Prostate Cancer Treatment & Mineral Deficiencies: What Your Doctor Isn't Telling You (But Should Be)
A Functional Medicine Approach to Supporting Your Body Through Chemo, Radiation, and Hormone Therapy
The Conversation Missing In The Doctor's Office During Cancer Convos
Here's what nobody told us when my family member started aggressive prostate cancer treatment: that the very therapies designed to save his life would silently rob his body of the essential minerals keeping everything else running.
Not one doctor mentioned it.
Not during the initial diagnosis.
Not when they laid out the treatment plan.
Not even when he started experiencing crushing fatigue, bone pain, and brain fog so thick he couldn't remember our names some days.
They just kept saying, "That's normal. Side effects are part of the process."
- This is what I hear from so many clients when they come to me after starting treatments.
And you know what? I call BS on that.
Because here's the truth: chemo, radiation, and hormone therapies don't just attack cancer cells—they systematically deplete your body's mineral stores.
And when those minerals tank, everything from your immune system to your bone density to your mental clarity goes with them.
But here's the good news—and why I'm fired up about this topic: it doesn't have to be this way.
Why Minerals Matter More Than You Think
Let me break this down real quick, because understanding why minerals are critical will change how you approach treatment support forever.
Minerals are like the spark plugs in your body's engine. They don't just float around doing nothing—they're actively involved in over 300 enzymatic reactions.
They control:
- Energy production at the cellular level
- Immune system function
- Bone density and strength
- Mental clarity and mood regulation
- Detoxification pathways
- Inflammation control
- Blood Sugar Regulation
- Stress response
When cancer treatment depletes these minerals, you're not just dealing with "side effects."
You're dealing with a body that literally can't function optimally because it's missing the raw materials it needs.
And the research backs this up. Several studies (referenced at the bottom of this Blog post) found that mineral deficiencies during cancer treatment were associated with increased treatment toxicity, worse outcomes, and significantly reduced quality of life.
Let that sink in for a second.
How Treatment Depletes Your Mineral Stores
Let's get specific about what's actually happening during treatment—because knowledge is power, and you deserve to understand what's going on in your body.
Chemotherapy's Mineral Assault
Chemo is brutal on minerals. Period.
The drugs themselves directly damage the gut lining (that's what causes the nausea and digestive issues), which means you can't absorb minerals properly even if you're eating them.
Chemo also increases oxidative stress like crazy, which burns through your antioxidant minerals— magnesium, selenium, zinc, copper—at lightning speed. Your body's using these minerals to try to protect healthy cells from the collateral damage.
Plus, the nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea? That's literally flushing minerals out of your system before your body can use them.
Radiation's Hidden Impact
Radiation therapy creates massive inflammation and oxidative stress in the targeted area (and surrounding tissues).
Your body responds by mobilizing minerals to the site to help with damage control and healing.
But here's the kicker: if your mineral stores are already depleted from chemo, poor diet, or the stress from this cancer journey alone - your body starts pulling from your bones and tissues to get what it needs. This is why bone density issues are so common in cancer survivors—especially those who've had radiation to the pelvis or spine.
A study found that radiation therapy significantly altered mineral metabolism, particularly calcium, magnesium, and zinc, for months after treatment ended.
Androgen Deprivation Therapy (ADT): The Triple Threat
If you're dealing with prostate cancer, ADT deserves its own section because it's particularly devastating to your body and its minerals.
ADT essentially shuts down testosterone production. And while that's the goal for controlling prostate cancer, it comes with massive mineral consequences:
- Bone density loss: Testosterone helps regulate calcium metabolism. Without it, calcium gets pulled from bones at an accelerated rate. Studies show men on ADT can lose 3-5% of bone density per year—that's 10 times faster than normal aging.
- Magnesium depletion: ADT affects magnesium absorption and retention, contributing to muscle weakness, fatigue, and heart rhythm issues.
- Zinc disruption: Testosterone and zinc have a bidirectional relationship. ADT tanks both, which impacts immune function, wound healing, and mental clarity.
This isn't about fear-mongering. This is about understanding what's happening so you can actively support your body through it.
Test for your current status to get a baseline, and take daily actions to build your body strong to fight the cancer (and the side effects of the treatments chosen).
What to Watch For During Treatment
Your body will tell you when minerals are tanking—you just need to know what to listen for.
Here are the red flags to watch for - (not a full comprehensive list, but the highlight reel)
Magnesium Deficiency Signs:
- Muscle cramps or twitching (especially at night)
- Heart palpitations or irregular heartbeat
- Anxiety or feeling "wired but tired"
- Constipation
- Difficulty sleeping
Zinc Deficiency Signs:
- Loss of taste or smell (which makes eating even harder)
- Slow wound healing
- More frequent infections
- Brain fog or difficulty concentrating
- White spots on nails
Calcium Imbalance:
- Bone pain or increased fracture risk
- Numbness or tingling in extremities
- Mood changes or depression
Selenium Depletion:
- Thyroid issues (weight gain, cold sensitivity)
- Muscle weakness
- Brain fog
- Compromised immune function
Here's what I tell every single client: track these symptoms. Keep a simple journal.
Because when you can show your oncology team patterns and specifics, they're more likely to order the right tests and take your concerns seriously.
And if / when they don't - that's when someone like me as a Certified Integrative Health Practitioner and Cancer Coach can assist by ordering the labs, reviewing the results with you and putting together a customized protocol that will help you address the issues early.
The Testing That Actually Matters
Standard blood work? Not gonna cut it for mineral assessment. Sorry, but it's true.
Serum testing (regular blood tests) only shows what's floating around in your bloodstream at that exact moment—which is about 1% of your body's total mineral stores.
It's like checking your wallet to see if you're financially stable. Doesn't tell the whole story.
Here's what I recommend:
Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA):
This is my go-to test for clients because it shows a 2-3 month snapshot of mineral patterns and ratios. It reveals mineral losses before they show up in symptoms or blood work, and it helps identify heavy metal accumulation from treatment. I like to run this before treatment, and then annually during treatment, as well as annually for 3-5 years post treatment.
Red Blood Cell (RBC) Minerals:
More accurate than serum for magnesium, zinc, and other key minerals because it measures what's actually inside your tissues, not just passing through your blood.
Comprehensive Metabolic Panel with Ionized Calcium:
Standard for monitoring during treatment, but make sure they're checking "ionized calcium" for more precise results, not just "total calcium".
This "ionized calcium" is a more sensitive biomarker for the effects of the cancer on bone metabolism.
*I can't order this CMPanel for you (that whole "not a doctor" thing), but I can help you understand the results and create a lifestyle support plan based on what they reveal.
That's exactly what we do in my Health Detective Intro Sessions—we look at your whole picture and map out next steps.
NOTE: I do offer a full list of the recommended labs to request from your doctor in my Fighting Stronger Community (a monthly membership launching in 2026)
The Functional Medicine Approach
Here's where functional medicine differs from conventional oncology: we don't wait for deficiency.
We proactively support mineral balance before and throughout treatment. (as well as recovery after treatment has ended)
This means:
1. Testing before, during, and after treatment to catch problems early
2. Strategic nutrition support focused on bioavailable mineral sources (because supplement quality matters—a lot)
3. Addressing the root causes of mineral depletion (gut health, inflammation, stress)
4. Working with your oncology team, not against them. Everything I do with clients is designed to complement conventional treatment, never replace it.
I've seen this approach make a massive difference. The family member I mentioned earlier? Once we started actively supporting his mineral balance through diet and targeted supplementation, his energy improved, his side effects decreased, and his quality of life during treatment was night-and-day better.
That's what's possible when you take a proactive, informed approach.
What You Can Do Right Now
Listen, I know this is a lot of information. And I know you're probably already overwhelmed dealing with treatment schedules, insurance battles, and trying to keep your life together.
But here's the thing: small, informed actions make a massive difference.
Start here:
1. Download my free guide: "Top Questions to Ask Your Medical Team During a Prostate Cancer Diagnosis" – This includes specific questions about treatment options as you go thru the diagnosis and treatment phase of your journey. If you're already past that phase - Jump to #3 below.
2. Join my Wellness Wednesday newsletter where I share deeper protocols, specific food sources for mineral support, and real-talk strategies for navigating treatment with your eyes wide open. (That's where the real gold is—I save the detailed action steps for my newsletter community) - Grab The Newsletter Here
*BONUS: You'll get my Free Guide The Mineral Balance Blueprint when you sign up for the newsletter
3. Book a Health Detective Intro Session if you want personalized support. We'll review any testing you've had, identify gaps, and create a clear roadmap for supporting your body through treatment. Grab your spot here.
Cancer treatment is hard enough without your body being depleted of the essential minerals it needs to function.
You don't have to accept crushing fatigue, bone loss, and brain fog as "just part of the process."
You deserve better. Your family deserves to have YOU fully present and functioning as well as possible.
This is about taking back some control in a situation that often feels completely out of control.
It's about being informed, asking the right questions, and advocating fiercely for your own well-being.
Because when you support your mineral balance, you support everything else. Your energy, your immune system, your mental clarity, your bone strength—all of it.
References:
About Amber Scott
I'm a Certified Integrative Health Practitioner specializing in functional medicine support for families navigating prostate cancer and women seeking sustainable health transformations. After supporting my own family member through aggressive cancer treatment using integrative approaches, I'm passionate about helping others navigate this journey with knowledge, hope, and evidence-based strategies. Learn more about working with me.
Let's Keep This Conversation Going...
You made it to the end of this post (which tells me you're serious about your health—I love that about you! 🙌).
Here's the thing: I can't pack EVERYTHING into one blog post. But every Wednesday morning, I show up in the inboxes of 400+ families with deeper insights, practical action steps, and the kind of real talk that makes you go, "FINALLY, someone gets it."
If you want more of THIS—straight to your inbox, every week—you know what to do.
Bonus: When you sign up, you'll get my Free Guide on the current series we are covering, like The Mineral Blueprint.
Double Bonus: Grab my FREE prostate cancer guide - because if you're in it, I want to make sure you're equipped with the right questions to ask.
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