Thursday, January 22, 2009

What You Need To Know On Prostate Vitamins

By Mayra Sinclair

You've been exercising, eating right " and taking prostate vitamins, secure in the thought that these healthy little pills will help prevent prostate cancer. But will they? If you check the world wide web, you'll find a startling difference between various sites reporting on the subject.

There are even headlines proclaiming that prostate vitamins cause cancer, quoting data from a major 2006-2007 study.

Where to turn for the simple truth?

Well, a little further research into the the National Cancer Institutes 2006-2007 actual study should reassure you that the media may have been doing what they do best all too often - scaremongering for the sake of a good story. A closer look at the actual study indicates there was only an increase in aggressive cancer noted when the subjects regularly took prostate vitamins in excess of the recommended dosage. Of the 1,476 men who developed cancer requiring aggressive treatment during the study, the 12% fatality rate proved to be one third higher than among the group who stuck religiously to the recommended vitamin dosage.

Beware Unexpected Side Effects

Karla A. Lawson, who directed the study, concluded that "the relationship between multivitamin use and prostate cancer is unclear", minimizing a connection between vitamins and early prostate cancer. However, she did amend that by documenting the suspicious rise in aggressive cancer among those males who overused supplements and vitamins.

If you fear prostate cancer, either because of your age and symptoms, or perhaps because of a family history, you may be tempted to take massive (or even as little as double) doses of prostate vitamins as a 'preventive' measure. Lawsons results strongly suggest this may not be wise.

The bottom line is, even if the males in your family are prone to cancer, going overboard on anything is never a good idea - particularly if a false sense of security stops you from getting the professional help you need.

Yes, there are things you can and should do to stay healthy as you grow older. Not all of them will prevent cancer, but physically they may make you feel more lively. You've heard them all before, Im sure " but one tip you wont want to miss:

* Eat a proper, healthy diet, low on fat, high on fiber, with plenty of vegetables

# Make sure you exercise, even if its only taking the stairs instead of the elevator

# Get lots of rest

* Develop the habit of choosing a optimistic, positive outlook

# Take whatever prostate vitamins your doctor recommends (but never in a dose exceeding the recommended maximum - not even by a single pill.)

* And that last, important tip " if you are over 50, do get your prostate gland checked out by your family physician regularly. Its a simple examination " and it may save more than your life! - 14130

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