Find out what dietary practices increase the risk of prostate cancer, and what foods to include in a prostate diet that lower the risk. One has a 30% effect in reducing the chances of getting prostate cancer, but there are some caveats for men with a particular genetic heart disease.

Researchers from Canada have found that having a diet of red meat, organ meats, soft drink and bottled water increased the risk of getting prostate cancer. They compared the diets of 80 men with prostate cancer, and 334 healthy men, and the diet just described more than doubled the risk of developing prostate cancer.

So what prostate diet can reduce the risk of prostate cancer? Swedish researchers examined the diet of 1499 men with prostate cancer and 1130 men who were healthy, and they published their findings in the Cancer Causes and Control journal. They found that eating foods rich in phytoestrogens decreased the risk of prostate cancer.

Phytoestrogens are plant molecules that have a weak estrogenic effect. They are made converted in the intestines from plant precursors by bacteria as they digest food. They are taken up by the same parts of the body that process the hormone estrogen.

Interestingly, one of the treatments for prostate cancer by doctors involves using estrogens to reduce the level of testosterone in men with advanced prostate cancer. It does this indirectly, through its effect on the hypothalamus, as less luteinizing hormone releasing hormone is produced by the hypothalamus. This means not as much luteinizing hormone is released by the body, which suppresses the production of testosterone.

High doses of estrogens for men can lead to cardiovascular complications. But phytoestrogens obtained from diet, in less quantities than a drug, and with a milder effect to start with, should not pose a problem. And researchers don%26#8217;t yet know what exactly causes phytoestrogens to have such a protective effect, whether it is similar to that of the estrogen treatment for advanced prostate cancers. And they don%26#8217;t know which phytoestrogens are the most active.

So what phytoestrogen foods could you include in a diet for a healthy prosta

te? Soy beans and nuts are a good source. Soy and nuts contain a type of phytoestrogen called isoflavones, whilst berries and seeds contain lignans. Foods could include peanuts, sunflower seeds, peanuts, and berries.

The only possible concerns with soy is that a study in mice found that male mice that had a type of heart disease that people also have, suffered heart failure when fed a soy based diet. Whether this extrapolates to the human population is yet to be established. But it may be wise for those me who have this particular genetic heart condition, dilated cardiomyopathy, to be cautious about soy products in their diet.

But for other men, soy products could be good news. A meta analysis, which is a study of related studies, published in the International Journal of Cancer, found that diets high in soy lowered men%26#8217;s risk of prostate cancer by 30%.

Another important mineral to consider for men is zinc. Zinc is used by men%26#8217;s bodies to make some of the male hormones, and for general prostate health. A deficiency in zinc can lead to problems with the testicles, the prostate, and the health of the sperm. Foods that are great sources of zinc include seeds like pumpkin, sesame, and sunflower; nuts like almonds, brazil, cashews and walnuts; and foods like lettuce, oats and onions. Raw onion is particularly suggested by Paul Bedson, a natural therapist. He also suggests vegetable juice made of equal parts of beetroot, carrot, and cucumber in cases where the prostate gland is enlarged. Cranberry juice, a cup drunk three times a day, is also recommended in this case.

References:

1. phoenix5.org/Infolink/advanced/estrogen.html

2. Australian Healthy Food, March 2006

3. Australian Healthy Food, November, 2005

4. Paul Bedson, The Complete Family Guide To Natural Healing

5. nutraingredients.com/news/ng.asp?n=65785%26m=1NIE213%26c=qgtqmovbyiaxdub

Article Source: http://www.BestToRead.com/

Complete Information on Adrenal hyperplasia with Treatment and Prevention

Adrenal hyperplasia refers to a radical of inherited adrenal gland disorders. People with this condition do no make enough of the hormones cortisol and aldosterone, and produce too much of androgen. Most of these conditions involve greater or lesser production of sex steroids and can alter development of primary or secondary sex characteristics in affected infants, children, and adults. Adrenal hyperplasia can affect both boys and girls. People with congenital adrenal hyperplasia lack of an enzyme needed by the adrenal gland to make the hormones cortisol and aldosterone. There are two major types of this disorder: classic adrenal hyperplasia, the more severe form of the disease affecting very young children; and nonclassic adrenal hyperplasia, a milder form that usually develops in late childhood or early adulthood.New-sprung girls with this disease have a swollen clitoris with the urethral opening at the base. The internal structures of the female reproductive tract are normal. No obvious problems are seen in newborn males, but changes can be seen long before puberty normally occurs. People with adrenal hyperplasia lack of an enzyme needed by the adrenal gland to make the hormones cortisol and aldosterone. The child becomes increasingly muscular, the penis enlarges, pubic hair appears, and the voice deepens. Although adrenal hyperplasia can be life-threatening, most people with it can lead normal lives with proper treatment. Some forms of adrenal hyperplasia are more severe and cause adrenal crisis in the newborn due to salt wasting. A newborn screening test is available for the most common form of adrenal hyperplasia and can be done on heelstick blood. Adrenal hyperplasia is diagnosed by demonstration of excess cortisol precursors in the serum during an adrenal corticotropic hormone challenge. Most forms of adrenal hyperplasia are usually treated by use of medication. Prenatal therapy with a synthetic hormone called dexamethasone throughout pregnancy can allow proper development of the external genitalia in female fetuses. Affected girls are then born with normal external genitalia and do not require corrective surgery. Untreated, this condition can lead to death within 1 to 6 weeks after birth. Parents of children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia should be aware of the side effects of steroid therapy.

Determine Whether Vitamin A Enhances Immune Response

Several approaches have been taken in an attempt to determine whether Vitamin A supplementation enhances immune response and resistance or recovery from infection. In some investigations, researchers have attempted to correlate plasma concentrations of beta-carotene or retinol with immune response or susceptibility to infection. One limitation of this approach is related to the fact that plasma concentrations may have depressed plasma retinol levels as a result of disease. Therefore, it is not possible to establish whether low plasma retinol levels resulted in suppressed immune response or if plasma retinol levels decreased in response to disease or infection. Another approach used is to supplement the diet with retinol precursors and examine immune response at a later time point. This approach may be useful in examining the particular aspects of immunity that may be altered by supplementation, but additional studies are necessary to determine whether these effects have clinical significance in terms of disease outcome. Vitamin A has been fairly well studied in terms of its immunomodulatory effects, and we will review the evidence from randomized controlled trials as well as potential mechanisms of action. Vitamin A supplementation may afford some protection from infection in malnourished individuals, but the potential benefits of supplementation in normal wellnourished individuals remain to be established. There is evidence from several studies that suggests that vitamin A deficiency is associated with depressed immune function and an impaired response to influenza infection. Supplementation of vitamin A is associated with a reduction of mortality and morbidity among certain populations. It appears that populations suffering from malnutrition may benefit from adequate or additional vitamin A supplementation. However, it is less clear if normal, healthy, well-nourished individuals will benefit from additional supplementation with respect to enhanced immunity. The results from several studies involving beta-carotene supplementation in the diet of healthy individuals suggest that certain aspects of innate immunity, such as NK cytotoxicity and monocyte production of the cytokine TNFcx, are enhanced. It appears that lymphocyte subsets or the lymphocyte response to mitogens are not altered. In addition, one study of healthy older individuals found that vitamin A supplementation was associated with a reduction in the number of T lymphocytes. Whether these observed changes of immune function in response to supplementation actually result in reduced susceptibility to infection in healthy individuals is not well established. The results from one study demonstrated no association between vitamin A supplementation and incidence of bacterial infection. we are not aware of any long-term, randomized clinical trials that have evaluated the incidence of viral infection in response to supplementation with vitamin A alone. However, several studies have examined the possibility that supplementation with several multivitamins and or trace elements such as zinc, may alter susceptibility to infection. In general, the findings from these studies show no protection from infection in association with vitamin intake, but a slight decrease in the incidence of infection in those individuals consuming supplemental trace elements such as zinc and selenium. At this time, the potential benefits of vitamin A supplementation for healthy well-nourished individuals regarding susceptibility to infection remain to be established. A high beta-carotene intake has also been associated with a reduced risk of cancer. Earlier epidemiological studies suggested a high natural (fruits and vegetables) intake of beta-carotene was associated with reduced risk of cancer. However, more recent studies have not observed any benefit of beta-carotene intake on incidence of cancer and two studies actually observed an increased incidence of lung cancer in those participants consuming beta-carotene supplements. The presence of other carotenoids in fruits and vegetables has been suggested to be the protective factor in regards to cancer incidence in the early epidemiological studies based on the findings from these recent studies, dietary supplementation with high doses of synthetic beta-carotene may be contraindicated for smokers. As a reminder, it has been known for some time that a high intake of vitamin A results in adverse effects (neurologic, dermatologic, musculoskeletal, gastrointestinal, birth defects) and the results from the most recent studies suggest a potential risk of high doses of synthetic beta-carotene in certain populations. At this time it is probably safest to follow the National Cancer Institute recommendations that suggest five or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Immune Effects and Exercise We are currently aware of only one study that has examined whether vitamin A supplementation is associated with a reduced incidence of infection in athletes. Several studies have shown that the risk of upper respiratory infection is increased following competition in marathons or ultramarathons However, vitamin A supplementation before marathon competition did not reduce the incidence of infection in the postrace period. Therefore, to our knowledge, vitamin A supplementation has not been associated with enhanced resistance to infection in healthy athletes.

Antioxidant Function of Vitamin A, C , E-Vitamin

Vitamin C, vitamin E (tocopherols), and some precursors to vitamin A (the carotenoids) exhibit antioxidant activity. Each of these vitamins has independently been shown to alter immunity. The antioxidant function of these vitamins is of interest to some athletes primarily because exercise increases the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) which have been associated with muscular fatigue and muscular damage. In addition, neutrophils and macro phages produce ROS. The ROS produced by the immune system may have a role in modulating postexercise muscle damage. The other reason that vitamins A, C, and E may be of interest to athletes relates to their potential immunostimulatory properties. The antioxidant properties of the vitamins may differ from the immunomodulatory effects.Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced during strenuous exercise, result in oxidative stress, and are associated with a depletion of antioxidants, muscle damage, and fatigue. High concentrations of antioxidants may protect against the damaging effects of ROS. An assumption has been made that a high intake of vitamins A, C, E, or betacarotene may protect against the exercise-induced oxidative stress and several studies have examined this possibility. Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) is considered the most important scavenger of ROS at the level of membranes and is probably the most well studied with respect to exercise. Several studies have established that exercise training is associated with a decrease in the accumulation of the products used to assess oxidative stress or an enhancement of antioxidant enzymes. The findings from some studies suggest that vitamin E supplementation may protect against the oxidative damage induced by exercise. However, the results from both human and animal studies show that vitamin E supplementation does not improve performance and may not attenuate muscular damage following a marathon. An understanding of interactions between the immune system, ROS production, and muscle damage may provide some insight regarding antioxidants and exercise-induced muscle damage. Although these interactions are not completely understood at this time, it appears that the production of ROS by cells of the immune system may be an important part of the postexercise muscle repair process. Neutrophils and macrophages appear to infiltrate sites of postexercise muscle damage and both of these cell types produce ROS. The release of ROS can enhance the release of cytokines and cytokines can induce the production of ROS The release of both cytokines and ROS are important in removing damaged muscle tissue and may assist in the repair process. The findings from a recent study suggest that the generation of ROS postexercise may be beneficial in the repair process. In this study, normal mice demonstrated greater oxidative stress postexercise than mice with inhibited neutrophil function; however, 4 days later normal mice showed evidence of less muscle damage Based on this evidence and findings from other studies mentioned previously, it should be noted that the production of free radicals or ROS during exercise may be an important part of the muscle tissue repair process and the consumption of high levels of antioxidants may not necessarily be beneficial. Some researchers have examined life span and whether it can be extended by increased antioxidant intake. The evidence from two recent studies suggests that supplementing diets with high levels of antioxidants does not increase maximum life span and exercised rodents fed a diet containing additional antioxidants did not have a greater life span than exercised rodents on a normal diet. It appears that although exercise may be associated with a greater production of ROS, this does not result in a shortened life span and the consumption of additional antioxidants confers no additional increase in longevity. Taken together, the findings from the studies above suggest that additional antioxidants do not improve performance, do not appear to improve muscle tissue repair postexercise, and are not beneficial in terms of increasing life span in exercised rodents. Although the interactions between the immune system and ROS produced during exercise need further research, at this time it does not appear that additional antioxidants will enhance immune responses such as postexercise muscle tissue repair.

A vitamin is an extremely complex organic substance needed in very small amounts in the diet, but is essential for human life and metabolic processes. Metabolic processes would include growth, maintenance, and health. The body is not capable of producing sufficient quantities of vitamins to supply its needs under normal circumstances. There are some substances that we would call vitamin-like substances that are not considered essential since the body %26#39;s tissues are usually able to produce them in sufficient amounts. Sometimes, they are supplied as composite parts of vitamin complexes of other nutrients. Each vitamin has its own unique function in the human body and cannot be replaced by any other substance. Vitamins, for example, as coenzymes, perform principally as regulators of metabolic activity at a physical and chemical level at a cellular level. These processes play important roles in energy production. Vitamins are obtained typically from foods and are an integral part of a nutritive mix or compound which is exquisitely interlaced and fused with the whole food itself. Some vitamins are just provitamins or they are precursor to a whole food vitamin preparation. In other words, these precursors are converted into the required active substances within the body. Although vitamins often times are considered to be a single substance, each vitamin is actually a group of chemically related compounds. Separating or fractioning the group or the compounds into a single incomplete vitamin portion converts it from a physiological, biochemical, active micronutrient into a disabled, debilitated chemical of little or no value to living cells. Traditionally, the most convenient way to classify vitamins is by their solubility. Basically, what that means is, are they capable of being dissolved in water or fat.Fat-soluble vitamins are soluble in fat solvents. In other words, they are held in fats and absorbed with dietary fats and offer integrated fats into the diet. Fat-soluble vitamins are insoluble in water. The fat-soluble vitamins would include the following: Vitamin A, D, E, K, and the essential fatty acids. Fat soluble vitamins typically are not excreted in the urine, but tend to be stored in moderate amounts in our bodies.Water soluble vitamins of course are soluble in water and are thus suspended in water molecules and food. These will include all the vitamins of the B complex and C complex groups. The traditional view of vitamins for many, many decades had been that they were compounds essential for preventing deficiency diseases and as coenzymes or activators in key physical and chemical reactions in the body. Now, as we understand more what vitamins do in our bodies, we are identifying new functions and roles that are being found by these vital nutrients. Vitamin needs by our human body vary from individual to individual. Nutritional requirements by individuals also vary from individual to individual, and although each person needs all the same nutrients, the quantities of each nutrient needed daily are distinctively different for every individual. Each individual human has patterns and needs all of his own, which in itself may vary due to environmental, circumstantial, and genetic conditions. Most of our vitamins can be found in food and are either directly or indirectly produced by plants. The exceptions are vitamin D which can be produced in adequate amounts by the body utilizing the ultraviolet light from the sun and vitamin B12 which can be produced by fungus, soil microorganisms, and some bacteria. The intestinal bacteria normally also produce at least a portion of the needed vitamin K, as well as smaller quantities of some other B complex factors. Nevertheless, vitamin-rich whole foods are still the only source or the most important source of virtually all vitamins. Some of the best sources of vitamins include seeds of all kinds including nuts, whole grains, and eggs, particularly the germ, which would eventually develop into a new plant or animal, yeast, yeast extracts, liver and some other organ meats, since the vitamins tend to concentrate in organ tissues in animals, and finally fruits and vegetables. How do we know if we are deficient to certain vitamins or minerals? A subclinical deficiency means the body %26#39;s vitamin or mineral or trace mineral stores are gradually drained resulting in loss of optimal health and impaired body process that depend on that particular nutrient. In future articles, I will be discussing the various different vitamins, what foods they can be found in, and their importance in overall human health. Until then, I would recommend you consult with your family physician or healthcare provider for more information on vitamin, nutritional needs.

It seems like even those of you who generally sleep well most nights can often experience occasional, transient insomnia during the holiday season. As we move into Thanksgiving and Christmas, there is all the stress, strain and tension surrounding getting it all done. Gifts to buy, extra food preparation, making that special dessert, having company, throwing a part, attending parties and that’s on top of all the regular activities of job and family responsibilities. All add up and can often wreak havoc with your circadian rhythms. We’re burdened with thinking it all needs to be perfect and you try to make it all happen. Your system gets overloaded with stress, not to mention extra food and beverages. The following 10 tips are offered to help you maintain your sanity: 1. Normal Routine. Try to keep to your normal routine as much as possible. That means going to bed as close to your regular time and rising at around the same time each day. Of course, this will be challenging on party nights, but try to keep these to a minimum. 2. Plan Ahead. If you’ve got company coming, try to alleviate some of your ‘last-minute stress’ by purchasing groceries, gifts or even doing advanced food preparation ahead of time. Get the gifts wrapped. That was always my job and mom loved it that it was one less thing she needed to do. 3. Regular Exercise. Exercise is one of the precursors to achieving good sleep. Besides, it’s just simply healthy for you. Try to maintain your regular routine. Hit the gym or at least get out for a walk. You mind will be refreshed and your body thankful, and you will sleep better. 4. Ask for Help. The holiday festivities don’t need to be your total responsibility. Ask family members to assist in the preparations. If you don’t ask, they may not know how stressed and burdened you feel. And, there is a very good chance they will be very receptive to pitching in to make this a joyous time for all. Enlist your family to clean and decorate the house, wrap the gifts and prepare the meals. 5. Reduce Caffeine. Keep your caffeine intake to a bare minimum or not at all. Caffeine can have a very long half-life, particularly in those who sleep lightly to begin with. Adding caffeine to increased stress levels is a sure-fire way to disrupt your sleep even more. 6. Watch your Alcohol Intake. Alcohol, even in small quantities, can induce a false sense of sleepiness. But falling into an alcohol-induced sleep state will be anything but satisfying. Your slumber will be restless and it is doubtful you will enter deep delta sleep, which is needed for that energized feeling the next day. 7. Water - Drink Lots. Dehydration can be your worst enemy, particularly if you are having more than your usual amount of alcohol. Make sure your body is well hydrated with at least 8 - 10 8-oz. cups per day. Water makes up 85 of your muscles, and 75% of your brain. Make sure you don’t dry out. 8. Be kind to Yourself. Before your shoulders end up bunched up into your ears, seeming never to get unstuck, reward yourself and take a break. Plan a relaxing massage, facial or manicure. A massage is great for you guys too. 9. Breathe Deeply. Diaphragmatic breathing is an excellent way to induce relaxation throughout your entire body. Test whether you are a chest or belly breather by putting one hand on your chest and one on your belly. Look down as you breathe (normally). Whichever hand rises first indicates your normal breathing pattern. Most people are ‘chest’ breathers by habit. Just for 5 minutes focus breathing letting your diaphragm rise first. Your breathing will be slow and deeper. Even 5 minutes of deep belly breathing will induce relaxation. Plus it simply relaxes you and feels good. 10. Talk to your Brain. After you’ve done some deep diaphragmatic breathing (this really helps to relax you), then have a chat with your brain. Tell it you will sleep soundly tonight. Tell it you deserve a restful peaceful night. The mind-body connection is really significant. Make use of this amazingly powerful tool. Practice these behaviors and you will sleep soundly and have pleasant dreams of sugarplums and Christmas Kringle making everything just right and come visit http://thespiritofsleep.com for more useful information on sleep.