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Thoughts on foods/supplements to help lower PSA???

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Posted 1/5/2018 12:55 PM (GMT 0)
Good day, everyone. I thought I would pose this question since it’s been on my mind. Hopefully it can help others as well. I’ve been reading about diet & PC prevention, particularly for lowering PSA numbers. Here is what I found: Tomatoes, pomegranates, pumpkin seeds, Brazil nuts, & green tea are all supposed to be beneficial in lowering PSA. Has anyone tried these products, & if so, did they help you? Also, are there any good supplements on the market that you’ve found helpful?

Post Edited (J’s Wife) : 1/5/2018 8:46:17 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 1/5/2018 2:04 PM (GMT 0)
Lowering PSA with that stuff you mentioned can mask using the PSA test as a possible indicator of cancer. Strictly speaking PSA is not a cancer test, lowering it will have nothing to do with reducing the chances of prostate cancer. Guys with prostatitis will have a high PSA.
Posted 1/5/2018 2:20 PM (GMT 0)
J, first of all, if you click the edit button me give your thread a title, it will get much more action.

Re your question, most of this stuff has a lot of "evidence", but no scientific proof. If you read the thread linked below, in its entirety (it's long), you will get a great education on the topic, with documented experiences.....

/www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=35&m=3515667
Posted 1/5/2018 3:43 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you, John & Pratoman. I’m new to all this as my husband is recently being monitored for elevated PSA. John, you make a good point about these things masking the use of a PSA test to possibly detect cancer. Pratoman, thanks for the link. I’ll check it out. Also, where is the edit button?
Posted 1/5/2018 3:48 PM (GMT 0)
Nevermind. I figured out how to title my post.
Posted 1/5/2018 3:57 PM (GMT 0)
To vastly oversimplify the topic there are two ways that a drug, supplement, or magic food can reduce a man's PSA.

Theory 1: The drug (supplement, food, etc) treats the inflammation and slows the rate at which prostate cancer appears and grows. Thus, less inflammation, fewer and slower-growing cancers. Hurrah!

Theory 2: The drug does nothing really useful. It neither reduces inflammation nor slows the growth of prostate cancer. It merely changes the rate at which the various damaged tissues emit PSA, PSA being harmless in itself.

Studies that use PSA reduction as their primary measure can't distinguish between these theories. Sorting them out requires following subjects for years to see if the treatment group develops prostate cancer at a lower rate than a control group.

To the degree that Theory 2 holds for a given drug, supplement, or food, its use is something like throwing a blanket over your alarm clock or putting a piece of black tape over your check engine light.

In the real world both theories usually hold in varying degrees most of the time. I won't tell you that pomegranate juice is useless for prostate health but I wouldn't be too impressed by a study that shows that it lowers PSA.
Posted 1/5/2018 4:19 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks, Peter. I appreciate your opinion & reply.
Posted 2/23/2018 10:52 PM (GMT 0)
J's Wife - I wonder if you continued your quest for the PSA lowering diet.

We haven't been dx'd yet but it sure is heading that way and I'm just trying to see if we can do what we can, diet wise, to help.

Thanks.
Posted 2/24/2018 4:08 AM (GMT 0)
I try to make it a point eat foods that are said to help fight Pca (fish, broccoli, other plant-based foods, etc..) and avoid those that are said to aggravate Pca (red meat, carb heavies (I'm diabetic), milk products, etc...)

Additionally I take a few supplements. based on the anecdotal evidence and scant research I've read. Do they work? Who knows? But it gives me a sense that I may have some control over my disease and the ability to at least slow it down a bit if I can't completely avoid a full-blown recurrence.

Some of the supplements include Tumeric w/pepper, Resveratrol, Cayenne capsules, Pomegranate extract. I don't take mega-doses. Only relatively small amounts. The Cayenne can upset (burn) a stomach but I haven't had a problem with it, so I continue taking it. As a diabetic I'm also prescribed Metformin - which has been claimed by some to have anti-Pca properties. Have any of these supplements, drugs, foods helped me combat Pca? Absolutely no idea. But it makes me feel like a participant in the war against my disease. That's my motivator.

One thing I can say (anecdotally) is this: Prior to my RRP my PSA continually increased, albeit slowly. For the first time my PCP included by Vit D levels in my blood labs. It was borderline low at about 24 ng/ml. She recommended I take 2000 units of D3 daily. I had my blood checked again about 6 months later. My Vit D level rose to about 35 ng/ml. And for the very first time my PSA fell. It dropped from about 9 to 7. Is that meaningful? Again, who knows? As Moderator Peter intelligently pointed out, there are various theories behind how matter we ingest may reduce PSA levels.

Anyone who considers taking Vitamin D3 should always get their blood levels checked first and get the green light from an MD before going forward. Vitamin D is fat-soluble and builds up in the tissues. Too much is not good.

That's my story. Good luck to you and yours, J's Wife.
Posted 3/1/2018 7:08 PM (GMT 0)
Hi wildirishrose,
Well, all I can say is that we’ve been eating much healthier. However, my husband is not due back to the dr until April. At that point, his PSA will be checked again, & if nothing has changed or the numbers have gone up, the dr will do an mri. In my opinion, a healthy diet is beneficial for so many reasons, so even if it only makes a small positive dent in my husband’s numbers, I see it as a win. Some things we are eating: white meat & fish, fresh vegetables (raw & steamed), pomegranates (seeds & juice), pumpkin seeds, whole grains. Some things we’re avoiding: fried foods, processed foods, red meat, sugar, salt. We also take supplements (vitamin D & Omega 3 fish oil, as well as a daily multivitamin. In addition, my husband takes Tricor to maintain his triglyceride levels, so this is just another reason diet is important. We also joined a gym, which has proven to be wonderful. Overall, we both feel better physically & mentally. I’m sorry I can’t give you numbers right now, but I promise to update everyone here once we get the results from my husband’s next dr visit in April. I wish you well.
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