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May 24, 2013
May 22, 2013
John Thorne:
They launched the 'Arab Spring' but now yearn for the good old days of a strongman
May 20, 2013
Richard A. Serrano: Is Meir Kahane's assassin now a changed man?
Melissa Healy: Genetic copies of living people from embryos no longer science fiction
Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : Jews Inducted into Rock Hall of Fame; Anton Yelchin co-stars in New "Trek" film; Kutcher (but not Kunis) visits Israel; Jewish TV Star Praises Jewish Rap Star
The Kosher Gourmet by Cathy Pollak: WARNING: This WALNUT CAKE WITH PRALINE FROSTING, perfect for afternoon coffee, is addicting
May 13, 2013
Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo: Why the giving of the document that would permanently change the world could only be done in desolation
David G. Savage: Church-state, literally? Supreme Court weighing public school graduation in a church
May 10, 2013
Rabbi Berel Wein: Be all that you should be
May 8, 2013
Peter Ford: Why China is welcoming both Israel's Netanyahu and Palestinians' Abbas
Warren Richey: Obama administration quietly backs out of appeal over new contraceptive mandate
Fred Weir: At Kerry-Putin meeting, US-Russia relations thaw --- a tad
The Kosher Gourmet by Leela Cyd Ross : Almost too pretty to eat, this colorful salad with Sicilian inspiration will tickle the taste buds and delight your visual sensibility
May 6, 2013
May 3, 2013
Kids, kittens the Same? With employee perks at struggling Internet pioneer Yahoo! it's hard to tell
Sandy Kleffman: Artificial kidney offers hope to patients tethered to a dialysis machine
April 29, 2013
Roy Gutman: Poland's new Jewish museum celebrates life, doesn't revisit Holocaust
Mark Clayton: Terrorism in America: Is US missing a chance to learn from failed plots?
Kim Murphy: Boston Bomber's 'Svengali' Revealed
Pete Spotts: Tiny satellites + cellphones = cheaper 'eyes in the sky' for NASA
April 26, 2013
Clifford D. May: Defense in the Age of Jihadist Terrorism
Sharon Palmer, R.D.: How to feel your best -- with plenty of energy, a healthy weight and optimal mental and physical function -- without driving yourself batty
April 24, 2013
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Jewish World Review
Ask the Harvard Experts: Prostate Supplements of Dubious Value
By
Robert Shmerling, M.D.
Don't be fooled. What to actually do to stay healthy
JewishWorldReview.com |
Q: Are prostate supplements helpful?
A: In general, the answer is no.
Despite the number of vitamins and supplements that claim to promote prostate health, there is little proof to support their use.
They don't help prostate cancer, prostatitis (inflammation and infection of the prostate), or benign enlargement of the prostate gland. In fact, when many of the popular supplements, such as saw palmetto, have been tested, the results have shown no benefit.
Popular remedies that have been promoted for prostate health include: zinc supplements, Vitamin E, selenium, soy, and some general herbal remedies that are supposed to decrease the rate of cancer, help with urination and promote sexual health.
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None of these have any scientific support. And actual harm has been associated with selenium and vitamin E. Zinc supplements may actually increase the risk of cancer.
The one vitamin supplement that is helpful is vitamin D. There is evidence that this vitamin has many positive effects, including the possibility that it can reduce the risk of prostate cancer. (Generally, you need 400 to 1,000 units per day of vitamin D.)
Because of these reasons, the general advice is to save your money when it comes to taking prostate supplements.
On a more positive note, you can promote prostate health by:
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Maintaining a healthy body weight
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Increasing physical activity
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Eating a diet rich in plant products
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Avoiding red meat
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Limiting calcium intake to no more than 1,500 milligrams per day. Personally, I advise a maximum of 1,000 milligrams daily.
In my opinion, encouraging people to eat fish high in omega 3-fatty acids makes sense because antioxidants are thought to provide a host of benefits, including, perhaps, reducing the risk of cancer. While not proven, eating cooked tomatoes might help keep your prostate healthy. Tomatoes contain lyocopene, which has antioxidant properties.
If you tried one of the supplements and it had a positive effect, I would be encouraged and think you should consider continuing it, even though the data does not support its use in the general population. But you want to be sure that the all the ingredients are safe.
(Marc Garnick, M.D., is an internationally renowned expert in medical oncology and urologic cancer, with a special emphasis on prostate cancer. He is a Clinical Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and maintains an active oncology practice at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Mass. Dr. Garnick serves as a senior editor at Harvard Health Publications.)
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