Help for Prostate
Answered by: Susan Eagles
Question from: Shirley
Posted on: July 22, 1998

Will green tea/ pine bark/ & grape seeds lower a man’s PSA? I have heard from different sources a herb product that consists of these herbs called Proancynol will lower a mans PSA reading if he has had prostate cancer. Have you heard of anyone this has happened to? I have had several people who said before taking this they had to be operated on for cancer and after taking this the cancer was gone. I don’t see how this can be true so please tell me what you may know.

I don’t know if this product works. The herbs you mention are thought to have anti-cancer properties, and the product is marketed as an anti-oxidant, to prevent cell damage. Anti-oxidants will help to create a healing environment.

Herbs work on many levels and cure many diseases, but most have not been tested in labs, so the specific mechanism for how they work is often not known. The bulk of herbal medicine is used on the basis that it has worked in certain medical situations for thousands of years, and from this experience, the actions are known and sometimes attributed to the various chemical components of the herb. In the case of the friend you are enquiring about, you may be best to consult a naturopathic doctor who can assess the overall health, particular symptoms and progression of the disease and advise accordingly.

Some herbs have been well researched. An example for prostate enlargement is Nettle root, and here is the mechanism: Prostate growth is caused by the fall in FREE testosterone. It is thought that the prostate grows in order to produce more testosterone, even though it is the testicles, not the prostate, that produce testosterone.

An enzyme that binds free testosterone, making it inactive, increases in older age, starting around 45-50. At age 60, 60% of male prostates are enlarged, at age 70, 70%..and so on to 100% at age 100. This doesn’t become a problem until the prostate squeezes the ureter, resulting in decreased urine potency. If the ureters are completely obstructed by the enlarged prostate, the result is an inability to pass urine, with a toxic build up causing death. Nettle root contains lactane, which acts to make the body think that there is enough of the enzyme that binds free testoterone, so that it doesn’t produce any more. So the free testosterone grows, because it is no longer being bound, and the prostate doesn’t grow. This remedy is effective in early prostate enlargement. You should be able to buy preparations from Germany or Switzerland. If you have a nettle patch, you would use 4 grams per day of FRESH nettle root. There can be a side effect: nettle root also inhibits the enzyme that converts some of the free testosterone into the chemical that is used for secondary sex characteristics: facial hair growth, deep voice etc. But as someone said, he’d rather have a high pitched voice & live.

Raised PSA (prostatic specific antigen) level is a partial determinant for both benign prostate hypertrophy and prostatic carcinoma. Prostate size can be reduced with herbal treatment. For your specific case, a medical doctor can give advice on whether cancer is now active and whether it is slowly or rapidly progressing. This can help you make a decision on whether you feel that surgery is required.

Other herbs that are specifically used for prostate health are pumpkin seeds, Saw Palmetto and Horsetail (Equisetum arvense). Additionally, Thuja, Poke Root and Garlic have been used in prostate cancer.

As important as the herbal regime are a nutritious and detoxifying diet and a balanced, stress-free lifestyle. Support for the digestive system will be required so that the herbal medications are well absorbed. The liver should be supported in its roles of detoxification and processing of nutrients. Successful herbal healing includes these elements.

Diet: Soya has a prostate-protective effect and should be consumed daily (tofu, soy milk, soy cheese); oily fish or fish oil; Accept watercress, parsley, beets, sesame, pecan & cashew nuts & zinc rich foods. Limit alcohol (which flushes zinc out of the system), coffee ( limits zinc absorption) & cholesterol-rich foods; Avoid additives, pesticides & hormone contaminated foods (like beef), which are detrimental to the prostate; Generally the diet should be low on animal protein, low in fat and high in fresh fruit & vegetables, organic if possible.

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