Selenium and Vitamin E Increase Risk of Prostate Cancer, Study Finds

A study led by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center find that high dose supplementation of selenium and vitamin E increases the risk of prostate cancer.

Data for the study is based on the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial. It is a clinical trial funded by the National Cancer Institute to see if either of the two substances can help prevent prostate cancer when taken as dietary supplements

The study which started in 2001 involved 35,000 men find that 17 percent of men who took vitamin E had an increased risk of prostate cancer. Men with high baseline selenium levels increased cancer risk by 91% by taking selenium supplements. For those with low selenium levels, taking vitamin E supplements increased their prostate cancer risk 63 percent and an increased risk for high-grade cancer by 111 percent.

Selenium is naturally present in many foods and is also available as a dietary supplement. It is used by the body in reproduction, thyroid hormone metabolism, DNA synthesis, and protection from oxidative damage and infection. Seafoods and organ meats are good sources of selenium as well as muscle meats, cereals and other grains, and dairy products.

The study advises that men 55 years old and older should should avoid Vitamin E and Selenium supplementation above the recommended daily dietary intakes; 55 mcg for selenium and 15 mg for vitamin E.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. Each year, there are about 300,000 men diagnosed with prostate cancer in the U.S.

Behavioral Stress Accelerates Prostate Cancer Development

Two studies in the Journal of Clinical Investigation focus on behavioral stress and its effect on prostate cancer. The studies show that stress accelerates prostate cancer.

A vicious circle of stress signaling in prostate cancer.
Credit: Kulik et al., JCI

One definition of stress by the American Psychological Association (APA) is that it is any "stress is any uncomfortable emotional experience accompanied by predictable biochemical, physiological and behavioral changes.”

There are three kinds of stress according to the APA, Acute Stress, Episodic Acute Stress, and Chronic Stress. Of the three, acute stress is the most common. This is the type of stress felt from the demands and pressures everyday situations, from the recent past to the near future.

Episodic Acute Stress is similar to acute stress but is felt by the person more frequently. People who worry too much, pessimists, disorganized, or are always in a rush are some of the types who experience this type of stress.

Chronic stress is felt by people who do see any hope in their situation and have given up searching for solutions. It is a type of stress that is long term and wears down people the longer it stays. A problem with chronic stress is that it is deep-rooted in one's psyche that people get used to it and forget that it's there.

Psychoneuroimmunology studies show that there is a correlation between one's psychological behavior and the nervous and immune systems of the human body. People who suffer chronic stress or even the other two types of stress (in a minor way) may affect one's health and well-being.

Beehive Byproduct Rich in CAPE, Propolis As Treatment For Prostate Cancer

Propolis in a beehive

Apart from nectar, honey bees also collect propolis from tree buds, sap flows, and other botanical sources. Propolis is a resin-like substance.

Rarely available in its pure form, it is usually obtained from beehives.

Bees use it as a sealant in holes and breaches in the beehive. The substance is used for small gaps although larger holes are usually filled with beeswax, a different material altogether. Propolis is sticky but becomes hard and brittle in cold temperatures.

Since 350 B.C. propolis has been recorded to be used for medicinal and health purposes.

Some records of propolis use in different times and cultures are:

• Greeks: Used for abscesses
• Assyrians: Healing wounds and tumors
• Egyptions: Used for mummification

The material is still popular today. Aside for being known as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent, it is also used for bacterial, viral, and fungal infections. Tuberculosis, different variants of flus, and the common cold are some that include propolis use. Even nose and throat cancers are said to be treated by it.

Some apply it directly to the skin for wound cleansing, genital herpes and cold sores. It is also used for the treatment of minor burns and as an mouthwash rinse after oral surgery. Propolis is also included as an ingredient in cosmetics.

Beehive extract shows potential as prostate cancer treatment

An over-the-counter natural remedy derived from honeybee hives arrests the growth of prostate cancer cells and tumors in mice, according to a new paper from researchers at the University of Chicago Medicine.

Caffeic acid phenethyl ester, or CAPE, is a compound isolated from honeybee hive propolis, the resin used by bees to patch up holes in hives. Propolis has been used for centuries as a natural remedy for conditions ranging from sore throats and allergies to burns and cancer. But the compound has not gained acceptance in the clinic due to scientific questions about its effect on cells.

Oregano As Herbal Treatment For Prostate Cancer

Oregano is known for its aromatic and balsamic flavor that it adds to most dishes. Popular in Italian dishes such as pasta and pizza, Oregano also figures prominently in Mediterranean and Mexican food.

The herb is also used as herbal medicine for skin burns, cuts, and bruises. Because of the minty flavor of oregano, it is also used as herbal remedy for sore throat, asthma, colds, coughs and flu.

It is a pernnial plant that grows in warm temparate areas. It is native in India, western and southern Eurasia and Mediterranean countries.

Oregano grows from 20–80 cm tall. It has opposite heart-shaped leaves that is around 3 to 9 cm long and purple flowers 3–4 mm long. The flowers are produced in erect spikes.

It is sometimes called wild marjoram, and its close relative, Origanum majorana, is known as sweet marjoram. The common question is if oreganos and marjorams are the same. To clarify this, marjorams have a gentler sweeter flavor and is less pungent than oregano. All marjorams are oreganos since they come from the same genus (Origanum) but not all oreganos are marjorams. Marjorams are a variety of oregano hence the confusion.

Component of pizza seasoning herb oregano kills prostate cancer cells

Oregano, the common pizza and pasta seasoning herb, has long been known to possess a variety of beneficial health effects, but a new study by researchers at Long Island University (LIU) indicates that an ingredient of this spice could potentially be used to treat prostate cancer, the second leading cause of cancer death in American men.

Prostate cancer is a type of cancer that starts in the prostate gland and usually occurs in older men. Recent data shows that about 1 in 36 men will die of prostate cancer. Estimated new cases and deaths from this disease condition in the US in 2012 alone are 241,740 and 28,170, respectively. Current treatment options for patients include surgery, radiation therapy, hormone therapy, chemotherapy, and immune therapy. Unfortunately, these are associated with considerable complications and/or severe side effects.