Prostate cancer is the No. 1 most common non-skin cancer among Americans, affecting 1 in every 6 American men, reports the Prostate Cancer Foundation. Certain risk factors -- both modifiable and unmodifiable -- may increase your likelihood of developing prostate cancer, including age, race, family history, genetics and where you live. Nutritional supplements have long been used as an adjunct therapy for prostate cancer, but discuss the appropriateness of nutritional supplements with your cancer specialist first.
Prostate Cancer Information
Your prostate is a walnut-sized gland that produces a portion of seminal fluid, or the fluid that helps transport sperm during ejaculation. According to the National Cancer Institute, prostate cancer may cause numerous signs and symptoms in men, including an inability to pass urine, difficulty stopping or starting the flow of urine, frequent urination, nocturnal urination, weak urine flow, burning during urination, erectile dysfunction, blood in your urine or semen and lower back, hip or upper thigh pain or discomfort.
Nutritional Supplements
Nutritional therapy, in the form of nutritional supplements, is an important part of a well-rounded prostate cancer treatment plan. Among the most helpful nutritional supplements for this health condition, states Phyllis A. Balch, a certified nutritional consultant and author of "Prescription for Nutritional Healing," may be maitake extract, superoxide dismutase, vitamin B complex, vitamin D, coenzymes Q10 and A, buchu, echinacea, milk thistle and selenium. Some of these supplements may require further scientific testing to determine their effectiveness.
Supplement in Focus
Superoxide dismutase may be a frequently prescribed nutritional supplement in the treatment of prostate cancer. Superoxide dismutase is an enzyme that is ubiquitous in your body, according to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and it helps catalyze the breakdown of superoxide radicals -- substances that are toxic to your cells -- into oxygen and hydrogen peroxide. Superoxide dismutase has historically been used in treating prostate cancer, urinary tract disorders and inflammation.
Additional Information
Prostate cancer is a serious illness that may cause death if it is not treated appropriately. If you experience genitourinary symptoms, visit your doctor as soon as possible to have your condition assessed. Your family physician can refer you to the appropriate health-care specialist if she thinks you might have prostate cancer. Nutritional supplements are not intended to supplant conventional cancer therapies. They are, however, intended to augment, or complement, other therapies that your doctor recommends. Discuss the likelihood of drug interactions with your doctor before using nutritional supplements to help treat your prostate cancer.
References
- Prostate Cancer Foundation: Prostate Cancer Risk Factors
- National Cancer Institute: What You Need to Know About Prostate Cancer
- "Prescription for Nutritional Healing"; Phyllis A. Balch, CNC; 2010
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center: Superoxide Dismutase
