New treatment for enlarged prostrate (Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia)

A radical 5 minute groundbreaking treatment to treat benign prostate hyperplasia (enlarged prostrate) without drastic surgery. Apparently if z 9 second stream of steam is injected into the enlarged prostrate, it can shrink the enlarged prostate without drastic invasive surgery. This method is called Rezum treatment involved injection of steam at 1 second interval with only local anesthesia and sedation with minimal side effects.

Surgeons at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust in London and Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have trialled the procedure on 150 men, with remarkal]e results.

Professor Hashim Ahmed, a consultant urological surgeon at Imperial, said other hospitals are poised to roll out the treatment as soon as they get the okay from health watchdog NICE.

For more information, refer to
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6080191/Breakthrough-five-minute-steaming-treatment-cures-embarrassing-prostate-condition-without-surgery.html

Natural Remedy for prostate cancer

Researchers at the University of California San Francisco have found that men recently diagnosed with localised prostate cancer (meaning it has not started to spread) can slow down the disease by taking BRISK WALKS (note the emphasis) as they also found that just strolling does not help. So can brisk walks be a natural remedy for localized prostate cancer?

Some possibility of how that works - it had been suggested that perhaps brisk walks affect prostate cancer progression by changing blood levels of some proteins that have been shown to encourage cancer growth.

Now for some disclaimers:

1. It is possible that their results may just be because those who participate in brisk walking may be just living a healthier lifestyle such as not smoking, healthy diet, etc. rather than a direct connection and further studies may be needed

2. Those who have not previously exercise regularly should first consult their doctors before setting out to do rigorous exercises.

Whatever it is, this is another confirmation that exercise is the best medicine and I am going to restart my regular brisk walking although I have not yet been diagnosed with prostate cancer plus for for other studies that showed screening for prostate cancer need not necessarily have a higher survival rate.

Ultrasound therapy for prostate cancer

Researchers from the University College and Princess Grace hospitals in London says that an experimental therapy using ultrasound waves called High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) shows promises for treating early stage prostate cancer.

The researchers used HIFU on 172 men with not only high rates of success, but also few side effects and quick discharge from hospital being discharged only five hours after treatment. A year later, 92% did not show any relapse (recurrence of prostate cancer). A further benefits is out of the 172 men, none had bowel problems, only 1 men suffered incontinence and only 33% had impotence.

The researchers plan to test HIFU on other form of cancers.

Polyphenon E (green tea) slows prostate cancer

Philadelphia-based researchers led by Dr James Cardelli from the Feist-Weiller Cancer Center in a study on 26 men diagnosed with prostate cancer and scheduled for surgery, found that feeding these patients with 4 capsules of Polyphenon E for 34 days have reduced significantly HGF, VEGF and PSA levels.

HGF (hepatocyte growth factor) and VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor are indicators of developing cancer. PSA (prostate specific antigen) is a protein found only in the prostate with increased levels in prostate cancer victims.

Polyphenon E is a chemical compound found in green tea and 4 capsules of Polyphenon E is equivalent to 12 cups of green tea a day.

Green tea books & products

Plastic baby bottles leach toxic bisphenol A into milk, infant formula and other liquids

Why use glass baby bottles (feeding bottles)

According to GreenLivingOnline, the Environmental Defense in a study on plastic baby bottles (feeding bottles) sold in Canada, found that 90% of them leach Bisphenol A into liquids such as milk, infant formula, etc. I would suppose that also include natural expressed mother's milk and I think that working mothers who expressed their milk, refrigerate them and caretakers heat up the milk to be put into baby bottles should be warned about this. They should use glass baby bottles (feeding bottles) instead of plastic baby bottles of those under their charge. The study mentioned showed that heating the feeding bottles resulted in exponential increase in leaching of Bisphenol A.

Glass baby bottles from Amazon

A graph of something increasing in an exponential way is shown below. Note that this is a logarithmic graph, and the increase shown is not in equal steps, but in multiple of 10. If plotted on normal graph paper, the rate in increase will look even more frightening:

Image of graph is property of Indi Samarajiva

Bisphenol A (BPA)

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an organic compound with the formula (CH3)₂C(C₆H₄OH)₂. According to Wikipedia on Bisphenol A, there is a current controversy over BPA's effect on health. While it stated that Bisphenol A has a low acute toxicity and negligible skin permeability and widely used in cosmetics and foods as antioxidants. Wikipedia also mentioned about the growing concern that exposure to Bisphenol A may induce adverse effects in humans, citing some hormone disrupting effects in studies on animals and human cancer cells.

According to Wikipedia on Bisphenol A, recent studies have confirmed that bisphenol A exposure during development has carcinogenic effects and produce precursors of breast cancer, have developmental toxicity, carcinogenic effects, and possible neurotoxicity (toxicity on brain cells). Exposure to Bisphenol A may also be linked to triggering fat-cell activity, thus leading to obesity. Other research also endocrine disruptors like BPA may be implicated in schizophrenia pathogenesis (progression of a disease).

GreenLivingOnline went even further and mentioned association of exposure to Bisphenol A to early puberty in girls, Attention Deficit Disorder (AHDH) and hyperactivity disorder.

In the Canadian study which studied 3 branded plastic feeding bottles, leaching of bisphenol A produced concentration of Bisphenol A within a range of 5 to 8 ng/ml (parts per billion). Recent scientific research shows that bisphenol A can be harmful at doses below the levels found in the study.

Dr. Smith, the Environmental Defense Executive Director recommended that the Canadian federal government must act immediately by banning Bisphenol A from baby bottles and other food and beverage containers.

Drink red wine to reduce chances of prostate cancer

A small study examining the risk of prostrate cancer in 1456 men between 40 and 64 years old by researchers from Seattle's Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center concluded that men who drink 4 to 7 glasses of red wine a week have only 52% chances of contracting prostate cancer as compared with those who don't drink red wine. They speculated that the reason could be linked to various flavonoids and resveratrol present in red wine that were missing from other alcoholic beverages.

Amazon products for prostate cancer

Source: Reuters: Red wine may reduce risk of prostate cancer: study

Food for Prostate Problems

Studies have found that enlarged prostate has cells with lower than normal zinc level. Increasing the zinc level in a man's diet may lead to relief of the symtoms of an enlarge prostate. An enlarged prostate is often caused by a build-up of dihydroteststosterone, a by-product of the male hormone testosterone. The formation of dihydroteststosterone is retarded by when adequate level of zinc is present.

Eat zinc-rich food such as shellfish, whole grain, meat, nuts and seeds, particularly pumpkin seeds. Vitamin E and some fatty acids found in oily fish may also help because of their anti-inflamatory action.

An extract of saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) berries has also been shown to reduce urinary problems.

German studies have found that roots of stinging nettles (Urtica dioica) is effective in relieving symtoms.