An Australian study has found that a supplement derived from red clover causes early-stage prostate cancer cells to die in numbers five times greater than in an untreated control group. The findings may explain the mystery of why Asian men, who have pre-cancerous prostate cells at similar rates to men in Western countries, see a much smaller percentage of those cells become cancerous. One previously reported study, for example, finds that 1.8 percent of men in China develop prostate cancer versus 53.4 percent of U.S. males. These findings led researchers to consider dietary differences between the cultures, particularly isoflavones.
From Monash University :
Red Clover Mimics Asian Diet for Prostate Health
Red Clover Supplement Trinovin Promotes Maintenance of Healthy Prostate Cells in Human Clinical Trial
Monash University Study Offers Further Proof that Multiple Isoflavones Found in the Asian Diet Directly Affects Prostate Cancer
A study appearing in the December issue of Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention (a peer reviewed journal published by the American Association for Cancer Research) found that Trinovin ™, a supplement derived from red clover, causes early-stage prostate cancer cells to die in numbers five times greater than in an untreated control group. The research was conducted at Monash University, Victoria.
The findings may explain the mystery of why Asian men, who have pre-cancerous prostate cells at similar rates to men in Western countries, see a much smaller percentage of those cells become cancerous. One previously reported study, for example, finds that 1.8 percent of men in China develop prostate cancer versus 53.4 percent of U.S. males. These findings led researchers to consider dietary differences between the cultures, particularly isoflavones.
In this study, 20 patients with confirmed prostate cancer were given 160mg of Trinovin, which provides similar isoflavone content to the Asian diet. Treatment periods ranged from approximately one to 8 weeks. The men then underwent prostate surgery. The data was compared to a random sample of readily available archival data of 18 patients who received no treatment.
Before and after treatment, investigators measured the following: serum prostate specific antigen (PSA), Gleason score (grade of cancer), serum testosterone, incidence of cancer cell death (apoptosis), and excreted isoflavone levels.
For each patient, an average of 2,500 cells were counted. The incidence of cancer cell death occurred an average of five times more often (.25 percent vs. 1.5 percent) in the Trinovin arm than in the archival data, specifically in regions of low-grade cancer (Gleason grade 1-3). No adverse incidents were reported in the treatment group.
Trinovin contains four isoflavones common in the Asian diet: biochanin, genistein, formononetin and daidzein. Soy isoflavones, contained in common American supplements, do not contain all four of these isoflavones known to show beneficial activity in humans and commonly consumed in Asia.
“A link between diet and cancer is known from epidemiological studies that showed when Asian men move to Western countries, they develop cancer at the same rate as the Western population,” said Prof. Alan Husband, director of research for Novogen. “This is an exciting study that gives further support to the link between dietary isoflavones and prostate disease and may explain the difference in the incidence of prostate cancer in Asian compared to Western men.”
According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer found in American men, other than skin cancer. Researchers estimate there will be about 189,000 new cases of prostate cancer in the United States in the year 2002. About 30,200 men will die of this disease. Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in men, exceeded only by lung cancer.
Although men of any age can get prostate cancer, it is found most often in men over 50. In fact, more than 70 percent of all prostate cancers are diagnosed in men over the age of 65.
Prostate cancer is about twice as common among African-American men as it is among white American men. It is also most common in North America and northwestern Europe. It is less common in Asia, Africa, and South America.
Novogen is the Australian biotechnology company that has patented isoflavones technology for the treatment and prevention of degenerative diseases and disorders. Over the past five years, Novogen has conducted the largest and most comprehensive isoflavone clinical testing program in the world. Current products include Promensil, Rimostil and Trinovin ™ a midlife health range of natural products, scientifically developed for menopause, post-menopause and prostate health.
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