The citrus pith-PSA connection to your prostate

Interim results of an ongoing Clinical Trial using modified citrus pectin (MCP) have just been published, showing impressive and promising results for men whose prostate cancer has recurred after surgical or radiation treatment.

This is a difficult condition to treat, so this news gives hope to thousands of men worldwide who have very few options.

The main form of monitoring is to test blood levels of prostate specific antigen, (PSA) on a regular basis; it should remain at undetectable levels.

PSA is a protein produced by the prostate gland in very small amounts. A rising PSA beyond normal limits indicates a need to investigate the prostate further. Elevated PSA, in addition to indicating possible prostate cancer, can also result from chronic inflammation and infection, posing another complication in interpreting PSA results.

In men who have had prostate cancer, when the PSA starts to rise, this is an indication that the cancer has returned, and is called “biochemical relapse.” The rate at which blood PSA levels rise, called the PSA doubling time, is an indication of how aggressive the cancer growth is. So a rapid PSA doubling time is not good news, indicating increasing rate of growth.

Men from multiple cancer centers in Israel were referred to Meir Hospital where this  groundbreaking study in integrative approaches to cancer treatment was conducted.

MCP demonstrated the ability to slow the PSA doubling time in 79% of the men taking the supplement, and in 62% of participants, the cancer didn’t grow or got smaller. The results are reported based on 6 months of data from the first 35 patients enrolled.

“This study confirmed the results seen in two previous smaller studies,” Says Dr. Moshe Frenkel, co-investigator of the trial and Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch, and director of the Complementary and Integrative Medicine Unit in the Institute of Oncology in Meir Medical Center. “We are constantly looking for natural options that affect cancer progression with minimal side effects. Based on the intermediary findings of the study, MCP has the potential to fall into this category with patients affected by prostate cancer.”

MCP is extracted from the pith of citrus fruit peels and undergoes a modification process that enables it to be absorbed from the digestive tract into the general circulation where it exerts beneficial effects throughout the body.

MCP has undergone numerous preclinical (animal) studies that have demonstrated its usefulness for diverse indications, from inflammatory and fibrotic diseases that affect multiple organs to cancer and immunity. Now we are seeing very significant results in this human clinical study that support earlier studies.

Word is spreading and MCP has become an increasingly popular essential daily nutritional supplement both for those with chronic conditions and for people who are interested in strategies for healthy aging. Who would have thought that the peel of citrus fruit would become famous for its health promoting effects?

For more information, visit dreliaz.org.