Vitamin C is an antioxidant that's often used as an aid for preventing and treating cancer and boosting general health. If you are concerned about prostate health, however, there are some factors to consider before you run out to buy vitamin C supplements. Always consult your health care provider before trying a new supplement.
Supplementing
Vitamin C supplementation does not appear to affect your prostate cancer risk, according to the "2010 Annual Report on Prostate Diseases," by Harvard Health Publications. Vitamins C and E both were linked to reduced prostate cancer risk in studies published prior to 2009; however, these studies were not specifically designed to examine changes in prostate cancer risk or death. The 2009 Physicians Health Study II, on the other hand, was specifically designed to determine the relationship between supplementing and prostate cancer. The study concludes that such supplements do not prevent prostate cancer. This double-blind trial examined the effect of supplementation on 14,641 male physicians ages 50 and older for eight years.
Dietary Vitamin C
Dietary vitamin C and E, on the other hand, may slightly reduce your risk for prostate cancer, according to a 2009 study published in "Acta Onocologica." There is an inverse relationship between dietary intake of vitamins C and E and prostate cancer incidence, but the inverse association for vitamin C is of borderline statistical significance, according to the researchers. The inverse relationship for dietary vitamin E is stronger.
Dietary C Benefits
Getting your vitamin C from fruits and vegetables may boost prostate health in other ways. Consuming lots of produce reduces your risk for being overweight or obese. That's important because there is a direct link between obesity and prostate cancer incidence, notes MayoClinic.com. Fruits and vegetables also contain more than just vitamin C. They have additional vitamins and minerals along with numerous cancer-fighting phytochemicals like lycopene, carotenoids, flavonols and indoles, notes University of California San Francisco. They are high in health-boosting fiber as well. A high-fiber, low-fat diet may lead to serum changes that reduce prostate cancer growth. Fiber also binds to carcinogens and toxic compounds, which then are eliminated from your body. You should consume 5 to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables a day to gain benefits.
Considerations
If you are female, you need 75 mg of vitamin C daily for good health. If you are male, you need 90 mg. That number increases if you are a smoker. You need 125 mg daily if you are a male smoker and 110 mg daily if you are a female smoker. Consuming balanced meals, choosing nutrient-dense foods, drinking only in moderation and keeping portion sizes moderate are all good nutritional strategies for boosting both prostate and general health, notes MayoClinic.com. Getting enough vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids, drinking green tea and consuming soy products also may be helpful in prostate health, though scientific evidence for these strategies is mixed.
References
- "Urology"; Randomized Trials of Selenium, Vitamin E, or Vitamin C for Prostate Cancer Prevention; Stacy Loeb and Alan W Partin; 2009
- "How to Prevent Prostate Problems"; Frank Murray; 2009
- Linus Pauling Institute; Vitamin C; Jane Higdon, Ph.D.; Jan. 2006
- University of California San Francisco: Nutrition and Prostate Cancer
- MayoClinic.com; Prostate Cancer Prevention; September 2009
- "2010 Annual Report on Prostate Diseases"; Harvard Health Publications; 2010
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