About the age that the “curse of women” comes to a close, men begin what could be a curse for them. Fortunately for men, unlike women who have no choice but to endure or even suffer through their monthly cycle, men have the advantage of defeating the potential prostate curse. Whether the prostate gland becomes a curse or not is dependent upon some lifestyle choices.
The prostate is a small gland that sits below the bladder in men. It is small, the size of a walnut, and becomes problematic if it swells. It is not physically obvious from the outside that a mans prostate is going to be problematic since a vast majority of men experience swelling as they age. Approximately 80% of men over the age 60 have some prostate difficulties and 90% of men over 85 do. Nearly 12% of men will have a prostate problem at some point earlier in their lives, generally due to prostate pressure on the urethra.
The two primary non-cancerous forms of prostate challenges include Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy (or BPH), and prostatitis. Prostatitis in particular can be very serious and can contribute to other issues such as urinary tract infections, kidney/bladder damage, urinary stones, and incontinence. Although it is not entirely clear how men get prostatitis (other than the following risk factors), there are fortunately several effective and natural ways to improve prostate health!
Risk factors include the following:
- There has been a recent bladder infection
- Have previously experienced an enlarged prostate
- Had or currently have a sexually transmitted disease(s)
- Long duration of sexual inactivity
- Have engaged in rectal intercourse
- Have had a urinary catheter put in
- Have an abnormal urinary tract
- Currently or recently have been obese
It is commonly accepted that exercise benefits the prostate. Although the theories have not panned out to a full conclusion as to exactly why it helps, exercise has shown to help. Not much exercise is needed for prostate health; a mere thirty minutes per week will do it for improving prostate health.
There are many food and herb recommendations for improving prostate health:
- Lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, focusing mostly on deep green, purple and red.
- Grapes (Red & purple) are high in resveratrol. This nutrient supports prostate health.
- Tomatoes which are high in Lycopene, this nutrient also supports prostate health.
- Raw pepitas (a type of pumpkin seed) contains oil that help the prostate by balancing the hormones believed to be involved in prostatitis.
- Omega 3 fatty acids. The prostate needs copious amounts of Omega 3's to function properly. Fish, avocados and pumpkin seeds are great for that.
- Zinc, which is found in seeds, whole grains, oysters, red meat, beans, legumes, poultry, and most seafood.
- Red clover. It is rich in antioxidants that which can inhibit the growth of cancerous tumors.
Prostate health issues do require appropriate medical personnel. I recommend getting ahead of the problem and reap the benefits of consuming complete foods including the ones suggested here. Keeping your prostate healthy is only one aspect of being healthy. If you currently have prostate issues, both see a doctor and, yes, I recommend following the suggestions here to mitigate the problem.
Mid-life doesn’t have to be a curse!
Begin to take care of your prostate today!
