As a physician, I am concerned that men do not focus enough on preventative health. Our busy “on-the-run” culture creates an environment of little exercise and an unhealthy diet. Over the years, this has a negative compounding effect, and it is much more difficult to reverse these years of neglect than it is to have been proactive from the beginning. However, it is never too late to take charge of your health! In this article we will focus on a subject that affects millions of men: the prostate.
There is a good reason for prostate health to be a top priority as it is the second leading cause of cancer death for men in America. While there has been an effort in conventional medicine to encourage screening, it is even more important to focus on prevention. Screening is not enough.
Apart from prostate cancer detection, you probably have not heard much, if anything, about the prevention of prostate cancer, so I would like to educate you and give you some tools on how you can arm yourself against this disease.
Protecting the Prostate
As a man ages, so does his prostate gland and many men develop an enlarged prostate. An enlarged prostate is the result of hormonal imbalance. Over time, men can experience difficulty with urination due to prostate enlargement such as frequent urination, urinary urgency, incomplete bladder emptying, painful urination as well as cause problems with sexual health. Part of the aging process in men is the conversion of healthy testosterone levels into its more problematic metabolite, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which is behind an enlarged prostate. Maintaining healthy levels of progesterone and testosterone with bioidentical hormones will boost prostate health.
Vitamins that Boost Prostate Health
Vitamin D: Vitamin D suppresses tumor growth.
Zinc Chelate: Supplementing with zinc has been shown to help shrink an enlarged prostate. It has also been shown to be effective at relieving an inflamed prostate.
Vitamin B6
L-Glutamine
L-Arginine
Selenium: Selenium has been shown to aid in slowing the progression of cancer as noted by Natural News. In addition, it has also been shown to assist in the death of cancerous and pre-cancerous cells.
Saw Palmetto: Men should also take saw palmetto (160 mg twice a day). Saw palmetto, which is a Native American herb, is very effective in relieving inflammation and enlargement of the prostate. It also aids in controlling the hormones that cause prostate enlargement and strengthens the prostate gland.
Antioxidants such as vitamins, C, E and beta carotene: These antioxidants have been shown to work to block chemical reactions that create free radicals in the body.
Foods that Support Prostate Health
• Increase Omega-3 fatty acids such as fish oil or flax seed oil.
• Decrease Omega-6.
• Decrease your fat intake, especially high-fat animal products.
• Zinc and vitamin B6 assist in reducing prolactin levels which decreases dihydrotestosterone which promotes prostate health. Include foods in your diet that are good sources for zinc: whole grains, fish, nuts, legumes, beans and oysters. Additionally, choose foods that contain vitamin B6 such as beans, potatoes, bananas, meat, chicken, peanut butter and certain fish, like salmon and tuna.
Allow me to encourage you to set a goal to be proactive and take charge of your own health — today!
