Is Pomegranate Juice Chemopreventive
In rodent studies, scientists have demonstrated a positive effect of pomegranate in reducing cancer cell growth in mice. Studies on human cells show similar promise. This has led some researchers to recommend further exploration of pomegranate extract for human therapeutic use.
As with lycopene, drinking pomegranate juice and eating the whole fruit can easily be incorporated in a balanced, healthy diet. And doing so is not harmful when the juice or fruit is consumed in moderate amounts.
What Is Traditional Chinese Medicine
Practitioners of TCM believe there is no separation between mind and body. They look at the interaction between mind, body and environment.
It is very different to Western medicine and uses a combination of various practices including:
- herbal remedies
- acupuncture or acupressure
Practitioners say that it can help to:
- prevent and heal illness
- improve your creativity
- improve your ability to enjoy life and work in general
TCM is a very complex system of medical care. We only give an outline of it below.
What Are The Causes Of An Enlarged Prostate
In a vast majority of cases, BPH is idiopathic, meaning it has no known cause. Doctors and researchers are still trying to figure out exactly how and why some peoples prostate cells start to divide abnormally.
But most cases of BPH impact men of at least 40 years of age, most commonly those 50 years of age and older. So most studies suggest that BPH is related to hormonal changes, specifically those that occur naturally with age.
As men grow older, their hormone levels change, especially levels of testosterone, estrogen, and a by-product of testosterone called dihydrotestosterone .
A few studies have shown that changes in the balance of these hormones may trigger some prostate cells to abnormally grow and divide.
Potential risk factors of an enlarged prostate include:
- age
- heart disease
- Asian heritage or descent
Most men have a 50 percent chance of having BPH by the age of 60 years old, and a 90 percent chance by the age of 85 years old.
Several types of foods and nutrients can reduce or trigger BPH and its associated symptoms.
Foods that may be beneficial to BPH include:
Foods people with BPH, or those at risk of developing it, should avoid or limit include:
- caffeine
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Six Strategies For Cancer Therapy By Traditional Chinese Medicine
TCM states that people become sick because of the disequilibrium of immunity. Diseases, including cancer, are also caused by internal or external evils, or by the inability of the body to balance an internal or external stimulus . It has a long history for that cancer is treated with TCM. The diagnosis and treatment of tumors were discussed in the ancient and classical literatures of Chinese medicine, such as the Yellow Emperors Inner Canon , more than 2000 years ago. The major concepts are strengthening body resistance and eliminating pathogens and treating both the manifestation and root cause. Precious heritage has laid the foundation for the innovation and development of cancer treatment with TCM . Here, we attempt to provide insights into the development of TCM in oncology and interpret how TCM practitioners treat cancer through six general strategies of TCM by using modern scientific language and terms based on newly discovered evidence .
TABLE 1. Traditional Chinese medicine formula for cancer treatment.
Implications For The Clinical Practice
First aim of the treatment for patients with prostate cancer is to strengthen their self immune-function to alleviate the symptoms and get better quality of life. According to this review, herbs or herbal prescriptions with the function of strengthening the spleen and kidney qi are commonly used to achieve this objective. Top five of most frequently used herbs were Astragalus mongholicus , Rhizoma atractylodis macrocephalae , Codonopsis pilosula , Herbah edyotis , and Poriacocos . The first three and Poriacocs were commonly used for tonifying ones qi and enhancing body immunity. Herba Hedyotis was reported to be used in several studies , which showed effects on enhancing specific or non-specific immunity and was recommended to be provided to cancer patients.
Herbal medicine may have effects on alleviating the symptoms or reducing the incidence rate of adverse events caused by endocrine therapy however, insufficient evidence was seen supporting this conclusion.
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Enlarged Prostate: Managing The Symptoms With Traditional Chinese Medicine
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia or enlarged prostate develops over a very long time, and therefore, is generally seen in elderly patients. As the age group increases so does the prevalence of BPH, up to 90% in men in their 70s, 80s and above. As a result of the prevalence and long-term development of the disorder, no solid causes have been identified and treatment has little focus on prevention.
Generally clinical symptoms that indicate BPH are related to the urinary system and its obstruction. Common symptoms include frequent, urgent, prolonged and dribbling urination, incontinence, difficulty urinating and urine retention.
Many of these situations involve inconvenient complications such as:
- Blood in the urine
- Reduced kidney function, and
- The development of cancer may also occur due to the prolonged nature of the disorder.
Chinese Medicine recognises that in different stages of life, different organ systems are under more pressure and, therefore, are often the site of pathology. The Kidneys and urinary system relate to later life as they begin to degenerate due to age. When treating BPH we have an emphasis on Kidney function and strengthening the Bladder with Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine, as well as strengthening the digestive function so it can absorb fewer toxins and keep the muscles of the bladder in good condition. Treatment may take some time but results are generally observable quite soon after commencement.
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Epigenetic Basis Of Tcm
Epigenetics is defined as the study of heritable alterations in gene expression that retain the original DNA sequence. Epigenetic modifications play a key role in the regulation of the expression of genes related to cell development and differentiation. Epigenetic abnormalities are shown to closely associate with the process of cancer initiation and progression. In various cancer models, aberrant DNA and histone modifications have been shown to silence tumor suppressors or promote oncogenes. The three major epigenetic modifications, namely DNA methylation, changes to chromatin, and noncoding RNA profiles, are discussed in this chapter.
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What About Lycopene For Prostate Cancer
Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant. It’s found in abundance in some fruits and vegetables, particularly cooked tomatoes. Some studies show that people who eat diets high in tomatoes and other fruits high in lycopene have lower cancer rates, and some researchers even believe lycopene may retard the growth of prostate tumors. However, results of several studies have not been consistent.
Lycopene is found in large quantities in foods normally consumed. No side effects have been noted or precautions suggested when this “super nutrient” is eaten as part of a balanced diet.
Results Of The Search
The search of 6 databases identified 1657 citations for further evaluation. Full texts of 109 articles were read, and 18 trials met our inclusion criteria. However, one of the trial tested a herbal capsule PC-SPES , which contains Ganoderma lucidum, Scutellaria baicalensis, Rabdosia rubescens, Isatis indigotica, Dendranthema morifolium, Seronoa repens, Panax pseudoginseng, and Glycyrrhiza uralensis. This herbal product was reported to be contaminated with diethylstilbestrol , thus the product may have a similar effect with diethylstilbestrol on inhibiting growth of both androgen-sensitive and androgen-independent prostate cancer cells. Due to the massive controversy of potential contamination of PC-SPES, the drug is no longer available in the U.S. Since it is hard to define whether it still belongs to herbal product, we excluded the trial from this review. Thus, finally 17 trials were included in the review. Details of the study flow were shown in Fig 1.
Serum testosterone. Only one trial reported the change of serum testosterone after treatment, the result showed no difference between a combination of herbal decoction and MAB and MAB alone for this outcome after six months of the treatment.
Assessment for publication bias.
Since none of the meta-analysis in this review included more than 10 studies, funnel plot was not conducted to assess the potential publication bias.
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Ancient Chinese Herbal Remedy Now Being Tested As Prostate Cancer Treatment
Published On: October 26, 2011Shared by Will Sansom
SAN ANTONIO An ancient Chinese herbal remedy is being put to the test in a new clinical trial at the UT Health Science Center San Antonio.
Extract from the bark of the Amur cork tree has long been used in Chinese herbal medicine as an anti-inflammatory and treatment for digestive problems.But now its proven itself well enough in the laboratory to take to the strict testing level of a patient trial.Adanki Pratap Kumar, Ph.D., a professor of urology in the School of Medicine at the Health Science Center, discovered in the lab that there was something special about the extract in combination with radiation treatments that seemed to make both work much better.
Dr. Kumar is now working with clinicians at the Health Science Centers Cancer Therapy & Research Center to see if the supplement is as effective in partnering with radiation treatments against prostate cancer in patients.
The study, open only to biopsy-proven prostate cancer patients in the South Texas Veterans Health Care Systems, is divided into two sections: those who receive surgery and those who receive radiation therapy.
But unlike the case of many drugs that are first being tested on humans, researchers are not worried that the cork tree bark will have toxic side effects in study participants, since it has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for hundreds of years.
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Natural Chinese Medicine Treatment Of Prostate Cancer
Hormone therapy is a preferred treatment for men with prostate cancer. The cancer feeds on testosterone so using Chinese herbs to cut the testosterone back or counteract it is the best way to starve the cancer cells and cause the tumor to shrink. This is called anti-androgen therapy.
Among the Chinese medicine for prostate cancer ingredients that have shown to be effective in the fight against prostate cancer are Huang Qi, Yin Yang Ho, Wu Wei Zi, Nu Zhen Zi, Fu Pen Zi, Tu Si Zi, Bu Gu Zhi, Jin Yin Zi and Ba Ji Tian. These nine herbs, in the right combination have been used in tea that tends to reduce the testosterone and slow the growth of prostate cancer. Herbs are a much better treatment than surgery, especially in the elderly.
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Assessment By The Cochrane’s Risks Of Bias Assessment
and display the proportion and summary of the high, low and unclear risk of bias of 11 studies with Jadad scores 3. Five studies were considered to have high risk of other bias . In these studies, subjects were diagnosed with a certain type of TCM syndrome differentiation by the clinician. The assessment of subjects’ pulse patterns and tongue outlooks relied on the clinicians’ own judgment and hence might have involved subjective bias. Some domains in all studies were considered to have unclear risks of bias, as they were just mentioned in the article without detailed descriptions for bias assessment. All of the studies mentioned randomisation and the method of sequence generation, except for study 6, which did not describe the sequence generation. Only studies 3, 4, 5 and 11 mentioned and described a proper method of allocation concealment. Five of the 11 studies mentioned blinding the participants and personnel, but none described the blinding of the evaluators. All studies mentioned either that all participants had completed the trial or provided the number of dropouts. Study 10 provided the outcome data as effective rates, but data for individual outcomes were not described thus, there is a high risk of bias in selective reporting.
Risk of bias summary.
What Is Prostate Cancer
The prostate gland is part of the male reproductive system. It is second only to lung cancer in diseases that men get. Most prostate cancer victims are over 65 years of age. Some cancer cells are slow growing and doctors are hesitant to operate on elderly and frail patients. Other times, cancer cells grow faster and surgery is performed. Removal of the prostate can badly affect a manâs ability to have sex, so surgery is not usually desirable, as far as the patient is concerned. But there are all natural methods available such as Chinese medicine treatment of prostate cancer. These herbal treatments are much better than surgery and have no side effects.
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Dna Methylation And Demethylation
The most well-studied epigenetic marker is DNA methylation, in which a methyl group is added to the fifth position of the six-membered ring of cytosine which forms 5-methylcytosine . DNA methylation is mediated by a number of enzymes, including cytosine-5 methyltransferase and DNA methyltransferases . DNA methylation participates in numerous biological events, including embryonic development, gene expression, genomic imprinting, and disease pathogenesis Tumorigenesis is thought to result from the most extreme aberrant DNA methylation events, of either tumor suppressor gene hypermethylation or oncogene hypomethylation.
Acupuncture For Prostate & Prostatitis
TCM associates enlargement of the prostate with kidney deficiency. In middle age the kidney energy declines, resulting in the reduction of sex hormones and decreases one’s sexual energy, which affects the function and the circulation of the prostate gland. Chinese medical theory has always postulated that deficiency causes swelling, therefore Qi deficiencies in the prostate gland causes it to enlarge causing what is known in the West as benign prostatic hyperplasia.
In order to compensate for this decline, men in China have historically used acupuncture treatments to enhance the circulation and energy in the prostate. To support the effect of acupuncture, they have also used Chinese herbs in traditional herbal formulas to replenish the kidney essence. Thus acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine help to normalize prostate function and restrain enlargement.
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Prevalence Of Chinese Medicine Use
Seventy four studies reported the rates of CAM usage which ranged from 2.6 to 100%. Acupuncture was the most frequently reported Chinese medicine modality included within CAM. A total of 71 studies reported data on acupuncture. Other less commonly reported modalities included Qigong, Chinese herbal medicine, Taichi, acupressure, moxibustion, Chinese dietary therapy, Chinese massage and cupping.
We examined the prevalence of Chinese medicine usage and reported the range and a mean prevalence . Chinese herbal medicine was the most frequently used modality within Chinese medicine however data were only available from 11 of the 81 studies. Usage ranged from a low prevalence of 0.7% to a high prevalence of 94.4%, with an average use rate of 35.6%. Acupuncture prevalence ranged from 0.2 to 17.1% with a mean of 4.5% extracted from 71 studies. Usage of Qigong by cancer patients was reported in 17 studies with a mean prevalence rate of 12.7%. Usage reported in these studies ranged from 0.4 to 100%. Taichi prevalence ranged from 1.7 to 40.6% reported in ten studies with a mean of 9.0%. Other Chinese medicine modalities were reported with few data in the 11 studies covering these modalities . Mixed Chinese medicine prevalence rates were also reported. Nineteen of the studies reported such data with a mean prevalence of 17.8% .
Table 2 Prevalence of CAM and Chinese Medicine usage
Acupuncture And Prostate Cancer
Acupuncture will not cure prostate cancer, but it can play a role in relieving symptoms caused by radiation and other prostate cancer treatments. Acupuncture can be useful as a post surgical treatment to relieve pain and promote healing.
Information on this site is provided for educational purposes and is not meant to substitute for the advice of your own physician or another medical professional. We make no claim as to efficacy or safety of herbs or herbal medicine appearing on this site. Information and statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
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Which Men Are At Risk For Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men in the United States. It is thought that virtually all men with circulating androgens will develop microscopic prostate cancer if they live long enough. In fact, when prostatic tissue is scrutinized under a microscope after surgery , cancer is found in 50% of men older than age 70. And it’s found in virtually all men over age 90.
Chinese Medicine Formulas In The Treatment Of Prostate Cancer
PC-SPES is a Chinese medicine formula containing eight herbal medicines. It was launched into the market as a health care product in 1996 by Botanic Lab . The New England Journal of Medicine first reported the biological activity and the clinical effect of PC-SPES in 1998 . A series of reports showed that PC-SPES can significantly reduce serum testosterone and prostate-specific antigen in patients with prostate cancer in a time- and dose-dependent manner . However, in 2001, patients taking PC-SPES showed diffuse intravascular coagulation and bleeding tendency . In 2002, some batches of PC-SPES were found to contain diethylstilbestrol, warfarin, and indomethacin, which made the efficacy and side effects of PC-SPES controversial . Considering the stability and safety of Chinese herbal remedies, National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine suspended research on PC-SPES and its related compounds and withdrew it from the USA market in February 2000 .
From 2010 to 2012, Lin et al. reported a series of clinical data on prostate cancer treated with Chinese medicines. Firstly, they found that traditional Chinese medicine treatment was only a complementary treatment rather than an alternative treatment. Then, they found that TCM treatment showed an increasing trend in popularity among prostate cancer patients in Taiwan. Later, they confirmed that TCM treatment was popular among prostate cancer patients in Taiwan .
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