Just When You Thought You'd Seen the Last of the Great POM Debate

On these issues, it is best to listen to your doctors, and probably the recognized experts (rather than your local medicos). We know even with this proviso, there are so many disagreements on many topics.

It does seem that enough of the aforementioned experts do recommend supplements to influence me. Now, some supplements are on certain experts' "A" list while others are on the "B" list but it does seem like fish oil, POM (I do the POMX capsules as that brand is mentioned by Scholz/Lam), Vit. D-3, and lycopene are mentioned on everyone's "A" list. Consequently, given the fact that there are no SE (well, for me anyway), I have been on these supplements, probably since Labor Day. (I am also on circumin, which is on some "A" lists and "B" lists and glucosamine/MSM which is more for knee problems).

Do they help? How the heck should I know? I have also been on Avodart since January and starting in late March my PSA shot down and it's velocity has slowed down from a bullet's pace to a crawl. It is possible that it took all this time for the supplements to kick in although I am convinced the Avodart is the key (but perhaps in conjunction with the supplements). I will never know at all, but I am going to continue with the supplements. The only cost to me is financial and it isn't that much (I order via mail order, usually Vitacost and sometimes Swansons). Well, the other cost is that it is a pain in the butt to keep taking all this crap -- I hate that, but it is a 1-minute annoyance.

I will say for sure the glucosamine/MSM has helped my knee problems. I have experimented with that greatly and it is 100% clear to me that it is helpful (if I stop it, after 2 weeks the knee pain return; get back on it and within 5 days the pain is improved and often gone -- I've done this for about 10 years and it hasn't failed yet). Frankly, I think the glucosamine/knee pain connection is more controversial than the POM argument!

While I am mathematically very confident and I do have a strong background in statistics, the studies remain controversial. I am doing this not because of my interpretation of the studies, but because enough of the experts endorse it.

It is nice that someone's "local dietician" says it is sufficient to just eat a good heart healthy diet. I believe that is totally true for normal healthy people. But with such a specific disease we are dealing with, I have to go with the experts.

Having said all of that, I still remain unconvinced that the supplements are helpful. I guess I can just stop the Avodart and see what happens. But that would just win me an award for stupidity.

Mel

 

The only two studies I'm aware of for POM is the UCLA and Hopkins studies. Both indicated that POM reduced the PSADT in patients having recurring PC. I'm not aware of any studies that show anything different. Not all men had reduced PSADT, but the average of the group showed a significant reduction in PSADT. These are both pretty good institutions and I doubt they would publish anything that was not pretty well vetted.
Basically these are the only two data points we have, and you can either choose to accept them or point out all the reasons that they may not be valid.
I don't see any reason for anyone with reoccurring PC not to take POM; the capsules are cheap and pomegranetes have been eaten for thousands of years so we know there is no danger, unless you choke on a pill. There is absolutely no down side and a significant potiential upside. These are odds I would take any day on just about any decision, either in business or health, and I didn't have to take a class in statistics to come to this conclusion.
I really don't care too much for the company POM Wonderful, so I don't use their products. Life Extension has POM capsules and I get a year supply for the $75 it costs to join.
JT

Mel,

I was just saying that if you stopped the supplements and PSA changed dramatically then perhaps supplements were doing something.  However, I think that would be equally stupid.  I'm a fan of the standard issue PC supplements (POM, Curcumin, Resveratrol, etc...)

Sounds like whatever you're doing is working.  That is great.

fyi - I was on HT for a year and just came off a few months ago.  Myers has me continuing the use of Avodart and seems to favor doing that with patients.  I asked him when I should stop using it, and he told me when they come up with a better drug that works like it. 

JL

On Thursday I felt the tickle in my throat of a cold coming on so I went to Walgreen's to buy a supply of my trusted cold remedy EmergenC and low and behold they now make a Cranberry Pomegranate flavor with extra antioxidants. I have fought off the cold successfully and give credit to the Cran Pom EmergenC.

Terry

When I was growing up in Southern Cal we had a pomegranate tree in our front yard and I ate one almost every day, didn't do much to keep me from getting PC.