Prostate by Anni Dahms

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Men generally do not suffer from as many ailments as women, this may be the reason why they are sometimes called `the weaker sex’!
One of the health difficulties aging men will very probably endure is the enlargement of their prostate, also known in medical terms as ‘enlarged prostate’.
The prostate can be considered as some kind of meeting point, since both the vas deferens and the urethra pass through it. It is also where the semen undergoes a mixing process and finally prepares before being expelled through the urethra.
The prostate gland is located below the bladder. It has the shape and size of a chestnut and contains cells that produce the seminal fluid.

Symptoms

As men age, the prostate tends to grow in size, this may cause problems when urinating, because the gland squeezes the urethra as it grows. It is not uncommon for the prostate to enlarge reaching 2 to 4 times its normal size, so that instead of having the size of a chestnut, it turns the size of a lemon. Then, although feeling the need to urinate, men can find it very difficult and will have to struggle to get do it properly as they used to. Urinary urgency usually appears with certain frequency at night, being both of little effect and powerless. Many men may have to get up 3 or 4 times a night. A few other complaints that appear when the prostate grow in size are weak urine stream or trickle, difficulty while starting to urinate and, often, stinging and pain.

If you are a man and you have already reached your 40ies, you should get yourself examined periodically. An enlarged prostate can have several causes. This article is about the benign form. In medical jargon it is called BPH ”benign prostatic hyperplasia” which translated means benign prostate growth.
An inflammation of the prostate or cancer could also take place. If you notice blood in your urine, difficulty urinating or swelling in the testicle, then you should go to the doctor immediately. One of the blood tests that can shed some light over the diagnosis of prostate cancer is the prostate-specific antigen, known by its acronym in English PSA. By measuring a protein marker, an antigen with a certain concentration, it can indicate whether the person is in the area of prostate cancer risk or not.
As men age, enlargement of the prostate tends to be the rule rather than the exception. It comes with the hormonal disorder that occurs as a result of the aging process. The main causes for an enlarged prostate are those hormonal changes, especially the ones involving testosterone. Men transform testosterone into dihydrotestosterone that often stimulates the growth of the prostate. Another important factor is the presence of higher levels of estrogen.
The health problems caused by an enlarged prostate have been known for quite a long time, but not to such extent as they are known today. We must be also aware of the important role of our nutrition and lifestyle to improve our health, as I have pointed out for every health problem I have talked about, it is crucial to take care of our diet and lifestyle to heal, getting ourselves strong to keep our health at its best.

The Diet

Watch your weight. Take special care with the waist. A study by Dr. Steven A. Kaplan of Weill Cornell Medical College in New York showed, among other things, that the size of the prostate increased when the waist circumference did so.
Try to get organic natural foods as much as you can instead of industrial, heavily treated or refined ones, your body will benefit extremely from it.
Be careful not eat too many saturated fats and do not take a diet high in proteins. John Mc Dougalls recommended, in a newsletter of 2010 on the prevention of prostate cancer, to diminish the consumption of beef, pork, chicken, turkey, cheese and milk. Vegetarians who eat lots of soy protein, soy meat and soy derivatives should also be careful.
Make every necessary change in your diet, to make it as varied as possible and do not forget to include a good quantity of fibers. You can take fibers from, for example, whole rice, quinoa, millet, oats…etc. Be very careful not to take too much salt or sugary products. To make it up to your body you should consume lots of products from the plant kingdom, for example vegetables like broccoli, carrots, cauliflower and tomatoes. Tomatoes, when cooked, release carotenoid lycopene that help counteract prostate disorders. Also enrich your meals with beans, lentils, buckwheat and other excellent legumes and vegetables.
Sprinkle generously lots of pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame and flax seeds over your food. Flaxseed is considered by many experts to be highly effective against prostate enlargement. Add them to your salads, it will improve both their taste and your health; remember to make homemade dressings with good olive oil. Seeds are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids and zinc, which are important for a healthy prostate. Pumpkin seeds are rich in zinc, you can eat 40 to 100 grams daily, these seeds have a very good taste, so you can take them as healthy sweets. To further enhance the flavor of these seeds they can be slightly toasted in a pan. Take also often tomatoes that have been previously heated to improve their healing qualities.
Drink plenty of liquids. It is important that you drink water of good quality. Take lots of healthy juices, as pomegranate juice, which contains many antioxidants, it would be a very good idea to drink a glass of pomegranate juice a day. It is also recommended to drink nettle tea which has a good effect on testosterone levels. Do not drink this tea from 18.00 pm on.
Be careful not to take too much coffee, tea, alcohol, colas, sodas… which could irritate the bladder. Kirchheiner Erich mentions in his book, in his chapter on prostate, that it is very important to limit the consumption of alcohol, he considers beer very harmful and rates  it as one of the worst alcoholic beverages. Always take healthy fats: fish, flaxseed oil, nuts such as walnuts, cashews, almonds, beans, seeds, olives and avocados.
Avoid the excess of margarine and butter.

Dietary supplements As a basis to keep your good health, take a vitamin / mineral supplement. Men should always choose a preparation (multivitamin / mineral) without iron. Zinc deficiency is common in men with prostate problems. The prostate is an organ that contains mostly zinc. If your diet is inadequate it could easily result in zinc deficiencies. Take 20 to 40 mg per day. Kirchheiner points out that many studies show zinc supplements may reduce inflammation of the prostate. Zinc is absorbed better at night, so it is best to take zinc supplements just before we go to sleep. Essential fatty acids play an important role in many body functions. Take 1 to 2 grams of fish oil per day preferably. Take also a couple of teaspoons of lecithin daily. Lecithin is found in all living cells. German studies suggest that lecithin lowers cholesterol levels. Selenium has also been instrumental in preventing both prostate enlargement and cancer. Take 200 mcg per day. Vitamin E works together with selenium in preventing prostate cancer and colon cancer. The Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens), was originally used by Native Americans in the central parts of the United States. For a long time it has been known as a good remedy for prostate enlargement and other prostate diseases. There have been very thorough researches on this plant and its effects. Health improvements are to be noted after 4-6 weeks and the maximum effectiveness of the remedy appears after three months. African Pygeum Bark has also been known for a long time as a remedy to stave off prostate enlargement. One of this plant functional principles is called Beta-sitosterol. Lycopene, a red dye, is found in large quantities in tomato, water melon, red grapefruit and blood oranges. It is an antioxidant that may help prevent prostate, colon and rectum cancer. Men with a high content of lycopene in their blood have a lower risk of prostate cancer. Lycopene is better absorbed when tomatoes are cooked and served with some healthy fat. Nettle, which has many healing effects, has also a positive effect preventing prostate enlargement. nettle tea sweetened with a little bit of honey. It is also available in capsules. It can be mixed with horsetail, hibiscus tea and ginseng, which should not be taken at night as they have stimulant and diuretic properties. A combination of the amino acids glycine, alanine and glutamic acid can be also taken (200 mg each per day) to improve prostate conditions as they have been shown to ameliorate the symptoms of an enlarged prostate.

Tips

Exercise is a must. Many health problems men can encounter throughout their lives are minimized by keeping their body strength at good levels with regular exercise. Be careful when cycling, you could put pressure on the prostate. Swimming, and walking at a fast pace, can have very good effects on your health.
Taoists believe that one of the secrets of eternal youth is to have a reserve of energy, keeping the genitals strong. Mantak Chia, an author who has written many books on the subject mentions in his book “Internal Exercises” that many older men have a loose and loose anus. It is important to exercise the muscles and keep them strong. This can prevent hemorrhoids and prostate cancer.
Keep a good and loving sex life that will enrich both you and your partner, it will also help you to stay active, cheerful and youthful. Very often I see men that loose motivation in their relationships, while their partner is to take all the lead and their relationships turn into confrontation, while actually showing their intimate needs could solve their relationship problems. Dear men, ¨cutting your relationship wings¨, what you get, in my opinion, is a final decrease in testosterone production.
Prostate cancer is very common in older men. Many health experts say that most die with it and not of it, but despite of it visit your doctor frequently!
Many men find relieve in reflexology, acupuncture and yoga.

Louise Hay wrote a thought pattern you could use to help maintain the prostate in good health:

I love and appreciate myself
Accept my own strength
I’m Young at heart