Tocotrienols May Help Prevent Prostate Cancer

by | Sep 25, 2012 | 2010, Cancer, Men's Health, Prostate Cancer

Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS.  For the researchers, “These findings further support the potential use of tocotrienols as prostate cancer chemopreventive agents in humans.” 

Prostate cancer is the second most deadly cancer in men (lung cancer is the number one killer). It caused the death of nearly 31,000 men in 2002 (1), with 234, 460 new cases and over 27,000 deaths in 2006. If prostate cancer is found early and has not spread, the 5-year survival rate is 100%. But if the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, that survival rate plummets to 34% (2).

Research has shown there are a number of ways to help improve prostate health through nutrition, including vitamin D (3), green tea (4), and flaxseed (5), soy (6).  Lifestyle choices, such as getting more exercise (7) and minimizing starchy food intake (8) may also help.  Concerning tocopherols, a 2006 lab study found they offer “significant promise as a chemopreventive and/or therapeutic agent against prostate cancer” (9).  Now a new study (10) has continued to show tocotrienols to help prostate health.

In the study, researchers 37 fed mice genetically engineered to have high rates of prostate cancer (called the TRAMP mouse cell line (11)) with diets that were either not fortified with tocotrienols or fortified with 0.1% (1.7 mg), 0.3% (5.2 mg), or 1.0% (17 mg) of tocotrienols per day from birth through 24 weeks of age.  By the end of 24 weeks, 80%% of those in the placebo group had palpable tumors.  In the 0.1%, 0.3%, and 1.0% vitamin E groups, only 35%, 30%, and 20% of mice had palpable tumors, respectively.  The 0.1% of the diet is much higher than the usual dose of tocotrienols in supplements and is equivalent to 1500 mg grams of tocotrienols in a human diet compared to a typical dose of 24 mg.  The higher amounts are used because the effects are more easily seen, but lower doses should also be tested.

When they obtained samples of the prostates from all the groups, 75-80% of the placebo mice had “high grade” cancerous tissue in the prostate and 25-30% “low grade” or a ratio of high grade/low grade of cancerous tissue 77%/27% as well as spreading of the cancer to the lymph nodes.  When they examined the tocotrienol groups, there were significantly less high/low grade cancerous tissues in the 0.1% (40%/60%), 0.3% (50%/50%), and 1.0% (55%/45%) groups, respectively, compared to placebo.  Finally, they found the 0.3% and 1.0% (not the 0.1%) tocotrienol groups also significantly increased activity of a tumor suppressor protein called p27 compared to the placebo group (0.1 in the placebo group vs. 0.8 in the 0.3% group and 1.2 in the 1.0% group).

For the researchers, “These findings further support the potential use of tocotrienols as prostate cancer chemopreventive agents in humans.”

Source: Barve, Avantika, et al. “Mixed tocotrienols inhibit prostate carcinogenesis in TRAMP mice.” Nutrition and cancer 62.6 (2010): 789-794.

Copyright © 2017 Informa UK Limited

Posted September 25, 2012.

Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Danville, CA.  You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.PitchingDoc.com.

References:

  1. National Vital Statistics Report Volume 53, Number 5, released October 12, 2004
  2. “What Are The Key Statistics For Prostate Cancer?” posted on the American Cancer Society Website
  3. Bao BY. Protective role of 1, alpha-25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 against oxidative stress in onmalignant human prostate epithelial cells. International Journal of Cancer 2008; 122(12): 699-2706
  4. “Green tea shown to prevent prostate cancer” posted on The Medical News Today website.
  5. Demark-Wahnefried W. Pilot study of dietary fat restriction and flaxseed supplementation in men with prostate cancer before surgery: exploring the effects on hormonal levels, prostate specific antigen, and histopathologic features. Urology 2001 Jul;58(1):47-52
  6. Hedelin M. Dietary Phytoestrogen, Serum Enterolactone and Risk of Prostate Cancer: The Cancer Prostate Sweden Study. Cancer Causes and Control 2006; 17(2): 169-180
  7. Giovannucci, E. L., Y. Liu, et al. (2005). “A prospective study of physical activity and incident and fatal prostate cancer.” Arch Intern Med 165(9): 1005-10
  8. Bidoli, E., R. Talamini, et al. (2005). “Macronutrients, fatty acids, cholesterol and prostate ancer risk.” Ann Oncol 16(1): 152-7
  9. Srivastava JK. Tocotrienol-rich fraction of palm oil induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis selectively in human prostate cancer cells. Biochm Biophys Res Comm 2006; 346(2): 447-453
  10. Zoorob, R., R. Anderson, et al. (2001). “Cancer screening guidelines.” Am Fam Physician 63(6): 1101-12
  11. Barve A.  Mixed TocotrienolsInhibit Prostate Carcinogenesis in TRAMP Mice.  Nutrition and Cancer 2010; 62(6): 789 – 794
  12. “Mouse Models of Prostate Cancer- A Minireview”