Flax is something we hear about often, and it's always praise -- in fact, health food nuts just can't get enough of it. So when one of my favourite bloggers asked the question Is Flax Bad? I was a little baffled. Bad? It's considered a superfood because of all those healthy Omega 3s! How can it be bad?

Here's the thing: Flax was recently linked to prostate cancer. It has nothing to do with Omega-3s; rather, it has to do with ALA, an organic compound in some vegetable oils that has been linked to cancer.

So what does this mean for you? Research is just in the preliminary stages, but nonethless, you might want to consider a different source of Omega-3s, such as fish oil. This goes for both men and women. For more information, head over to Mark's Daily Apple.

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If you are an obese man, using statins to help lower cholesterol may not be the safest method to employ, a new study in the American Journal of Epidemiology reports.

In a population-based, case-control study, researchers discovered that the use of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, especially long-term use, appears to raise the risk of prostate cancer among obese men (defined as a body mass index of 30 greater)..

Speaking to Reuters Health, a lead investigator in the study stated that "Among obese men, current use of a statin was associated with a 50 percent increase in risk of prostate cancer; and use for 5 or more years was associated with an 80 percent increase in risk of the disease; both of these risk estimates were statistically significant."

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As if being pimply-faced during high school isn't punishment for some guys, it actually may be an indicator of elevated prostate cancer risk, say researchers from Johns Hopkins.

In an analysis of existing data on the matter, scientists discovered that men with a history of acne outbreaks are at a greater risk of developing this disease than men with clear complexions. This comes on the heels of a separate study, wherein it was found that acne-related bacteria existed in over 30 percent of prostate glands removed from cancer patients.

While the cause of this acne/prostate link remains unknown, researchers posit that the acne-related bacteria may cause inflammation in the prostate gland, which, in turn, may boost the risk of cancerous forming and possibly metastasizing.

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Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer in men over 75. It occurs when cells of the prostate mutate and begin to multiply out of control. These cells may then metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, usually the bones and lymph nodes. It can lead to pain, incontinence, erectile dysfunction, and death.

That's why it's so important for men in their 20s and 30s to take steps to protect themselves against prostate cancer later in life. What are some of those steps? Well, one happens to be regular ejaculations. The Australian Cancer Council found that ejaculating more than five times a week in your 20s and 30s reduces the risk of prostate cancer later in life. Interestingly enough, the report states that masturbation is more effective than relying on sex alone, presumably because most men aren't getting this lucky this often.

Obviously, there are other factors (diet, exercise, etc.) that can also affect a man's chances of prostate cancer. Otherwise, if all it took to stave off prostate cancer was masturbating while you're young, it should almost be cured by now -- because, in a recent national study, 95 percent of men reported having masturbated.

My guess is that the other five percent didn't have arms.

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With the growing number of prostate cancer cases worldwide., it's absolutely incredible to think that preventing this disease may someday be as easy as taking a single shot.

Sound far-fetched? It's not, say researchers from the University of Southern California, who created a vaccine that prevented the onset of prostate cancer in 90 percent of mice genetically predestined to develop the disease. What's more, in a recent issue of Cancer Research, they suggest that a similar strategy might work for men with rising levels of PSA (prostate specific antigen), a potential diagnostic indicator of prostate cancer.

As lead investigator W. Martin Kast, Ph.D. stated in an article released to the AP wire, "This has never been done before and, with further research, could represent a paradigm shift in the management of human prostate cancer." Rather than relying on "watchful waiting," which is the current approach doctors recommend for men with high PSI levels but no sign of cancer, a less reactive and far more proactive approach can be taken. As Dr. Kast summed it up in an almost Don King-esque promotion of the technology, "But what if instead of a watchful wait, we vaccinate" That could change the course of the disease."

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In our never ending quest to be healthy (well, that's not entirely accurate -- there's definitely an end), it's sometimes easy to consider how we look on the outside to be the paradigm of our level of fitness. This frequently ends up being the case, and in our efforts to look healthy we sometimes sacrifice opportunities to be healthy.

I was reminded of this by a small side-bar article I just read in Men's Health magazine. The piece took a look at a study conducted by researchers at the University of Hawaii, who discovered that drinking whole milk may reduce the risk of prostate cancer. Tracking the diets of about 82,000 men for a period of eight years, the researchers found that men who drank whole milk decreased their risk of prostate cancer by 12 percent over men who either didn't drink milk at all or who usually drank the low or non-fat variety.

According to the article, the researchers weren't exactly sure why this was the case, but they suspect that it may have to do with the fact that the vitamin D is fat soluble. So, this vitamin -- which has been found in previous studies to inhibit prostate tumors -- may be absorbed with greater ease by the body because whole milk obviously contains higher fat content than low and non-fat milk.

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I take a daily Centrum multivitamin. Chewable, because for some strange reason, I have trouble swallowing pills. But there's some new research out of Harvard that many people may find just as difficult to swallow.

According to an article in the March edition of the Harvard Men's Health Watch, people who take a multivitamin may be at a greater risk of developing prostate, breast, or colorectal cancers. Researchers posit that an overabundance of folic acid found in bread products, when combined with the amount found in a multivitamin, can leave people consuming an excess of 1,000 mcg or more of folic acid per day. This amount, say researchers, can increase cancer risk.

However, this report has received a great deal of backlash from the scientific community. The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), in response to the Harvard findings, released a statement saying that there was no reason to stop taking multivitamins.

Andrew Shao, CRN vice-president for regulatory and scientific affairs, said: "The issue raised on folic acid from a scientific standpoint is one that warrants follow-up, but it is not something isolated to multivitamins. He further stated that "The majority of Americans don't eat well... and multivitamins are an important component to the diet."

What do you guys think about these findings from Harvard? Personally, I think I need to see more conclusive evidence showing a link between multivitamins and cancer risk before I'm convinced, but that's just me. How about you?

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Following close to 50,000 men for more than a decade, Japanese researchers uncovered a potential link between green tea and the reduced risk of prostate cancer.

But, it appears as though it takes drinking quite a bit of the tea . Men who consumed five or more cups of green tea daily had the greatest risk reduction, compared to men who drank only one cup or less per day.

Green tea may or may not be your thing. Some enjoy the flavor, while others prefer the taste of different varieties. If you happen to fall into the latter category, you may want to try one of the many flavored green teas that are now available, such as Celestial Seasoning's Blueberry Green Tea. The better taste may be enough of an incentive for you to throw back the recommended five or more cups a day.

The full study can be found in a 2007 issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology.

Researchers from UCLA have wrapped up a study that links job activity to men's risk of developing prostate cancer. The findings spell out good things for men who stay on their feet or physically exert a lot of energy on a daily basis.

The researches used strong elements to develop these results including personnel records, job description manuals, industrial hygiene review and retired worker interviews. In a nutshell, the message was clear: if you sit behind a desk all day, you'd better get out and do some kind of physical activity to counter balance it.

Jobs were categorized into low, moderate and high levels of activity. To give you an idea of the spectrum, low exertion levels commonly referred to managers and supervisors. On the other hand, workers classified in the high exertion category were men like mechanics and engineers. Those who developed prostate cancer were more likely to be in the low-activity classification than men doing other physically demanding things. You can find the write-up here for more information.

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As genetic research marches further into potential treatments for deadly health conditions, some scientists believe they have discovered some genetic origins of prostate cancer.

For a cancer type that was estimated to have over 218,000 new cases just last year, any sign of a potential breakthrough is very good news for the leading cancer type among American men. In a study released just this week, five specific genetic factors combined with a predisposition to prostate cancer from one's family history covered half of all prostate cancer cases in the country of Sweden.

Single genes have generally been the focus of much recent genetic research, and this study was unique in that it looked at a combination of several genes which may work together to produce a specific health outcome. Dr. Teri Manolio said "It gives us a new way of looking at genetic risk factors."

This Swedish study involved over 2,893 men with prostate cancer and 1,781 without cancer. Sweden was chosen due to similarities to the male population in the U.S. in terms of ethnicity.

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Carbs are generally regarded as bad when you're trying to lose weight but ok the rest of the time. But new studies are showing that a diet free of or low in carbs may be best for putting the brakes on the spread of prostate cancer. In a study using mice, it was found that mice who had a high-fat, carb-free diet lived longer than those on a traditional western diet that is high in both fat and carbs.

However, it should be noted that high-fat diets have been said to lead to prostate cancer, even though these findings show that it might help speed up treatment. So, in the meantime, I think moderation is key -- don't cut out healthy carbs like whole grains, and don't load up on unhealthy fats either.

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Obesity seems to crop up related to all kinds of health complications, and the latest one links the overweight condition to prostate cancer.

Obese men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer are twice as likely to die than normal-weight prostate cancer patients, according to a new study.

Although this newer research does not directly link obesity and prostate cancer death rate increases, the large question that remains unanswered is this: would obese men see a lessening of death risks from prostate cancer if all that excess weight was lost after they're diagnosed?

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If you have prostate cancer or are beginning treatment for it, new research out this week concluded that those high-dose precision radiation therapies won't interfere with your sex drive or function.

The research looked at 155 men with varying levels of prostate cancer and found that precisely-targeted radiation therapy for those tumors made it possible to not affect nearby tissue. Hence, normal sexual function was affected very little in each procedure.

Targeted medicine and procedures are a holy grail for many medical scientists since diseases can be managed without messing with any other part of the body. In this case, that's an important part most men would rather not have interrupted.

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Two studies presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting show ginseng and flaxseed may be beneficial for cancer patients:

• Mayo Clinic researchers found that ginseng helps minimize feelings of fatigue for cancer patients. In their study, nearly 300 patients with various types of cancer took differing amounts of ginseng (ranging from 750 to 2,000 milligrams). Some participants were given placebos as a control. Roughly 25% of those who received 1,000 milligrams or more reported that they felt moderately better.
  
• Another study followed 161 men with prostate cancer; all were scheduled for surgery to remove their prostate. A quarter of the study participants maintained their regular diet pre-surgery, another group added 30 grams of flaxseed daily, a third restricted dietary fats, and the final group restricted fats and added flaxseed. Study participants who added flaxseed to their diet had the slowest rate of tumor growth.

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It can be difficult to get all the nutrients you need in any given day, so many of us compensate with multivitamins -- but are they safe?

A new study has found that men who take excessive amounts of these kinds of supplements might be increasing their risk of fatal prostate cancer. However, the men at risk were taking more than 7 multivitamins a week, and were also more likely to be taking additional supplements, so -- while there's a correlation between multivitamin use and cancer -- the research isn't conclusive.

Regardless, even the possibility of a link is alarming, and thus more research is planned to investigate further.

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