Living Well

Each year, more than 26,000 men die in the U.S. from prostate cancer.

Just the phrase "prostate cancer" is enough to scare many men I've met (including a fair number of our readers), especially in Western countries.

Countries like the U.S., Norway, and France have some of the highest prostate cancer rates in the world.

Countries in Southeast and Central Asia, like India and Thailand, have some of the lowest prostate cancer rates.

One possible reason?

Green tea.

A new study from Taiwan found that green tea leaf waste inhibits cancer cell growth. Researchers used the waste (the leftovers from making green tea beverages) on prostate cancer cells, finding that the waste was able to stop cell growth.

This isn't the first study to show green tea's impact on prostate cancer.

In 2010, researchers at the University of Wisconsin found that an antioxidant called antioxidant epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) inhibited the growth of prostate cancer cells. EGCG even sped up cell death in cancer cells while leaving noncancerous cells unharmed.

In fact, a new randomized-control study (the gold standard for medical research) saw that a compound in green tea actually lowered prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels in men with early stages of prostate cancer.

We need more human studies to determine the effectiveness of green tea in fighting prostate cancer. And these studies don't mean you should start drinking gallons of green tea each day.

Too much green tea causes liver damage... even complete liver failure.

And as I've mentioned in the past, most men diagnosed with prostate cancer die from other causes. That's because prostate cancer is often a slow-progressing disease. But some men do develop a more aggressive form of cancer. (Read here to learn how to spot the signs if you think you're at risk.)

But the side effects of prostate cancer treatments can be more devastating than the disease. So I'm happy to see studies piling up on the possibility of green tea preventing prostate cancer.

And green tea doesn't just help reduce your risk of prostate cancer...

Doc's note: We first began publishing Retirement Millionaire Daily in October 2015. Since then, we've sent more than 200 issues to our readers.

We've also welcomed tens of thousands of new readers. So every Thursday this month, we're sending our favorite issues from October 2015. If you haven't read these issues, we hope you enjoy them. If you've already read them, use them as a refresher or share them with your friends and family.

The low-fat diet trend is killing Americans.

Weight-loss companies like Weight Watchers would have you believe that fat is the root of all your health problems. People think they need to stop eating all fats... including the ones we need to keep our bodies functioning properly.

There's a chemical in nearly every cosmetic you own that may be giving you cancer (and other health problems)...

I'm talking about "parabens."

Doc's note: I travel the world with a backpack. In recent months, I've visited Vancouver, California, and Italy... all with my 10-year old Targus backpack.

It holds all my essentials you'd probably travel with... laptop, iPod, headphones, passport, money, and a few other odds and ends. (I also carry some magic tricks around, to the delight of my friends' kids.)

You've probably taken a spoonful of this "cure all"...

In the 1850s, a few chemists started producing cod liver oil as a medicine. It had been a popular remedy for decades, but it took a Norwegian man named Peter Moller to figure out how to extract the oil in large quantities.

Last year, the Nanny Police declared war on my favorite breakfast food.

If you remember the headlines, media everywhere shouted that bacon caused cancer on the same level as cigarettes.

You could be killing yourself and not even know it...

Research shows nearly 80% of people take supplements occasionally. Close to 60% of people think supplements are safer than prescription or over-the-counter medications and that supplements sold in "health" stores and online are proven safe...

I remember experiencing debilitating back pain twice in my life.

The first time was my junior year of college. I was driving from North Carolina to Minnesota with a friend. We spent two days in a low-to-the-ground Mercedes. By the time we got to Minnesota, I couldn't even stand up straight.

The long syringe of anesthetic... the minty grit of cleaning paste... the high-pitched whirr of the drill...

For many folks, all these are merely a prelude to the worst part of a dentist visit: