Canadian government imposed strict standards of potency and purity, Natural Factors has their own internal guidelines to insure that you are getting the absolute best product possible.

Table 1. – The Foundational Supplements for Men

MultiStart for Mena - A high-potency multiple vitamin and mineral formula designed specifically for men.
Enriching Greens - A highly concentrated, great tasting "greens" drink product enriched with herbal extracts.
RxOmega-3 Factors - A true pharmaceutical grade fish oil supplement. Two capsules daily.

Nutrients that fight prostate cancer

One of the most important health concerns for men is prostate cancer. In addition to the foundation supplements described above, there are other special nutrients for men to fight prostate cancer. For example there is lycopene, a carotene that provides the red color to tomato products. Recently researchers at Harvard University discovered that of all of the different types of carotenes, only lycopene was clearly linked to protection against prostate cancer. The men who consumed the highest levels of lycopene had an 86 percent decreased risk of prostate cancer.1 Lycopene appears to have some therapeutic effect as well. In a study of patients with existing prostate cancer, lycopene supplementation (30 mg per day) was shown to slow tumor growth, shrink the tumor, and lower the level of prostate specific antigen – an indicator of prostate cancer activity.2

In another study in 20 men with prostate cancer unresponsive to anti-hormone therapy, lycopene was given at a dose of 10 mg/day for 3 months.3 A complete response (CR) was defined as a normalization of PSA (<4 ng/mL) and the disappearance of any sign of disease for at least 8 weeks. A partial response was defined as a >50% decrease in PSA level for at least 8 weeks associated with improvement (or no worsening) in prostate cancer score and relief of bone pain if present. Stable disease (SD) was defined as a <50% decrease or <25% increase in the PSA level associated with no worsening of prostate cancer score and/or bone pain for at least 8 weeks. One patient (5%) had complete response. Partial response was achieved in 6 (30%), disease remained stable in 10 (50%) and progressed in three (15%) patients. Researchers concluded that “lycopene therapy appears to be effective and safe in the treatment of hormone resistant prostate cancer. It not only takes care of the rising PSA but also improves the [clinical prostate score] ECOG performance status, bone pain and [lower urinary tract symptoms] LUTS. Because of its relative innocuousness it should be tried before the use of more toxic substances.” Fantastic results at only 10 mg per day.

While lycopene supplementation alone has clear benefit, it is important to point out that in a test tube study it was found that lycopene alone was not very effective at stopping prostate cancer tumors from growing. However, adding natural vitamin E resulted in a 90 percent decrease in cancer cell proliferation.4 This result implies that lycopene works best (and perhaps only) if vitamin E levels are sufficient. Several studies have shown that vitamin E supplementation prevents prostate cancer.5

Supplementation with selenium, which works closely with lycopene and vitamin E, is also critically important in reducing prostate cancer risk.6 In a double-blind study of 974 men, selenium supplementation alone produced a significant (63%) reduction in the development of prostate cancer.7 Another showed a greater than 50% reduction in prostate cancer mortality.8

Look to foods first for boosting lycopene levels
Increasing dietary levels of lycopene as well as the carotenes lutein and zeaxanthin levels is an important goal in health promotion and protection against many chronic degenerative diseases. Although lutein, zeaxanthin, and lycopene supplements are convenient and definitely indicated when higher dosages are desired (see above), before you check out at the health food store cash register if looking to take a supplement for prevention, take a look at the level of lycopene in tomato products:

Table 2. Lycopene content and cost

Lycopene Source	Total mg of Lycopene	Cost
One ounce of tomato paste	16 mg	$0.065
Lycopene supplement	20 mg	$0.82
Six ounces of tomato paste	90 mg	$0.35
Lycopene supplement, 10 mg (one bottle of 60 capsules)	600 mg	$24.95

To boost lycopene levels as well as lutein and zeaxanthin levels through diet, try to regularly include the top 20 foods rich in these important carotenes:

Table 3. Top food sources of lutein, zeaxanthin and lycopene

Corn	Kiwi fruit	Red grapes
Squash (zucchini, pumpkin, butternet, etc.	Bell peppers (red>orange>green>yellow)	Greens (spinach, kale, chard, etc.)
Cucumber	Peas	Honeydew melon
Celery	Green grapes	Brussel Sprouts
Scallions	Green beans	Orange
Broccoli	Apple	Mango
Peach	Tomato paste or juice

The bald truth

While male-pattern baldness is not a life threatening disease, it is an important risk factor for prostate cancer and heart disease. According to a study of 4,000 men conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), en who gradually lose their hair at the front and/or crown of the head, beginning in their mid-twenties, are 50 percent more likely to develop prostate cancer.9 That’s because both conditions involve the body’s reaction to testosterone, the primary male hormone. Receptors for testosterone are found on hair follicles as well as the prostate. Male-pattern baldness has been linked to a higher risk for heart disease as well.

These findings do not mean that balding men will definitely get prostate cancer or have a heart attack, only that they are at increased risk. If you have male-patterned baldness it means that you simply have to be more aggressive in following dietary and supplementation programs to reduce their risk of developing prostate cancer.

What about erectile dysfunction?

I will dedicate a future newsletter to this subject. What I want to say here is that by far the most common cause of impotence by far is atherosclerosis of the penile artery. Atherosclerosis refers to a process of hardening the artery walls due to a build up of plaque containing cholesterol, fatty material, and cellular debris. While men don’t die of erectile dysfunction(ED) per se, it is important to point out that if the ED is due to atherosclerosis that it is definitely a harbinger to a heart attack or stroke. In other words, the process of atherosclerosis occurs systemically throughout the body, not just the arteries supplying the heart or penis. Patients with diseased coronary arteries are much more likely to have erectile dysfunction compared to individuals without coronary disease. If erectile dysfunction is due to vascular insufficiency, it is imperative that measures to reduce cardiovascular risk factors such as elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels, high blood pressure, obesity, lack of exercise, and smoking.

Relieving Prostate Enlargement

No discussion of men’s health would be complete without addressing the common issue of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) – a condition that affects approximately 5 to 10% at age 30 and increases in incidence to eventually affect over 90% in men over 85 years of age. Fortunately, the fat-soluble extract from the berries of saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) – a palm tree native to the Southern Atlantic states – produces significant improvement in roughly 90% of men with mild to moderate BPH. All major symptoms of BPH are improved, especially increased nighttime urination (nocturia) are improved to some degree within the first four weeks of treatment. The mechanism of action is related to improving the hormonal metabolism within the prostate gland.

Reviews and analysis of saw palmetto’s safety and efficacy in the treatment of BPH published in major medical journals have concluded that it should be considered a “viable first-line therapy for treating” BPH.10 The recommended dosage of saw palmetto extract is 320 mg daily.

Key References

Gann PH, Ma J, Giovannucci E, Willett W, et al. Lower prostate cancer risk in men with elevated plasma lycopene levels: results of a prospective analysis. Cancer Res 1999;59:1225-1230.
Kucuk O, Sarkar FH, Sakr W, et al. Phase II randomized clinical trial of lycopene supplementation before radical prostatectomy. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2001;10:861-8.
Ansari MS, Gupta NP. Lycopene: a novel drug therapy in hormone refractory metastatic prostate cancer. Urol Oncol. 2004 Sep-Oct;22(5):415-20.
Pastori M, Pfander H, Boscoboinik D, Azzi A. Lycopene in association with alpha-tocopherol inhibits at physiological concentrations proliferation of prostate carcinoma cells. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 1998;250:582-585.
Helzlsouer KJ, Huang HY, Alberg AJ, et al. Association between alpha-tocopherol, gamma-tocopherol, selenium, and subsequent prostate cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2000;92:2018-23
Clark LC, Dalkin B, Krongrad A, et al. Decreased incidence of prostate cancer with selenium supplementation: results of a double-blind cancer prevention trial. Br J Urol 1998;81:730-734.
Combs GF Jr, Clark LC, Turnbull BW. Reduction of cancer risk with an oral supplement of selenium. Biomed Environ Sci. 1997;10(2-3):227-34.
Hawk E, Breslow RA, Graubard BI. Male pattern baldness and clinical prostate cancer in the epidemiologic follow-up of the first National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2000;9:523-7.
Gerber GS, Fitzpatrick JM. The role of a lipido-sterolic extract of Serenoa repens in the management of lower urinary tract symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia. BJU Int. 2004;94(3):338-44