Doctors all around the country who perform naturopathic care work diligently to educate their male patients about prostate cancer. This should be taken just as seriously as breast cancer is taken by the female population. Like breast cancer, your chances of survival are improved when you obtain regular screenings. Unfortunately, many men don't do this, which puts males in danger of passing away from this preventable illness.
Quick Breakdown
If you're not familiar with the prostate, it's a walnut-sized organ that's found within the male reproductive system. One sign of tumorous growth is when the prostate becomes abnormally large, however, by this time, the disease has progressed substantially. It's best to obtain screenings regularly to catch the cancer before it becomes life threatening.
To date, there's no actual evidence of the cause of prostate cancer, however, naturopathic doctors believe that leading a healthy lifestyle and eating whole foods is key for keeping it at bay. Some have even had success in reversing the ill effects of this disease by combining diet and lifestyle changes with conventional medicine. Alternative cancer treatments have shown to be quite effective for patients.
What's known so far about this type of cancer is that it has something to do with genetics, environmental and hormonal factors. Androgens is one hormone that plays a major role in it's development. This hormone promotes tumorous growth, so to bring down the levels, androgen deprivation therapy, also known as ADT, can be used. Hormone replacement therapy is also an option for folks battling imbalances.
Who's Prone to Prostate Cancer?
This is a very common disease that normally affects men over 50 years old, especially if you are of African descent. Men who have close relatives diagnosed with this disease, such as a father, son or brother, are at special risk of this disease.
Research shows that African American males are 2.5 times more like to pass away from this type of cancer compared to Caucasian males. In the U.S., this is the second leading cause of cancer death within the male population.
What Symptoms to Watch For?
It's hard to identify prostate cancer early on without being screened by a doctor. There are different ways this can be done, such as with a digital rectum scan or a blood test that measures prostate-specific antigens, or PSA. When you have high levels of PSA, it likely means that you have an infected prostate, either caused by inflammation or cancer.
Can Vitamin D Help?
There are studies that show the positive effects of vitamin D on prostate cancer. Patients with prostate cancer tend to have vitamin D deficiency, while healthy men with sufficient vitamin D levels die from prostate cancer less frequently. These individuals also have fewer instances of developing aggressive cancers.
The recommended dose of vitamin D is less than 10,000 IU daily. You can obtain IV vitamin therapy from an alternative cancer treatment center. There's still no concrete evidence that the ties between prostate cancer and vitamin D are prevalent, so more research is required.
What We Know thus Far
You can find vitamin D receptors along the surface of your cells. When vitamin D is consumed, it attaches to these receptors. Once bound, chemical signals are sent from vitamin D, which tell the cells what to do, like die or divide.
These same receptors can be found in the tissue of the prostate, so vitamin D binds to them as well. This is what's believed to cause cancerous cells to perish, stop growing or keep from spreading to other areas of the system. It's also why vitamin D is believed to be helpful against prostate cancer.
The prostate cells are capable of turning inactive forms of vitamin D into active ones. Many of the cancerous cells lose this ability, but still have receptors. This is why supplementing with vitamin D is effective for slowing down cancerous cell growth.
Prostate Cancer Prevention
The highest instances of prostate cancer are in the U.S., likely due to the fact that Americans lack exposure to sunlight. Most people today spend much of their time working indoors, whether at work or at home. You can speak with a naturopathic doctor regarding lifestyle and diet changes you can implement to decrease your risks of prostate cancer.
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