The prostate contains higher concentrations of zinc than any other organ in your body. The reason your body has a high concentration of zinc in the prostate is unknown, says Emily Ho, an associate professor with the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University. Scientific studies associate zinc intake with both an increase and a decrease in a man’s risk of getting prostate cancer. Consult your health professional before increasing or decreasing your zinc intake to affect the health of your prostate.
Decreased Rates of Death in Cancer Patients
Researchers associate high levels of dietary zinc with reduced risk of prostate cancer mortality, according to a study from the Harvard School of Public Health published in the March 2011 issue of the “American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.” Zinc is known to repair DNA and help maintain the immune system. In the study, researchers tracked 525 men with prostate cancer for 6.4 years and found 42 percent died of the disease. The data show that men with localized tumors had the strongest association between zinc and decreased mortality.
Reduced Risk of Developing Prostate Cancer
Taking zinc supplements might reduce your risk of developing prostate cancer, according to two papers published in the October 1999 issue of the journal “Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention.” The papers examine data from a National Cancer Institute-funded five-year study performed by the Hutchinson Center on 1,456 men. The data show that men who took a daily dose of zinc decreased their risk of prostate cancer by 45 percent. Taking daily doses of vitamins C and E reduced their risk by 23 percent.
Reduced Risk of Advanced Prostate Cancer
A 10-year intake of zinc supplements was not associated with a reduction in prostate cancer rates, according to analysis of the VITamins and Lifestyle study by researchers from the University of Washington and reported a 2009 issue of the journal “Nutrition and Cancer.” Examination of self-reported dietary information from 35,242 men over 10 years shows the risk of advanced prostate cancer was reduced in men with an intake of 15 mg of zinc per day, compare with men with prostate cancer who did not supplement with zinc. The researchers conclude further research is necessary to demonstrate consistent findings.
Increased Risk of Prostate Cancer
While some scientific studies show prostate cancer benefits associated with zinc, a study by the National Cancer Institute found an association between excessive zinc intake and an increased risk of prostate cancer. In the study on 46,974 U.S. men, reported in on the website EurekAlert! in July 2003, those who too greater than 100 mg per day of zinc supplements had more than twice the risk of advanced prostate cancer.
References
- “American Journal of Clinical Nutrition”; Dietary zinc and prostate cancer survival in a Swedish cohort; M. M. Epstein, et al.; March 2011
- “Nutrition and Cancer”; Zinc intake from supplements and diet and prostate cancer; A. Gonzalez, et al.; 2009
- EurekAlert!; Of vasectomies, vitamins and prostate-cancer risk: Hutchinson center study examines the links; October 1999
- EurekAlert!; Excessive Zinc Intake Associated with Increased Risk of Prostate Cancer; July 2003
- EurekAlert!; Zinc deficiencies a global concern; September 2009
