IMUPROS™ is an orthomolecular combination product consisting of various extracts from various homoeopathic plants and of select vitamins and minerals, so that the individual ingredients all come exclusively from natural sources. The product helps maintain good prostate and bladder function and prevents prostate and bladder diseases.
One tablet of IMUPROS (1200 mg) contains the following ingredients:
- Green tea extract (a source of epigallocatechin gallate)
- Soy extract (a source of genistein)
- Soy extract (a source of genistein)
- Tomato extract (a source of lycopene) C, E, D and the minerals calcium, selenium, and zinc
In the Netherlands, IMUPROS is prepared as a food supplement; however, the manufacturing process follows international regulations for the production of pharmaceuticals.
A specific production process makes certain that the individual ingredients in the tablets do not chemically react with one another. The individual ingredients are packed in various “time release” vessels and are released at different times into the gastro-intestinal system. In this way the release of individual ingredients into the bloodstream is optimized and the so-called bioavailability is improved. Another advantage of the product that is also worth mentioning is that it enables a drastic reduction in the daily dosage of tablets or capsules for the prevention and complementary treatment of prostate diseases. Whereas the ingredients outlined above formerly had to be individually taken in the form of 20-30 tablets or capsules daily, IMUPROS provides a similar effect in the easy, tolerable form of only three tablets per day.
IMUPROS is frequently used by patients with prostate diseases (prostatitis, hyperplasia of the prostate, and prostate cancer), as a general complementary medicinal measure, and as supplementary therapy alongside conventional treatment.
The following are some clinically proven effects of individual ingredients:
The pharmacological effectiveness of the individual ingredients in IMUPROS is widely known. In what follows, the scientifically proven effects of these individual ingredients will be addressed: tocopherolsuccinat (vitamin E), cholecalciferol (vitamin D), ascorbic acid (vitamin C), calcium, zinc, selenium (sodium selenite), genistein, lycopene, and epigallocatechin gallate:
Vitamin E:
This fat-soluble chemical substance helps to prevent prostate cancer. A very well-known study from Finland conducted by Heinonen et al. (J Nat’l Cancer Inst., 1998) shows that taking vitamin E reduces the frequency of prostate cancer by about 32% and the fatality rate due to prostate cancer to about 41%. In another study conducted by Fleschner et al. (J Urol, 1999), it was made clear that the growth rate of prostate cancer in animals was reduced by vitamin E. This very exciting finding as to the effectiveness of vitamin E in the context of prostate cancer has encouraged researchers around the world to look for more evidence of the protective effect of this vitamin. In the meantime, it is certainly to be recommended that both at-risk men and patients with prostate cancer should increase their daily intake of vitamin E so that they can take advantage of the preventative effect of this vitamin. Currently the recommended daily allowance is somewhere between 400 and 1,000 IU of so-called tocopherole. IMUPROS delivers between 500 and 1,000 IU of natural vitamin E in the recommended daily dosage of 3-6 tablets.
Vitamin D:
Epidemiological studies have shown that vitamin D (cholecalciferol) plays a very important role in the prevention of prostate cancer. In the USA, for example, it was noticed that the frequency of prostate cancer in the northern states was much higher than it was down south. Epidemiologists wondered why. Dr. Gary Schwartz of the University of Miami researched the connection between prostate cancer frequency and the amount of ultraviolet light (Ann Epidemiol 1997), or sunshine, the men in the different regions received. The result was baffling: the mortality rate due to prostate cancer was the highest in the places where the sun shone the least. We know today that small amounts of ultraviolet rays reduce the amount of our own body’s’ vitamin D synthesis of 7-dehydrocholesterol. The result is that less vitamin D reaches the liver and kidneys, where the active form of the vitamin, namely dihydroxycholecalciferol, is made. The consequence is less active vitamin D on hand, which it seems to play a role in the development of prostate cancer. Dr. Feldman of Stanford University and Dr. Miller of the University of Colorado have researched this connection in more depth and have shown that vitamin D can attach itself to certain protein receptors in prostate cells, reducing cell division and thereby decreasing the growth of both benign and malignant prostate tissue. Subsequently Dr. Feldman, along with Gross et al. (J Urol, 1998) and Koike et al. (Porc Annu Meet Am Assoc Cancer res, 1997) have been able to demonstrate in research on patients that 1.25 dihydroxycholecalciferol and newer vitamin E analogues (such as Rocaltrol) effectively reduce the growth of prostate cancer.
Vitamin C:
This vitamin is known for its significant antioxidant effects, which are best used in conjunction with vitamin E. It is generally recommended that 1,000 mg vitamin C be taken after eating in order to suppress the peroxide formation that arises from burning fat. Vitamin C reduces the mortality rate in coronary vascular diseases and prolongs life expectancy in patients with coronary sclerosis (British Medical Journal, 1997). Taking more than 500 mg of vitamin c per day is also known to reduce the risk of bladder cancer by about 60% and can significantly reduce the risk of breast cancer. An experimental study (Cancer Letters, 1997) shows that the life expectancy of animals with malignant tumors is significantly extended with vitamin C supplementation, and complete tumor retrogression occurred in 16.8% of the animals. The recommended daily dosage of IMURPOS follows the RDA of these studies, delivering 750 mg of vitamin C for men who want to prevent prostate cancer and 1,500 mg for men who have prostate cancer.
Calcium:
Calcium absorption must be taken into consideration with vitamin D. Excessive calcium intake (>2,000 mg per day) reduces the conversion of vitamin D into the biologically active 1.25 dihydroxycholecalciferol. Therefore, excessive calcium intake can cancel out the preventative effects of vitamin D on prostate cancer. A very expensive study conducted at Harvard University (Health Professionals Follow-up Study), which is universally recognized, even shows that calcium intake of more than 2,000 mg per day can increase the risk of prostate cancer. As with just about every scientific claim, there are varying opinions as to whether an increase in calcium intake leads to prostate cancer. Dr. Richard Hayes of the National Cancer Institute, for instance, saw no effect of calcium intake on the progression of prostate cancer in his study. Everyone agrees, however, that most men do not get enough calcium. The RDA is somewhere around 1,000 mg for healthy men between 19-25 years old. IMUPROS contains about 470 mg of calcium in the RDA for men with prostate cancer and is therefore far from the critical dosage per day.
Zinc:
This trace element supports a whole range of immune functions and a deficiency in zinc can potentially increase susceptibility to cancer in general. Zinc is necessary for the normal function of many enzymes, especially those which have an antioxidant effect. When zinc levels drop in the blood stream, the NK cells, T helper cells, and immune system macrophages are suppressed. Feng et al. have been able to show (Mol Urol, 2000), that high intracellular zinc levels can cause apoptosis in prostate cancer cells. Liang et al. (Prostate, 1999), and Iguchi et al. (Eur J Biochem, 1998) have furthermore shown that zinc can inhibit cancer cell growth in the prostate by influencing the cell cycle, and that on top of this, tumor progression and metastasis go hand-in-hand with a drop in the ability to retain zinc in prostate cells. IMUPROS contains 50 mg of zinc and ensures the necessary amount of this trace element.
Selenium:
This mineral is just as effective at preventing prostate cancer as vitamin E is. In the globally recognized study conducted by Dr. Larry Clark (Br J Urol, 1998) of the University of Arizona, USA, research was conducted to see whether selenium had a preventative effect against skin cancer. 1,300 men took part in the study. Half of them received 200 micrograms of selenium per day, while the other half received a placebo. The study was conducted over the course of eight years. At the end of the study, Dr. Clark concluded that selenium had no preventative effect on skin cancer, which is widespread in Arizona. He did, however, discover that the men in the group which took selenium had a 50% reduction in the occurrence of prostate cancer. Moreover, the occurrence of lung and gastrointestinal cancers were also about half as great in the group which took selenium. Dr. Willett of Harvard University (J Natl. Cancer Inst, 1998) studied the amount of selenium in the bloodstream of a group of men and concluded that lower selenium levels were connected to a higher risk of prostate cancer. This study is also supported by Dr. Giovannucci (Lancet, 1998). More recently, the world-famous National Cancer Institute (NCI) in the USA has organized a study which examines the preventative effects of selenium and vitamin E on prostate cancer in 32,000 men. We do not yet know exactly how selenium prevents prostate cancer. A useful hypothesis is the proven effect of selenium on the enzyme glutathione peroxidase. Selenium activates this enzyme, which possesses a very strong antioxidant property. Selenium is to be found in various cereals and garlic, especially when these are grown in selenium-rich soil. However, it is often not enough for prostate cancer patients to get selenium from food sources. As a preventative measure for prostate cancer and as a complementary medicine in the treatment of prostate cancer, the daily dosage should be somewhere between 400 and 800 micrograms.
Genistein:
This is a plant source of estrogen, an especially high concentration of which is found in soy and which is well known for its anti-osteoporosis and antioxidant effects. As an isoflavone, genistein also possesses the ability to help reduce cholesterol and is used as a preventative measure against cancers which are connected to hormones, such as breast cancer, cancer of the endometrium (innermost layer of the uterus), and prostate cancer. Higher doses reduce the growth of hormonal-dependent cancer types and is cytotoxic (destroys cancer cells). These properties were what caused the National Cancer Institute in the USA to systematically research whether genistein could be used to fight cancer. A comparison of the amount of soy used in Japan with that of a Western diet reveals that the Japanese consume about 50 mg genistein per day, whereas the amount in Western diets is a meager 2 mg per day. Epidemiological research agrees that this lower daily intake of phytoestrogen from the soy plant is one of the main reasons that the frequency of breast and prostate cancers is 20 times as high in Western Europe. In studies using cell cultures of human prostate cancer, Geller et al. (Prostate, 1998) showed that genistein suppresses the enzyme tyrosine kinase. This enzyme normally serves to increase growth of prostate cancer cells. Further biological effects of genistein have been seen in animal tests. From these it has been shown that genistein also possesses significant anti-angiogenesis properties, that is, it can prevent the development of new vessels in tumor tissue, thereby in effect starving it. IMUPROS contains 150 mg of genistein in the RDA for men with prostate cancer. The preventative dosage of IMUPROS delivers about 75 mg of genistein per day, which is a little more than that contained in Asian diets.
Lycopene:
This carotenoid (which gives tomatoes their red pigment) has extremely strong antioxidant and anticancer properties. Dr. Giovannucci of Harvard University is purportedly the founder of lycopene research in conjunction with prostate cancer. He conducted a large study on 47,894 men which looked at the connection between the intake of various carotenoids and retinol and the risk of getting prostate cancer (J Natl Cancer Inst, 1995). He concluded that lycopene intake sinks the risk. Men who consumed tomatoes and tomato products a number of times during the course of a week had a 41% lower risk of getting prostate cancer. More recent research even shows that lycopene can also be used therapeutically. Lycopene, it would seem, is the most dominant carotenoid in the blood and is not converted into vitamin A. It makes up about 50% of all the carotenoids in the blood and the highest concentration seems to be in the prostate, since a slightly higher level is detectable there than in blood. Recently Kucuk et al. (Urology, 2001) published findings that, in men with localized prostate cancer, the intake of 30 mg of lycopene per day just prior to a radical operation significantly reduces PSA before the operation starts and the malignancy of the tumor tissue in the removed prostate is lower. IMUPROS contains 30 mg of lycopene as a therapeutic dosage for patients who already have prostate cancer. It is recommended that about 15 mg of IMUPROS lycopene be taken per day for prevention.
Epigallocatechin gallate:
This highly effective antioxidant is a polyphenol (also known as catechin) which comes from green tea (camellia sinensis). Epigallocatechin gallate (EGKG) is the most important of the four catechins in green tea for patients with prostate cancer. EGKG inhibits the enzyme urokinase (Jankun et al.; Nature, 1997), which is found in many kinds of human cancers and which assists in the process of metastasis. Urokinase triggers the basement membrane of cell connections and thereby enables the infiltration of cancer cells into foreign tissues, thus causing metastasis (Ennis et al.; Proc Annu Meet Am Cancer Res, 1997). EGKG is also an excellent inhibitor of 5-alpha-reductase, the enzyme which causes the conversion of testosterone into biologically active dihydrotestosterone, thereby opportunely intervening in the androgen regulation of prostate cells. Consumption of green tea is widespread in Japan and China, but not so much in the West. A therapeutic dose of IMUPROS delivers 350 mg of EGKG per day, which amounts to about 30 cups of green tea.
Summary:
IMUPROS is an orthomolecular combination product made from various medicinal plants and of select vitamins, minerals, and trace elements which help maintain healthy prostate function and prevent prostate diseases.
IMUPROS has the following effects:
- Neutralizes free radicals by way of an antioxidant effect on prostate tissue
- Optimizes cellular renewal, reduces inflammation and risk of prostate infection, and improves urinary flow in old age
- Prevents hyperplasia of the prostate and development of cancer in the prostate gland
- Strengthens the immune system (cellular resistance)
The RDA should be somewhere between 1-3 tablets. Side effects are not expected to occur at this dosage. If needed, the dosage may be increased for a short period of time.