A new article published today in Clinical Cancer Research says that two men “developed aggressive and incurable prostate cancer within months of taking the same supplement.” The doctors examined the supplement and discovered it contained testosterone and estradiol, and “when they tested it on tumor cells in the lab, they found it fueled the growth of prostate cancer cells more potently than testosterone alone.” Either don’t take herbal/hormonal dietary supplements, they urge, or make sure you fully disclose to your doctor what you’re taking.

According to the press release:

The researchers began their investigation when two patients being seen by UT Southwestern doctors developed aggressive prostate cancer within months of starting daily consumption of the same dietary supplement. Both men purchased the same product, one to develop stronger muscles and enhance sexual performance, the other to gain muscle.

Dr. Roehrborn, Dr. Shahrokh Shariat, a resident in urology and the study’s lead author, and their colleagues analyzed the supplement, which is not named in the study. They found that the product’s label listed ingredients that were not present, misrepresented the concentrations of the ingredients present and failed to list all the steroid hormones contained in the product.

“”Natural” supplements caused cancer in 2 men: study” [Reuters]

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“Hormonal dietary supplements might promote prostate cancer progression” [EurekAlert]
(Photo: Getty)

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