Be aware: The U.S. Meals and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t approve dietary supplements for security or effectiveness. Discuss to a healthcare skilled about whether or not a complement is the appropriate match on your particular person well being, and about any potential drug interactions or security issues.
Dietary supplements may seem to be a wholesome add-on for those who’re managing prostate most cancers, however they’re not all useful, and even secure. Sure dietary supplements have been linked to most cancers development. Others can intervene with most cancers remedies and different drugs.
One other problem is that the complement trade isn’t regulated like prescription drugs.
Product high quality and labeling can fluctuate so much, making it tough to know precisely what you’re taking and the way it may have an effect on your care. That is one purpose to deal with a nutrient-rich, plant-based eating regimen with meals like greens, fruits, legumes, entire grains, and wholesome fat, which might present nutritional vitamins, minerals, and protecting compounds naturally.
However there are occasions when dietary supplements are crucial once you’re managing prostate most cancers. For instance, you could be prescribed vitamin D and calcium for those who’re on hormone-blocking drugs that decrease testosterone to gradual most cancers development, says Gabriella Nowicki, RDN, an oncology dietitian at Rebecca Bitzer & Associates. These hormone remedies can weaken the bones over time, so your care staff might suggest dietary supplements to guard your bone well being.
When you’ve got prostate most cancers and are contemplating taking dietary supplements, discuss to your oncology staff first. They’ll decide for those who’re low on sure vitamins and counsel a secure possibility if wanted, particularly since most cancers remedy could make it difficult to eat nicely, says Jeanna Wealthy, RDN, an authorized specialist in oncology diet at OSF Most cancers Companies.
With this in thoughts, contemplate avoiding the next dietary supplements when you’ve got prostate most cancers.
1. Vitamin E
Vitamin E (or alpha-tocopherol) is an antioxidant and may shield in opposition to varied illnesses comparable to most cancers and coronary heart illness.
With advantages like these, it’s simple to suppose that extra antioxidants should equal higher well being. However for prostate most cancers, analysis suggests in any other case.
“Research have proven that high-dose supplementation of higher than 400 worldwide models (IU) [of vitamin E] per day could be related to elevated threat of prostate most cancers and even most cancers development,” says David Taub, MD, a board-certified urologist and the director of urologic oncology at Baptist Well being South Florida in Boca Raton. To place this in perspective, the beneficial each day allowance (RDA) for vitamin E — the quantity most wholesome adults want every day — is 15 milligrams (mg) or 22 IU.
However not all research have proven the identical outcomes, which implies the proof isn’t clear-cut.
As well as, most cancers remedies like chemotherapy and radiation work by creating oxidative stress that damages and kills most cancers cells.
Giant doses of antioxidants, like vitamin E, might make most cancers remedy much less efficient by working in opposition to oxidative stress and truly defending most cancers cells from the injury the remedy is supposed to trigger, says Wealthy.
When you want prostate most cancers surgical procedure or different procedures, it’s essential to know that vitamin E may cause bleeding, says Dr. Taub, which is why your care staff might ask you to cease taking it.
To get sufficient vitamin E, attain for meals like leafy inexperienced greens, seeds, nuts, plant-based oils, and fortified cereals.
These meals sources are secure to get pleasure from repeatedly, even when you’ve got prostate most cancers, says Wealthy.
2. Zinc
When chilly and flu season arrives, folks hoping to spice up their immune methods might go for zinc lozenges. Zinc dietary supplements have additionally gained recognition for preserving the prostate wholesome, says Wealthy. A research in males whose prostate most cancers had not unfold to different organs discovered that small doses of zinc (between 1 mg and 24 mg each day) may be useful after analysis.
However at excessive doses, zinc supplementation could be a problem. “Constant, excessive doses of over 75 mg [of zinc] a day have been linked to elevated threat of aggressive prostate most cancers,” says Nowicki.
And people who took zinc dietary supplements for 15 or extra years had been extra prone to develop the deadliest types of prostate most cancers.
For reference, males ages 19 and older ought to get 11 mg of zinc each day, and the higher restrict — probably the most zinc somebody can take with out having detrimental well being results — is 40 mg.
Due to these findings, consultants suggest avoiding high-dose zinc dietary supplements when you’ve got prostate most cancers.
3. St. John’s Wort
You’ll discover St. John’s wort in lots of types, comparable to teas, capsules, and extracts, at most well being shops. This natural complement is used to assist with despair, in addition to menopause signs in girls.
However for those who’re being handled for prostate most cancers, St. John’s wort is one to keep away from, says Wealthy.
St. John’s wort prompts a liver enzyme that quickens the breakdown of sure drugs.
When you’re receiving anti-cancer medication whereas taking St. John’s wort, your physique might eradicate these drugs earlier than they’ve an opportunity to work. For instance, docetaxel (Taxotere), a chemotherapy treatment typically used to deal with prostate most cancers, might not work as nicely if taken with St. John’s wort.
“The complement may also work together with many oral prostate most cancers drugs, together with enzalutamide (Xtandi), apalutamide (Erleada), and abiraterone (Zytiga), and should cut back their anti-cancer impact,” says Wealthy.
With so many doable interactions, Wealthy says the very best method is to remain knowledgeable. When you’d prefer to lookup a complement by yourself, Memorial Sloan Kettering Most cancers Heart provides a database to test how herbs and dietary supplements may have an effect on your most cancers remedy. However all the time let your oncology staff know what complement you’re taking or contemplating taking.
4. Selenium
Brazil nuts, seafood, eggs, and entire grains naturally include selenium, a mineral your physique wants in small quantities to help your immune system and thyroid. As a result of it additionally acts as an antioxidant, selenium can shield cells from injury.
However “if taken in increased doses, selenium has been linked to an elevated threat of prostate most cancers,” says Taub. In males who already had excessive selenium ranges, taking high-dose selenium dietary supplements was tied to sooner will increase in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) ranges.
And for these taking 140 micrograms (mcg) of selenium or extra per day after a prostate most cancers analysis, the danger of loss of life from the illness was greater than doubled.
By comparability, adults solely want about 55 micrograms of selenium every day, making 140 micrograms practically triple the beneficial quantity.
Whereas high-dose selenium dietary supplements could be problematic when you’ve got prostate most cancers, it’s secure to get this mineral from meals, says Wealthy.
5. Noticed Palmetto
Stroll into any pharmacy and also you’ll doubtless see cabinets of “prostate help” dietary supplements, many containing noticed palmetto. Folks typically take this natural complement to alleviate urinary signs associated to an enlarged prostate, also referred to as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH),
however it’s not beneficial when you’ve got prostate most cancers, says Taub.
There isn’t sturdy security information to help taking noticed palmetto when you’ve got prostate most cancers, and it hasn’t been proven to enhance PSA ranges or prostate well being in medical trials, he says.
And noticed palmetto can enhance bleeding threat for those who’re taking blood thinners like warfarin (Coumadin) or antiplatelet drugs like aspirin.
That would result in issues throughout restoration from surgical procedure or different remedies the place bleeding is a priority.
Plus, many merchandise marked as “prostate help” mix noticed palmetto with high-dose zinc, or different components not supported by analysis, says Wealthy.
That is one more reason to test together with your oncology staff earlier than taking these merchandise.
6. Excessive-Dose Multivitamins
Many individuals take multivitamins to fill dietary gaps, particularly throughout most cancers remedy, when urge for food adjustments, fatigue, or different unwanted side effects make consuming nicely tough. However it’s additionally price understanding what’s in these dietary supplements. Some multivitamins use lower-quality components and aren’t third-party examined, says Nowicki. And nutritional vitamins or minerals taken collectively — like calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc — can compete for absorption, which means the physique might not soak up as a lot of every, she says.
There’s additionally no proof that multivitamins assist forestall most cancers from coming again or enhance survival, says Taub.
Plus, taking an excessive amount of of those dietary supplements can result in vitamin toxicity, by which fat-soluble nutritional vitamins like A and D construct up in your physique and trigger nausea, complications, or injury to your liver and kidneys, he says.
Multivitamins might also intervene with chemotherapy or work together with different dietary supplements, making remedy much less efficient.
Quite a lot of fruits, greens, entire grains, and lean proteins can often meet your nutrient wants with out the necessity for multivitamins.
However for those who’re struggling to eat sufficient or blood checks present that you’ve a vitamin deficiency, your most cancers care staff will help you discover secure complement choices that gained’t intervene with remedy.
7. Antioxidants, Like Vitamin C and Coenzyme Q10
Along with vitamin E, antioxidant dietary supplements like vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) are sometimes used for his or her protecting results. They are often useful once you get them from meals, however taking antioxidant dietary supplements throughout most cancers remedy may cause issues much like these of vitamin E.
For instance, antioxidant supplementation throughout chemotherapy or radiation might intervene with how nicely the remedy works, making it much less efficient.
Meals sources of antioxidants, like fruits, greens, nuts, and entire grains, are secure to incorporate in your eating regimen throughout remedy and may provide loads of advantages.
Oncology groups often suggest avoiding antioxidant dietary supplements throughout most cancers remedy, says Nowicki. “However after remedy, your care staff will help you resolve if sure dietary supplements make sense for illness prevention,” says Wealthy.
The Takeaway
- Excessive-dose dietary supplements comparable to vitamin E, zinc, and selenium might enhance the danger of prostate most cancers development or intervene with remedy.
- St. John’s wort and noticed palmetto can work together with sure prostate most cancers chemotherapy remedies and enhance bleeding threat.
- Antioxidant dietary supplements comparable to vitamin C or CoQ10 taken throughout chemotherapy and radiation might make these remedies much less efficient.
- A balanced, plant-focused eating regimen is the easiest way to get the vitamins you want. When you don’t have a lot of an urge for food due to remedy or are involved you’re lacking sure vitamins, ask your oncology staff earlier than you begin any dietary supplements.
