Pine Nuts: Are Their Health Benefits Worth The Cost?

Tasty, buttery pine nuts are considered one of the fanciest of all nuts. They are actually the seeds of pine trees and not really nuts. They are found in the pine cones but only 18 types of pine trees create pine nuts that are large enough to eat. Like most nuts, they are packed full of nutrition and health benefits.

Health Benefits

In numerous studies, the consumption of nuts was found to lower waist circumference, blood pressure, insulin resistance and increase high cholesterol.

Healthier Weight

Those who eat nuts regularly have been found to maintain a healthy weight, according to research. The thought is that those eating nuts regularly have a considerably healthy diet because they are getting more fiber, vitamin E, calcium, magnesium and potassium, according to statistics.

Bad Cholesterol Lowered

Mixed nuts (walnuts, peanuts and pine nuts), when included in a healthy diet for six weeks, showed an improvement in cholesterol levels.

Suppresses Appetite

The fatty acids in pine nuts help release an appetite-suppressing hormone (cholecystokinin). When women in a study consumed fatty acid (pinolenic acid from the pine nut) before breakfast it was found to lower the amount of food eaten throughout the day by 37 percent. Pine nut oil was found to help overweight, post-menopausal women suppress their appetite in this study.

Decreases Heart Disease Risk

There was a decrease in cardiovascular disease in participants that ate one-quarter ounce of nuts per day in a 1999-2004 study. 

Please Note: As with all nuts, they have been known to cause allergic reactions. There is a rare allergic reaction to pine nuts known as Pine Mouth Syndrome which can last a few weeks but it is not dangerous. This causes a bitter or metallic taste after eating pine nuts.

  

Growing and Harvesting Pine Nuts is An Expensive Process

There are about 18 pine trees that produce nuts worthy of harvesting. These trees are found in Europe, Russia, Mongolia, Eastern Siberia, North Korea and North America. There are eight varieties that grow in cold climates such as Canada.

It can take at least 10 years to get pine nuts from a tree; first, it takes between 6-8 years for the tree to mature fully and then 2-3 more years to develop the pine nuts. They ripen in late summer or early fall.

Next is the drying process: they are placed in a burlap bag and exposed to heat to dry out the cone for about 20 days. The outer shell must be removed, the cones are broken apart and the seeds are taken out. This time-consuming process makes it an expensive nut. Learn more reasons why pine nuts are so expensive.

Nutrient Dense

One ounce serving (165 pine nuts) contains a wide variety of nutrients (potassium, protein, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, thiamin, niacin, vitamin E, vitamin K and more) Go here for more nutrition details.

History

Pine nuts have been consumed since Stone Age times; remains have been found in caves in southern France. The pine nut tree has been cultivated since about 4000 BCE according to Archaeologists.

They have been harvested for over 8,000 years. There is proof of them being found in excavations at Gatecliff Shelter, Nevada, 6,000 years BCE. 

How to Select

Shelled nuts are best in air-tight plastic bags in the stores. Make sure they are fresh, have not lost their light color and are not brown.

How to Store

Their high-fat content makes it important to store them in the refrigerator for 1 – 3 months or kept in an airtight container or in the freezer for up to 9 months.  At room temperature, they will only last for a week before going rancid.

Tips for eating or cooking

They are delicious raw, but you can also eat them roasted, adding a sweet nutty flavor and crunch to vegetable dishes and salads. And of course, there is delicious pesto.

What’s the Difference Between Sulfured and Unsulfured Fruit?

Dried fruit has many health benefits and provides a nutritious option when you’re looking for a sweet snack. But have you ever wondered why some dried fruit is sulfured and some isn’t? Read on to find out the pros and cons of sulfuring fruit, and what other choices you have.

WHAT IS SULFURED FRUIT?

Sulfured fruit has been dried using sulfur dioxide as a preservative. This should be listed in the ingredients on a dried fruit’s package, so you can check if a fruit has been sulfured before buying it.

Sulfur dioxide prevents dried fruit from spoiling and turning brown. It’s often used for brightly-colored fruit to keep them more attractive. Some of the most commonly sulfured fruits are dried apricots, peaches, apples, pineapple, papaya, mango and golden raisins.

Sulfur dioxide is a gas. It’s typically produced by burning elemental sulfur, which is a byproduct collected from burning natural gas and oil in industrial operations. Sulfur dioxide is also used in wine making, as a disinfectant or fumigant, in bleaching agents and processed into sulfuric acid. 

IS SULFUR DIOXIDE BAD FOR YOU?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration considers sulfur dioxide safe to consume when used as a food additive. Dried fruit contains very small amounts of sulfur dioxide, which are well below recognized toxic amounts.

Despite this fact, there is reason to be cautious about eating sulfured fruit. Sulfur dioxide can induce asthma when inhaled or ingested by those who are sensitive to it, even in small amounts.

Another concern is that sulfur dioxide is a type of sulfite. This means if you have an allergy or sensitivity to sulfites, avoid anything containing sulfur dioxide. It can cause symptoms like difficulty breathing, hives, skin rash or facial swelling.

In addition, sulfur dioxide is considered one of the top six most harmful air pollutants in the world. It’s a primary component of acid rain and causes many health problems globally. Sulfur dioxide gas in the atmosphere is primarily created by burning fossil fuels like coal and gasoline. This may not relate directly to your consumption of dried fruit, but using less of this chemical will only help the environment.

Inhalation of sulfur dioxide pollution can cause a burning sensation in your nose and throat or difficulty breathing, especially in people with asthma. Short-term exposure to high levels of sulfur dioxide can be life-threatening. And long-term exposure can lead to changes in lung function and worsen existing heart disease.

Also, exposure to high amounts of sulfur dioxide in air or food can harm the development of a baby during pregnancy.

WHAT ARE THE ALTERNATIVES?

The natural alternative is unsulfured fruit, which has been dried without using preservatives. It’s usually dried by sun exposure, a commercial dehydrator or simply air drying.

You can look for unsulfured dried fruit in your local health food or other grocery store. The label will often state that the fruit is unsulfured. Another benefit of unsulfured fruit is that it usually won’t have any added sugar, which you can often find in sulfured fruit.

Organic dried fruit is guaranteed to be unsulfured as organic regulations don’t allow the use of sulfur or other preservatives. Organic dried fruit may not last as long because of this, but you can always freeze dried fruit to make it last longer if needed.

If you have an abundant source of fresh fruit, another great option is to dry your own fruit. That way you’ll know exactly what’s in it. Penn State Extension has a great overview of how to dry your own fruit and vegetables.

How the Industry is Making Money Off of Your Health

The whole food is greater than the sum of its parts. How, then, do unscrupulous marketers use evidence that ties high blood levels of phytonutrients with superior health to sell dietary supplements that may do more harm than good?

In my video below, I discuss a famous study that started so many down the wrong track. Thousands of men were followed for 19 years, and there was a stepwise drop in risk of lung cancer for smokers who got more and more beta-carotene in their diet. Researchers estimated this simply by adding up how much fruit, vegetables, and soup the men ate. So, did they start treating smokers with fruit, veggies, and soup? No, they gave them beta-carotene pills. However, those taking the pills got more lung cancer than those who didn’t, and there were more deaths from lung cancer, heart disease, and stroke, and a shorter average lifespan overall. This didn’t stop them from trying it over and over again, though. Six more studies were performed, and beta-carotene pills continued to increase mortality. In a compilation of 20 other studies in which they gave beta-carotene and other antioxidant supplements, mortality was significantly increased.

As one study pointed out, “An obvious conclusion is that isolated nutrients are drugs, but not studied or regulated as drugs, and perhaps they should be. Food, on the other hand, needs to be treated in a different way, cognizant of the food synergy concept.” The whole food is greater than the sum of its parts.

Yes, low beta-carotene levels in the blood increase the risk of heart disease mortality, but that’s basically just saying low intake of carrot, pumpkin, collard greens, and kale increases the risk of heart disease mortality or that there is a carrot, spinach, and sweet potato deficiency in the United States. 

It is true that the more carotenoids we have in our blood, the healthier we may be. However, we should consider the following cautionary advice: “Though unscrupulous marketers may use the carotenoid health index for selling dietary supplements, responsible scientists and food producers need to emphasize the use of foods and whole food products to improve [blood] carotenoid concentrations.”

Indeed, “[w]e can now see that giving supplements of [beta]-carotene was a misguided way to prevent cancer. Instead, researchers should have sought to determine which foods have the most convincing negative association with cancer” and then put those fruits and vegetables to the test in randomized controlled trials.

“‘Science’ tends to be reductionist, looking for discrete causes and effects. It is hard to get food studies past peer grant reviewers unless they take the food apart, which seems to us to miss the point.” “The key is to encourage consumers to increase the total amount to 9 to 13 servings of fruits and vegetables” every day.

“The past 30 years have seen the development of an enormous body of evidence on the importance of plant-based foods in preventing or reducing the risk of chronic disease.” However, “despite broadly disseminated public information programs on how to eat healthily…it is extremely difficult to get people to change their diets.”

One proposed solution is to add back the health-promoting phytonutrients that are missing from many convenience foods. By eating more fruits and vegetables? No, silly, by genetically engineering phytonutrients into fast food.

People eat ketchup, not kale, so who needs greens when you can genetically engineer high-folate tomatoes? Why buy berries when you can make tomatoes purple by stitching in two genes from snapdragons to make transgenic tomatoes? Instead of soybean burgers, we can have soybean genes in the ketchup on our burgers. And you’ve heard of grape tomatoes? How about really grape tomatoes?

Pills are more profitable than plants, but when pills don’t work, industry will try patenting the produce itself.

8 Delicious Ways to Eat Less Salt

Most Americans eat far more than the recommended limit, but cutting back on salty food can be tough, especially if your palate has adjusted to a high-salt diet. Here are some ways to reduce the salt in your diet without sacrificing flavor.

Here in the U.S., we chronically oversalt our food. Whether we’re eating salty, processed foods or reaching for that salt shaker too often, all of that excess salt adds up. Too much salt makes us eat more and drink less water, and it puts us at risk for heart disease.

The recommended limit for salt is between 1500 mg and 2300 mg per day: between 3/4 and one teaspoon. The average American eats 3400 mg of salt per day, more than one-and-a-half times the highest recommended limit.

I cut way back on salt when I was pregnant to help ease pregnancy-related swelling. It was not easy at first, but over time I came up with a strategy and some tricks to make the transition more smooth. These are the things that helped me learn how to eat less salt.

1. Cut back gradually.

If you’ve been eating a lot of salt for a long period of time, your palate has likely adjusted. If you just cut the salt out of your food right away, it’s going to seem flavorless. Instead, try tapering the amount of salt you’re eating over a week or two until you reach your goals.  

2. Hide the salt shaker.

This is a great first step when you’re tapering. Try not salting your food once it’s prepared. Almost all recipes already call for salt in some form, and shaking on even more salt isn’t doing us any favors. 

If you really don’t feel ready to do this right away, try limiting how much salt you shake on. If you usually do three shakes, see if you can get by with two for a few days, then one, then get that shaker out of there.

3. Choose low-sodium soy sauce.

I don’t know about you, but I tend to use soy sauce more than table salt to add sodium to my dishes. We don’t always think of soy sauce as salt, but if you’re trying to get down to 2300 mg or less per day, soy sauce can be a big contributor.

Low-sodium soy sauce has about one third less sodium than traditional. Just make sure you’re not adding more low-sodium soy sauce to your food. Like the salt shaker, don’t reach for the soy sauce after you food is plated.

4. Cut back on processed foods.

Processed food tends to be high in salt for two reasons. First of all, salt is a cheap way to make things taste delicious. Salt is also a good preservative. Cutting out all packaged foods isn’t realistic for everyone, though, and that’s okay!

When you do buy packaged food, look for ones marked low-sodium or reduce sodium. And don’t let front-of-package labeling fool you. Turn that bag of chips over and read the nutrition label to see what percentage of your daily sodium is in that bag.

5. Cook at home.

You don’t have to give up all take-out forever when you cut back on salt, but cooking at home definitely helps you control how much salt is on your food. Restaurants love salt, because salt makes food taste good without adding much cost to a dish. The good news is, you can make home-cooked meals taste good with less salt!

6. Reach for the herbs.

Salt enhances your food’s flavor, but you can also add flavor by adding more fresh or dried herbs to your dishes. Try upping the herbs and spices in your favorite recipes while cutting back on the added salt. You may find that you didn’t need that added sodium in the first place!

7. Drop some acid.

Into your bowl! A squeeze of lemon juice or dash of vinegar was one of my favorite ways to compensate for the “missing” salt when I started cutting back. Acidic foods like citrus add a similar bite to your dishes, no sodium needed.

8. Choose low- or no-sodium broth.

Broth is a major culprit when it comes to added salt, but it doesn’t have to be! One of my favorite tricks for keeping the flavor while cutting the salt in my soups was to use no-sodium broth cubes, but use twice as many cubes as the package called for.

You can also use broth to add flavor to your grains, beans and stews. Almost any time you see water in a savory recipe, you can sub no-sodium broth for a flavor boost. This is really just a cheater’s way to add more herbs without having to chop more herbs.

The Oil that Cures Prostate Cancer According to Science ( And The Diet that Prevents It)

Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in men. According to the latest statistics, about 181,000 men get diagnosed with prostate cancer every year in the U.S.

  

However, while common, it has a survival rate of about 86 percent. Of those diagnosed, about 26,000 die from the disease each year.1 

 

Unfortunately, conventional diagnostics and treatment options for prostate cancer leave much to be desired. Conventional diagnosis includes PSA testing and biopsy, which are prone to false positives and carry risks of side effects Treatment typically involves drugs, surgery and/or radiation, all of which are risky. There ARE safer, less invasive ways to diagnose and treat prostate cancer, however, so men would be wise to investigate their options.

Last year, I interviewed award-winning filmmaker and prostate cancer survivor Peter Starr on this topic, which is also covered in his latest documentary, “Surviving Prostate Cancer Without Surgery, Drugs or Radiation.”2

  

A number of safe and all-natural strategies have been shown effective against prostate cancer, including nutritional ketosis, exercise and supplements. Most recently, researchers discovered a bioactive compound in the neem plant (Azadirachta indica) appears to have potent ability to quell prostate cancer.

Neem Has a Long History of Medicinal Use

Neem has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years, and the ancient Vedas refer to neem as a tree “capable of curing every illness.” It has well-established benefits for your skin, and is commonly used in personal care products.3

 It also is used to ease gastrointestinal problems and strengthen immune function, and as both a spermicide and an insect repellent. As noted in the Biojournal of Science and Technology (BJST):4

“[Neem’s] leaves, barks, fruits, seeds and roots contain compounds with proven anti-inflammatory, anti-pyretic, anti-histamine, anti-fungal, antibacterial, anti-ulcer, analgesic, anti-arrhythmic, anti-tubercular, anti-malarial, diuretic, spermicide, anti-arthritic, anti-protozoal, insect repellant, anti-feedant, anti-hormonal properties and anti-cancerous uses. …

From various research articles it can be presumed that [neem] has chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic potential against cancer models … [including] acting against the breast cancer cells, against gastrointestinal tract and associated cancers … [and] ovary cancer cells.”

Neem May Be a Potent Ally Against Prostate Cancer

Now, animal research suggests nimbolide — a bioactive terpenoid compound found in neem — may shrink prostate tumors by as much as 70 percent, and suppress metastasis by about 50 percent when taken orally for three months.5,6,7,8 No noticeable side effects were observed.

According to lead researcher Gautam Sethi, Ph.D., associate professor of pharmacology at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the National University of Singapore:9

“Although the diverse anti-cancer effects of nimbolide have been reported in different cancer types, its potential effects on prostate cancer initiation and progression have not been demonstrated in scientific studies.

In this research, we have demonstrated that nimbolide can inhibit tumor cell viability — a cellular process that directly affects the ability of a cell to proliferate, grow, divide or repair damaged cell components — and induce programmed cell death in prostate cancer cells …

[A] direct target of nimbolide in prostate cancer is glutathione reductase, an enzyme which is responsible for maintaining the antioxidant system that regulates the STAT3 gene in the body.

The activation of the STAT3 gene has been reported to contribute to prostate tumor growth and metastasis. We have found that nimbolide can substantially inhibit STAT3 activation and thereby abrogating the growth and metastasis of prostate tumor.”

Other Research Supporting Neem as an Anti-Cancer Aid

While exceptionally promising in rodents, nimbolide has not yet been tested in humans, so further research will be required. The team intends to continue investigating the compound to evaluate its efficacy in combination with commonly used prostate cancer drugs as well.

That said, consuming neem either in supplement or tea form will automatically provide nimbolide.

Even though the whole herb will provide only a small amount of nimbolide (compared to the straight compound given to the animals in this study), previous research has indeed found neem extract to be useful against prostate cancer. In 2006, researchers reported that:10

“[A]n ethanolic extract of neem has been shown to cause cell death of prostate cancer cells … by inducing apoptosis as evidenced by a dose-dependent increase in DNA fragmentation and a decrease in cell viability … So the neem extract could be potentially effective against prostate cancer … “

Lifestyle and Prostate Cancer

Treating and preventing prostate cancer (and other cancers) requires more than taking a supplement. Your diet is a vital part of the healing equation and exercise is another important metabolic optimizer.

Previous research suggests losing weight can reduce your risk of prostate, breast and colon cancer by as much as 20 percent, and this effect is thought to be due to reductions in these proteins and other inflammatory compounds stored in fat cells.11

According to a 2011 study published in PLoS One,12 aggressive prostate cancer was associated with obesity.

Another cohort study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention13in 2013 found that men who were overweight or obese increased their risk of prostate cancer by 57 percent.

Here, the association between obesity and prostate cancer held for all cases — low-grade and high-grade, early stage and late, nonaggressive and aggressive prostate cancer.

When it comes to exercise, research suggests maintaining a high level of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in middle age helps cut men’s chances of dying from prostate cancer by nearly one-third (32 percent).14,15

Exercise reduction of cancer is most likely related to improving insulin receptor sensitivity and PGC 1-alpha that increases mitochondrial biogenesis.

Optimizing your vitamin D level, which is ideally done through sensible sun exposure, is another key ingredient for cancer prevention. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to several common cancers, including cancers of the breast, colon and prostate.

Researchers at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine recently discovered that men diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer tend to have vitamin D levels below 23 nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml). According to this study, vitamin D may actually be used as a biomarker to predict cancer:

“[B]ecause vitamin D is a biomarker for bone health and aggressiveness of other diseases, all men should check their levels, [lead investigator Dr. Adam] Murphy said. ‘All men should be replenishing their vitamin D to normal levels,’ Murphy said. ‘It’s smart preventive health care.'” 

You can also improve your benefit from vitamin D by increasing your healthy levels through sensible sun exposure and not by swallowing it.

Other Important Anti-Cancer Nutrients

In addition to vitamin D, vitamin K2 appears to be a noteworthy player in prostate cancer.

German doctors evaluating the effect of vitamins K1 and K2 on the development and treatment of prostate cancer found that those who consumed the greatest amount of K2 had a 63 percent reduced incidence of advanced prostate cancer.16,17

Vitamin K1 intake did not offer any prostate benefits. Other nutrients and foods shown to influence your prostate cancer risk include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Foods rich in omega-3 fats have been shown to prevent prostate cancer from spreading.

One clinical study18 published in 2006 found that while omega-6 fats (the kind found in most vegetable oils) increased the spread of prostatic tumor cells into bone marrow, the spread of cancer cells was BLOCKED by omega-3 fats, suggesting that a diet rich in omega-3 fats could potentially inhibit the disease in men with early stage prostate cancer.

A more recent meta-analysis19 of available research, published in 2010, found that fish consumption was associated with a 63 percent reduction in prostate cancer-specific mortality, even though no association between fish consumption and a significant reduction in prostate cancer incidence could be found. This is related to the fact that toxin-free seafood is the ideal source of DHA, not omega-3 fats from plants that are poorly converted to DHA.

• Sulforaphane found in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli has been shown to cause apoptosis (programmed cell death) in prostate cancer cells.20 Three servings of broccoli per week may reduce your risk of prostate cancer by more than 60 percent.21

Supplements That Support Prostate Health

Besides neem extract, other nutritional supplements that promote prostate health may be helpful in the prevention and/or treatment of prostate cancer, such as:

• Saw palmetto. This herb is widely used to improve prostate health, and can help raise testosterone by inhibiting up-conversion to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) by as much as 40 percent.22 As explained by drug industry insider Rudi Moerck, Ph.D., (see hyperlink above), while many conventional experts believe elevated testosterone can promote prostate cancer, this risk appears more strongly correlated to the testosterone breakdown product DHT.

Testosterone levels in healthy men typically decline with age, which is one of the factors involved in prostate cancer, as your prostate gland requires testosterone to remain healthy. One doctor who is trying to re-educate people on this point is Harvard-based Dr. Abraham Morgentaler. He has meticulously demonstrated that restoring testosterone levels in aging men does not increase their risk of prostate cancer.

On the contrary, those with low testosterone are the ones at greater risk. For an interesting article that contains a lot more information about this, read Abraham Morgentaler’s report “Destroying the Myth About Testosterone Replacement and Prostate Cancer.”23

While the evidence is limited, a small number of laboratory studies suggest saw palmetto may be helpful against prostate cancer by targeting mitochondria, activating the apoptopic pathway and reducing inflammation.24,25

When choosing a saw palmetto supplement, be sure to look for an organic supercritical CO2 extract of saw palmetto oil, which is dark green in color. Since saw palmetto is a fat-soluble supplement, taking it with a small amount of healthy fat, such as coconut oil, MCT oil, avocado or eggs, will enhance the absorption of its nutrients.

A more recent meta-analysis of available research, published in 2010, found that fish consumption was associated with a 63 percent reduction in prostate cancer-specific mortality, even though no association between fish consumption and a significant reduction in prostate cancer incidence could be found. This is related to the fact that toxin-free seafood is the ideal source of DHA, not omega-3 fats from plants that are poorly converted to DHA.

• Astaxanthin in combination with saw palmetto. Research suggests taking astaxanthin in combination with saw palmetto can provide significant synergistic benefits. One 2009 study found that an optimal dose of saw palmetto and astaxanthin decreased both DHT and estrogen while simultaneously increasing testosterone.26

• Ashwagandha. This ancient Indian herb is known as an adaptogen, which can help boost stamina, endurance and sexual energy. Research published in 201027 found that men taking the herb Ashwagandha experienced a significant increase in testosterone levels. I recommend using only 100 percent organic Ashwagandha root, free of fillers, additives and excipients, to ensure quality.

Toxins May Increase Your Prostate Cancer Risk

Avoiding toxins is also important. As with breast cancer, many of the chemicals that are ubiquitous in our homes and environment have been shown to increase your risk of cancer. Some of the most common culprits are those that disrupt your endocrine function.

Based on a review of more than 1,300 studies, an Endocrine Society task force recently issued a new scientific statement28,29 on endocrine-disrupting chemicals, noting that everyone needs to take proactive steps to avoid them.

Similarly, a report30 co-produced by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), issued in February 2014, suggests an outright ban on endocrine disrupting chemicals may be needed to protect the health of future generations.

Touted as the most comprehensive report on endocrine disrupting chemicals to date, it highlights a wide variety of health problems associated with exposure, including prostate cancer. Some of the most ubiquitous endocrine disrupters to watch out for include:

• Atrazine.31 This herbicide is the second most commonly used agricultural chemical, and one of the most common water contaminants in the U.S.Atrazine is a potent endocrine disruptor, and studies show it can chemically castrate and feminize wildlife, and may induce both prostate and breast cancer.

• Phthalates

• Bisphenol-A and bisphenol-S (BPA and BPS). BPA, which mimics the hormone estrogen, has been linked to increased prostate size, decreased sperm production, hypospadias32 (penis deformation), erectile dysfunction33 and stimulation of prostate cancer cells.

Be aware your exposure may be far greater than you ever suspected. A 2011 study34found that simply eating canned soup for five days increased study participants’ urinary concentrations of BPA by more than 1,000 percent compared to eating freshly made soup.

Should You Get Screened for Prostate Cancer?

According to a report by the Institute of Medicine, approximately 30 percent of all medical procedures, tests and medications may be unnecessary.35 The American Academy of Family Physicians’ (AAFP) “Choosing Wisely” campaign has also identified more than a dozen procedures that appear to have little value, and in many cases do more harm than good.36 Included in this list is routine screening for prostate cancer using a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test.

The PSA test tends to result in over-diagnosis of prostate tumors, many of which are benign and do not actually require treatment. The U.S. spends $10 billion per year treating prostate cancer, but studies suggest the 30 million men who get screened annually for prostate cancer are actually put at risk due to the ridiculously high numbers of false positives.

According to the Prostate Cancer Foundation, 30 to 40 percent of men treated for prostate cancer actually have harmless tumors that would never have caused a problem.37 As noted by Dr. Jessica Herzstein, a preventive-medicine consultant and member of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, “You’re going to die with them, not of them.”

Estimates suggest 15 prostates must be removed in order to prevent just ONE prostate cancer death, and these surgical procedures carry serious side effects including impotence and incontinence.

More than half of older men have pathologic evidence of prostate cancer, so PSA screening makes little sense. The PSA is an indicator of inflammation, and inflammation can be an indicator of health problems besides prostatitis, benign prostatic hyperplasia or cancer. It’s certainly not a definitive test, and should not be the sole basis for the decision to do a biopsy, as the biopsy itself can cause significant damage.

One alternative is to get an annual digital rectal exam. Your doctor can feel your prostate to find out whether it’s hard, or whether there are noticeable nodules. Then, rather than getting a biopsy done right away, consider getting a 3D-color Doppler ultrasound done first.  

To Prevent Cancer, Remember the Basics

Remember, your lifestyle can be more or less predictive of your cancer risk, so always start with the basics: Make sure you’re eating a nutrient-dense, non-toxic diet, which basically means ditching processed foods and focusing your diet around whole, fresh foods, ideally organically grown to avoid toxic pesticides that can increase your cancer risk.

Avoid animal products from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), as these animals are routinely raised with hormones, antibiotics and glyphosate-contaminated genetically engineered (GE) grains. Processed foods in general are anathema to good health, but particularly when you’re trying to prevent or heal cancer.

If a toxicology screen reveals high amounts of toxins in your body, a detoxification program would be in order. My absolute favorite form of detox is a full spectrum infrared sauna that has near-infrared frequencies and low EMF. Most infrared saunas have only far-infrared and are high in EMF. I believe selecting a sauna that keeps your head out of the heat is also important and I am working on developing one that meets this spec early next year.

You may also want to do a saliva panel to check your hormone levels. Low testosterone and/or excessive estrogen may be factors that need to be corrected. For low testosterone, you could start out with herbal supplements, high intensity exercise and/or intermittent fasting rather than jumping right into testosterone replacement therapy.

Also remember to check your vitamin D. For optimal health and cancer prevention, make sure you maintain a clinically relevant level of 40 to 60 ng/ml year-round. If you already have cancer, you may want to consider an even higher level.

You Can Prevent, and Beat, Prostate Cancer

Checking for insulin resistance goes along with your dietary intervention. If you’re insulin resistant, you need to be particularly careful about cutting down on sugar, ideally limiting your total fructose consumption from all sources to less than 15 grams per day. Thankfully, nutritional ketosis is one of the best ways to improve your insulin receptor sensitivity.

If you are overweight, you can use fasting as a very powerful therapeutic tool and the best resource for that is Dr. Jason Fung’s book “The Complete Guide to Fasting.” 

Another powerful tool to maintain nutritional ketosis is intermittent fasting. Nutritional ketosis is not something you maintain for your entire life, but is part of a feast and famine cycling that allows your body to repair and regenerate while maintaining its ability to burn fat.

Once you’ve cleaned up your diet, adding certain herbal supplements such as saw palmetto (with or without astaxanthin) and Ashwagandha may help support your prostate health.

These are just some suggestions that can minimize your risk of prostate cancer and help treat it should you be diagnosed. There are many others. For example, increasing selenium and magnesium while decreasing calcium may reduce your prostate cancer risk, and simple strategies such as prostate massage can be a helpful adjunct to prostate cancer treatment.

The main take-home message is that you have options when it comes to prevention, diagnostics and treatment. Also remember that, while any cancer diagnosis is distressing, when it comes to prostate cancer, you likely do have time to pursue alternative routes of treatment. Rarely is it necessary to jump right into drugs, surgery or radiation. So try not to let fear rule your decision-making process.

US readying new North Korea sanctions if needed: Rex Tillerson

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Washington was considering imposing new sanctions on North Korea if it takes steps that deserve a further response, and is threatening to impose secondary sanctions on those doing illicit business with Pyongyang.

"We are preparing additional sanctions if it turns out North Korea`s actions warrant additional sanctions," Tillerson said on Wednesday in remarks to State Department employees.

The vast majority of North Korea`s trade is with its key ally China, and so any hard-hitting secondary sanctions would likely target Chinese firms.

Tillerson called on countries all over the world to implement existing U.N. sanctions on North Korea`s nuclear weapons and missile programs, adding that the U.S. administration would be willing to use secondary sanctions to target foreign companies that continue to do business with Pyongyang.

"We told them we’re watching what you’re doing, when we see you not implementing, we see companies, we see individuals that are violating these sanctions, we’re going to contact you, we’re going to ask you to take care of it," Tillerson said.

"If you can’t take care of it, or you simply don’t want to take care of it for your own internal political reasons, we will. We’ll sanction them through third-country sanctions."

North Korea has stepped up its weapons tests, firing dozens of missiles and detonating two nuclear bombs since the start of last year. The most recent missile test, which failed, came on Friday following a U.N. Security Council meeting chaired by Tillerson at which he urged the council to act before North Korea did.

Tillerson said the Trump administration had been "leaning hard into China" ... "to test their willingness to use their influence, their engagement with the regime."

The Obama administration began blacklisting Chinese firms doing illicit business with North Korea, but such steps have so far been limited.

Diplomats said this week Washington was negotiating with China on a possible stronger U.N. Security Council response - such as new sanctions - to North Korea`s missile launches.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Wednesday U.N. resolutions were clear that further measures would be taken in the event of more nuclear or missile tests.

The last round of complex sanctions imposed by the Security Council took three months to negotiate following Pyongyang`s fifth nuclear test in September. Those aimed to cut North Korea`s annual export revenue by a quarter.

North Korea`s state media published a rare, strong, criticism of China on Wednesday, saying Chinese state media commentaries calling for tougher sanctions were undermining relations.