Neither study showed harm from taking the supplements, notes Dr. Gaziano, who participated in both studies. But this doesn’t mean people should keep doing so, he warns.
“I think that the potential downside of taking something that’s not proven to be effective is that there are only so many things that we can get our patients to do,” Dr. Gaziano says. “If we think we’re getting the benefit from the pill, we may be less inclined to do the other things that may be more difficult but we know are going to be more beneficial.”
And what are those beneficial things? Dr. Klein notes that in the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial, the drug finasteride reduced a man’s chances of developing prostate cancer by 25%.
The drug tested in that trial is the same medication in the anti-baldness drug Propecia, but at a higher dose. Dr. Klein suggests that men concerned about their prostate cancer risk talk to their doctor about taking finasteride.
There is also some evidence—though no firm proof—that exercising, quitting smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, and eating less fat could help prevent prostate cancer or slow the progression of the disease. Following a Mediterranean-style diet, which includes plenty of fruits and vegetables, healthy oils from fish and nuts, and moderate amounts of alcohol, may also be beneficial, Dr. Gaziano says.
Even pomegranate juice and broccoli may help, and they can’t hurt, advises Soule: “A lot of things that appear to have a scientific rationale for chemoprevention may also make you healthy.”
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