Addressing the Link Between Pesticides and Prostate Cancer Risk and Mortality

“One of the issues with pesticides and herbicides is that they are designed to be toxic because they are used to kill weeds or poison bugs so it should not be surprising that many are toxic to humans,” explained naturopathic oncologist Tina Kaczor, ND, FABNO.

A new study featured in Cancer set out to determine which pesticides at what levels are toxic specifically related to the incidence and mortality of men diagnosed with prostate cancer. This study used two time periods of pesticide exposure and then correlated that to a prostate cancer diagnosis and found that 22 pesticides had consistent and direct associations with prostate cancer incidence and four of those were linked with prostate cancer mortality.

“This was a very well-designed study showing real world exposure in communities where aerial spraying of pesticides and shared aquifers deliver these chemicals to unsuspecting community dwellers,” said Dr. Kaczor who recently tackled the issue of pesticides and cancer risk on her popular podcast The Cancer Pod. “This study was informative because it went beyond occupational exposures.”

There are several challenges when it comes to dealing with these toxic chemicals. Many of these pesticides drift long distances in the air so complete avoidance is difficult, especially in communities near aerial spraying. Dr. Kaczor also points out that these chemicals are stored in fat and if they are metabolized faster than they are eliminated, they can redeposit in other fatty tissues.

“In addition to increasing risk of prostate and other cancers, the biggest concern with these chemicals is their impact on the brain, which is essentially all fat,” said Dr. Kaczor, who is the creator of Round Table Cancer Care.

In addition to helping patients reduce exposure as much as possible with water filters and avoiding pesticide use, Dr. Kaczor also focuses on helping patients clear stored chemicals.

An Integrative Approach

Integrative practitioners are well-versed at supporting detoxification with diet and lifestyle advice, as well as recommending targeted dietary supplements.

“There are many supplements that can help. For example, lipoic acid can speed up the elimination process and support the removal of pesticides in the tissue,” explained Dr. Kaczor. “Using charcoal, clay, or other binders is often done to ensure that gut reabsorption doesn’t happen.”

Supporting the elimination pathways through adequate hydration, regular bowel movements, deep breathing, and sweating are all critical when it comes to detoxifying these chemicals.

“Exercise supports all of the routes of elimination, which may be one of the many reasons it is so good for us,” said Dr. Kaczor. “Sweat is a particularly efficient route of elimination because subcutaneous fat stores do not require any mobilization of the chemicals to be eliminated.”

Sometimes saunas are recommended as research shows that dry sauna bathing can encourage excretion of toxins, including pesticides, through heavy sweating. Saunas have other health benefits as well.

The goal of an integrative approach is to help patients reduce exposure while also focusing on ridding the body of stored chemicals as much as possible.

“I encourage my patients to think of every day as an opportunity for a tiny detox where there is little to no ingestion of chemicals while supporting the body’s innate elimination processes,” said Dr. Kaczor. “This is the safest strategy to help ensure optimal health over the long term.”