Bayer profits from men's fundamental fear -- their prostate
Filed under: Health, Buyer Beware
Selenium for prostate health? We've heard that claim for Bayer Healthcare's One A Day Men's 50+ Advantage, which also cites ingredients lycopene, vitamin E and zinc as contributors to a happy prostate.
New research, however, has shown that supplementing the intake of selenium and Vitamin E will not prevent or reduce the chances of prostate cancer.
Ironically, the study results did find a higher than average number of cancer victims among the subjects taking Vitamin E, although no direct link was claimed. The study also found that selenium and Vitamin E had no impact on the incidence of lung or colorectal cancers. The study, funded by the National Cancer Institute, was carried out by the Southwest Oncology Group. Over eight years, 35,000 men participated in the study.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest has threatened to sue Bayer, charging that, "Bayer is exploiting men's fear of prostate cancer just to sell more pills."
I can't quibble with that conclusion, although I suspect the Bayer people would point out there is more to prostate health than the avoidance of cancer.
I don't see this as a health scandal of epic proportions. Looking at the shelves in my local Walgreens, I see product after product making claims based on the flimsiest of scientific evidence. One shelf offers to help me shed pounds, another to boost my metabolism.Some promise mental alertness, others sexual potency.
I wonder how any American consumer could live in the culture for long without understanding that marketers lie. Sometimes they lie by implication, by comparison, by exaggeration, by intimation, by affiliation, and, yes, by bad science.
Selenium first came to the attention of the medical industry as a toxin sickening industrial workers. Selenosis symptoms include digestive system distress, fatigue, irritability, hair loss, and neurological damage.
Selenium for prostate health? For all the good its doing in preventing prostate cancer in men, they might as well be sticking it...



Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
6-18-2009 @ 4:35PM
Allnaturalguy said...
I had a biopsy on my prostate recently and they found an area of what is called "high grade cells" which isn't cancerous but I was told that there is a 30% chance that it will develop into cancer. I have completely changed my diet and have given up meat completely. I eat a lot of fish because I read this on WebMd on March 24th this year:
Men who eat salmon and other fish high in omega-3 fatty acids on a regular basis have a decreased risk for developing advanced prostate cancer, new research suggests.
The association was most pronounced among men believed to have a genetic predisposition for developing aggressive prostate cancer.
Men in the study who ate one or more servings of fatty fish a week were found to have a 63% lower risk for developing aggressive prostate cancer than men who reported never eating fish, study co-researcher John S. Witte, PhD, tells WebMD.
The study is not the first to find that men who eat fatty fish have a lower risk for the most deadly forms of prostate cancer. But Witte says clinical trials are needed to show that eating foods high in omega-3 fatty acids actually lower risk of aggressive prostate cancer.
I also supplement my diet with the highest pharmaceutical fish oil made. http://tinyurl.com/Sealogix I would would recommend it to all men
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6-19-2009 @ 8:34AM
Peter Drayer said...
Bee pollen has an astounding record at reversing prostate cancer and prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate). Many men who were scheduled for prostate surgery, were able to cancel the operations after eating bee pollen daily for several months. If you're a man in your 30s or 40s, and you want to eliminate all worries about prostate cancer, begin eating a spoonful of bee pollen every day.
Here's a page, where you can read some compelling testimonials to bee pollen's healing power:
http://www.gc4health.com/bee.html
Bee pollen and prostate health facts:
http://www.maleok.com/natural-male-enhancement/bee-pollen-benefits-prostate.html
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