Pumpkin Seeds and Prostate Cancer Prevention
How Pumpkin Seed Extract Positively Impacts Men’s Health and Wellness
According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer. In addition, it is the second leading cause of death among men in the United States.
One reason prostate cancer is so deadly is that it usually does not present symptoms until it is too late to treat.
This is why emphasizing preventative care for men is essential. By reducing the odds of ever developing a malignant growth on your prostate in the first place, one can give themselves good reasons to worry less about the prospect of symptoms indicating bad news from ever arising.
The NCI’s suggestions for prostate cancer prevention involve looking at your family history for prostate issues, exercising regularly, eating a nutritious diet, avoiding cigarettes and alcohol, and avoiding excess consumption of Vitamin E and Folic Acid.
Furthermore, the NCI also recommends supplementing with Folate (Vitamin B9) and/or receiving a prescription for Finasteride or Dutasteride (prescription drugs designed to treat enlarged prostate glands.)
An additional tool men should use to help prevent developing prostate cancer that the NCI does not mention might sound surprising. But who would’ve thought Pumpkin Seeds were the missing ingredient in a men’s health arsenal for preventative care against prostate cancer!?
Can Pumpkin Seed Extract Help Prevent Prostate Tumor Growth?
Research shows that Pumpkin Seed Extract can reduce prostate growth from non-cancerous tumors known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), which occurs in most men past 50.
While research is mixed on whether BPH might be a risk factor for prostate cancer, it strikingly mirrors prostate cancer symptoms like lower urinary tract discomfort. Furthermore, BPH and Prostate Cancer often coincide, creating confusion.
According to the medical journal Practitioner, such confusion increases the chances of health practitioners misdiagnosing patients with prostate cancer. A method of preventing this ambiguity is by taking Pumpkin Seed Extract.
And suppose scholarly consensus eventually confirms that BPH is a precursor to prostate cancer –and it may confirm this eventually, as many studies seem to have already done so. In that case, this will also mean that supplementing with 200 milligrams of Pumpkin Seed Extract can reduce men’s risk for developing prostate cancer by helping prevent BPH.
How Pumpkin Seed Extract Affects Those With Prostate Cancer
In addition to helping prevent the development of Prostate Cancer, Pumpkin Seed Extract also has potentially beneficial applications for those who already have Prostate Cancer.
In a 2021 Journal of Medicinal Food study, researchers found that Pumpkin Seed Extract inhibits prostate cancer cell proliferation, “demonstrating their potential pharmacological use.”
Likewise, a 2016 study from the journal Fitoterapia concluded that,
Pumpkin seed extract inhibits the growth of cancer and hyperplastic cells. In contrast, its effects on non-hyperplastic cells are much weaker. This effect is of high significance. Every compound that can be more effective against hyperplastic cells, such as cancer cells or fast-growing cells found, for example, in prostatic hyperplasia tissue, and be only moderately effective against non-hyperplastic cells, provides new therapeutic opportunities.
By no means is Pumpkin Seed Extract an alternative to visiting the doctor –especially if you’ve already received a diagnosis. No dietary supplement exists that will ultimately prevent developing diseases, and this is especially true in the case of “curing” conditions.
Suppose a supplement company or influencer ever tells you that a compound “prevents” or “cures” anything. In that case, that is a cue indicating you are in the presence of a charlatan. The best supplements can reduce the odds of specific adverse health outcomes from occurring –and usually, these reductions can be achieved through diet, exercise, and sleep alone. Nothing is a panacea. So while dietary supplementation is not “necessary,” it can certainly be helpful.
Nevertheless, for men interested in reducing the likelihood of developing prostate cancer and for men with prostate cancer interested in all possible options for reducing symptom severity and even cancer cell growth, you should supplement with 200 mg of Pumpkin Seed Extract.
