Prostate Health Supplements

Food is the best sources of nutrients. If you choose to take supplement for your prostate care, be sure to choose supplements with appropriate amounts of vitamins, minerals or other chemicals. Remember, an appropriate dose of a supplement for one disease may not be the correct dose for another disease.

Multiple vitamin and mineral supplements
If you avoid specific groups of foods, such as meat, milk, cheese, eggs or fruit, you may need to take a multiple vitamin/mineral supplement in order to get some of the nutrients these foods supply. A multiple vitamin/mineral supplement is also a good source of vitamin D. Look for a supplement with 100 percent of the daily value for most of the vitamins and minerals.

Selenium
Research is being done studying the benefits of selenium supplements in reducing the risk of prostate cancer. One study showed that only people with low blood selenium levels benefited from taking selenium supplements. Foods rich in selenium include Brazil nuts, wheat germ, bran, brown rice, whole wheat bread, barley, onions, garlic, turnips, soybeans, mushrooms, fish and eggs.

Vitamin E
One study currently underway to evaluate the effectiveness of selenium and vitamin E supplements in prostate cancer prevention may provide further information. Until more is known regarding the role of vitamin E supplementation in prostate cancer, focus on consuming foods rich in vitamin E. These include nuts (such as almonds, hazelnuts and peanuts), vegetable oils (olive and canola), seeds, wheat germ and whole-grain products, and spinach and other dark, green leafy vegetables.

Lycopenes
It is better to consume lycopene-rich foods as part of a diet high in fruits and vegetables, rather than a supplement. Tomatoes and tomato products (such as tomato sauce, tomato juice, tomato paste, salsa, tomato soup and spaghetti marinara sauce) are major sources of lycopenes. Watermelon, pink grapefruit, papaya and apricots also contain lycopenes.