Positive Health Online

To Dr Plant's full credit, I, a former vegan, after reading the consequences of medical treatments in lieu of prevention, have ceased the use of all dairy products. Instead of saving the animals and Gaia, I am now saving myself, age 56, and my girl friend Cindy!

I have since trashed the yoghurt, whey protein concentrate containers, and, reluctantly, the cheddar cheese. Within 3 days, my body fat has somewhat decreased around the 'love handles' and my underarm sweat, in my opinion, is absent of its familiar scent. Interestingly, Cindy reports the same results in herself.

Major Criticisms:1. On page 61 of Prostate Cancer, Dr Plant recommends, albeit myopically, especially for a self-touted researcher and scientist, a herbal combination, PC-SPES (BotanicLab).

Consumers were warned to stop using the dietary supplement/herbal products PC SPES and SPES capsules because they contain undeclared prescription drug ingredients that could cause serious health effects if not taken under medical supervision. Laboratory analysis of the products by the California Department of Health Services found PC SPES contains warfarin and SPES contains alprazolam. Warfarin and alprazolam are available only by prescription and sold either by their generic names or the trade names, Coumadin and Xanax. PC SPES and SPES are respectively marketed 'for prostate health' and 'strengthening the immune system'. BotanicLab, the manufacturer of the products, voluntarily recalled PC SPES and SPES nationwide.[1]

2. Dr Plant subscribes, too freely, to the dominant paradigm that…"Cancers of the prostate have been generally considered to be sex-hormone dependent. The strongest link has been a positive association with androgen status, especially testosterone." In reality, ageing males show a deficiency of androgens [ADAM diagnosis = Androgen-deficient adult male]. Since cardiac tissue is mostly muscle, whose contractile strength is dependent upon adequate levels of testosterone, Dr Plant seems a bit puzzled to report... "Research has shown an increase in deaths from cardiovascular disease from the [anti-androgen] treatment." [p.52] Feminizing the male patient, as Dr Plant recommends, supports the egregious horrors and experiments that are conducted on prostate glands world-wide. Neither Dr Plant nor most Medical Doctors recommend testing hormone levels prior to initiating any therapies. Without hormone level testing, everybody is guessing at the best corrective therapy, resulting in the usual course of curses: misdiagnosis and drugs/radiation/surgery.

In the ageing male, salivary hormone testing [for 'free' rather than 'bound' hormones] confirms that most ageing males have diminished levels of testosterone to begin with, while simultaneously harbouring elevated levels of oestrogen, particularly oestradiol.

This low testosterone-high oestradiol ratio in ageing males is similar to low progesterone-high oestradiol ratios in women, with the same result: tumours of prostate, breast, or ovaries.[2]

While Dr Plant wholeheartedly promotes the gleeful consumption of soy products to Westerners, and without showing any epidemiological evidence that this is indeed the norm for Asians, Dr. Plant overlooks any mention of a cautionary point of view.

The US FDA allows up to 25 grams of soy products to claim health benefits for lowering cholesterol. This amount of soy can be easily surpassed by consuming 8 ounces of tofu, 5 soy sausage links, 3 8-ounce glasses of soymilk, 3/4 cup tempeh, or a 1/3 cup of soy nuts.

The US FDA offers warnings about exceeding the recommended amounts of soy and soy isoflavones, especially for children, breast tumour patients and thyroid patients; hence, I assume that a cautionary note is to be offered to prostate patients as well.

"While the controversy may seem confusing to the consumer giving it casual consideration, a careful review of the science behind the rule reveals a strict divide between what FDA allows as a health claim based on solid scientific research and related issues that go well beyond the approved statements about health benefits of soy protein." Daniel Sheehan PhD, director of the Oestrogen Knowledge Base Program at FDA's National Center for Toxicological Research, also urges caution in consumption of soy isoflavones. In formal comments submitted to the public record of his own agency while FDA was reviewing the health claim, Sheehan, along with colleague Daniel Doerge PhD, wrote, "While isoflavones may have beneficial effects at some ages or circumstances, this cannot be assumed to be true at all ages. Isoflavones are like other oestrogens in that they are two-edged swords, conferring both benefits and risks."[3]

Prostate Cancer: Understand, Prevent and Overcome is best considered as preventive medicine: the less dairy consumed the better the individual's prognosis for a healthier life. Adding soy products to one's dietary intake requires constant scrutiny rather than a daily bacchanal.

This book can be ordered from the Positive Health bookstore. Please click the Bookshop image at the top of the column to your right, then click on Cancer.

References

1. www.fda.gov/medwatch/SAFETY/2002/spes_press2.htm; www.fda.gov/medwatch/SAFETY/2002/spes_press1.htm;www.fda.gov/medwatch/SAFETY/2002/safety02.htm#spes;www.fda.gov/medwatch/SAFETY/2002/safety02.htm

2. Andrew Shippen MD M. The Testosterone Syndrome: Ch 5 "Oestrogen – The Culprit". Evans & Co. 2001.

3. "Soy: Health Claims for Soy Protein, Questions About Other Components." www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2000/300_soy.html> Summary