Look after your prostate health guys.
June 5, 2014 | Comments Off on Look after your prostate health guys.
Four out of five guys 40 or older have a condition doctors
call benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH. By the age of 60, 50% of us have one or more of the distressing symptoms of BPH, a collection of urinary problems that include:
• Frequent urination, including waking up several times a night to urinate.
• Urgency—the feeling you have to go right now—or else.
• Difficulty starting your stream.
• A weaker stream.
• Straining during urination.
• Difficulty stopping the stream.
• Dribbling at the end.
• Incomplete emptying, so you feel like you still have to go—but can’t.
How does an enlarged prostate plug up your plumbing? A brief anatomy lesson tells the story:
The prostate is a walnut-sized gland that produces semen, the fluid that transports sperm. The problem is location, location,
location: the gland wraps around the urethra, the tube that transports ejaculate and drains urine from the bladder. And when you turn 40, prostate cells begin to expand, right along with your waistline. The enlarged organ squeezes and narrows the urethra, triggering the urinary symptoms of BPH. The good news: You can reverse BPH without developing sexual problems by using natural treatments.
Treatments such as saw palmetto,nettle root extract (an herb widely used for BPH, with a lot of scientific support behind it), pumpkin seed oil, lycopene, zinc, iodine, selenium and vitamin D3.
Betasitosterol is another natural product that is useful for BHP. Researchers analyzed four studies on betasitosterol for BPH, involving more than 500 men—and found the supplement improved urinary symptoms and increased urinary flow. The researchers of one German study summed it all up in the British Journal of Urology: “Beta-sitosterol is an effective option in the treatment of BPH.”
More good news is that studies show a nutrient called DIM (short for di-indolyl methane) may be one of the most effective nutrients for countering the cancer-causing effects of xenoestrogens and thereby avoiding breast, prostate, colon and pancreatic cancers. DIM stops cancer from spreading in three ways: firstly, DIM inhibits angiogenesis (this is the process in which a tumor creates the blood supply it needs to grow); secondly, DIM increases the oxygen level of tumor cells, and we’ve known for years that oxygen kills cancer cells; and thirdly, DIM triggers apoptosis (cell suicide). According to the American National Cancer Institute, this nutrient is abundant in a variety of vegetables including:
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Brussels sprouts
• Cabbage
• Collard, mustard, and kale greens
• Watercress
DIM can also be found in supplement form if you have a hard time digesting cruciferous vegetables.
Finally one very well regarded natural prostate supplement contains the following,
• saw palmetto extract (320 mg)
• pygeum (100 mg)
• beta-sitosterol (65 mg)
• flower pollen extract (500 mg)
• stinging nettle (240 mg)
• zinc (15 mg)
• vitamin E, to reduce inflammation and
oxidation (200 mg gamma-tocopherol, 18 IU
alpha-tocopherol)
• green tea extract, which several studies show
helps restore prostate health (45 mg)
• vitamin D3, a nutrient linked to lower rates
of prostate cancer (1,000 IU)
• quercetin, a phytochemical found in onions,
apples, with several studies showing it’s good
for the prostate (500 mg)
• cranberry, which several studies link to
better urinary function in men (500 mg)
• DIM, an anti-cancer compound in
cruciferous vegetables like broccoli (100 mg)
So look after your rpostste guys and you may avoid unpleasant symptoms and surgery.