Prostate Health And Nutrition

 
Author: Michael Mather

Clearly, saw palmetto offers superior symptomatic relief in prostate disease, as defined by the most common clinical tests. In additon, it improves quality of life and has a ‘practically negligible side effect risk’. This review makes a compelling case for the use of saw palmetto as treatment of choice among physicians and patients concerned with meaningful improvement and greater safety compared with conventional synthetic drugs. (While cost was not a consideration in this review, saw palmetto extract is also significantly less expensive than conventional prescription drugs.)

Like saw palmetto berry extract, pumpkin seed extract helps to ensure normal urinary and prostate function. Initially used in Germany to promote normal urination as well as a healthy urinary tract, recent European tests have shown that pumpkin seed can have a positive effect on the function of the prostate as well.

Pumpkin seed extract is also known to have marked anti-inflammatory action. In other words, like saw palmetto berry, it may help reduce the swelling of the prostate, which is helpful in relieving both BPH and certain types of prostatitis. In addition, pumpkin seed extract has been shown to reduce the symptoms of the disorder, including both the frequent urge to urinate and the amount of residual urine. An added benefit, no unwanted side effects.

Zinc, like saw palmetto berry extract and pumpkin seed extract, has been associated with enhancing prostate health. In one study, more than two-thirds of patients who took zinc supplements daily experienced a positive effect on prostate function. Though it is true that zinc is used internally for bone formation, for the digestion of protein and for the conversion of nutrients to energy, it is also very crucial to prostate health. Indeed, the prostate gland normally contains 10 times more zinc than any other male body organ.

Unfortunately, older Americans consume less than two-thirds of their Recommended Daily Allowance for zinc. In addition, they don’t absorb it as well as they did when they were younger. Consequently, just when a man really needs this nutrient to help the prostate through the changes that occur as he gets older, his diet and his body let him down. Therefore, a supplement rich in zinc can help meet his changing needs.

When considering the overall health of the prostate, it would be negligent not to mention lycopene. Responsible for making tomatoes red, lycopene is a carotenoid (a class of yellow to deep-red pigments occurring in many vegetable oils). It is also considered much more potent antioxidant than beta-carotene.

According to Harvard University researchers, led by Dr. Edward Giovannnucci of the Harvard School of Public Health, foods containing tomatoes, which are rich in lycopene, are believed to provide high levels of protection against prostate cancer. In Dr. Giovannucci’s detailed studies of 52,000 men over a six-year period, results showed that men with the highest intake of lycopene had a 21 percent lower risk of prostate cancer than men with the lowest intake. Only lycopene had this significant relationship to reducing prostate cancer risk.

If an individual is experiencing some of the symptoms of BPH, it is important that he sees his doctor and not automatically assume that the problem is, indeed, BPH. After all, there are other possibilities that may cause some of these same symptoms.

Lifestyle changes can also make a difference in lowering the risk of prostate disorders. Consider the following:

1) Cut down on coffee, tea and cola drinks.
2) Reduce or eliminate beer or other alcohol from your diet.
3) Eat dinner earlier.
4) Eat a diet rich in natural whole foods.
5) Go easy on salt and spices.
6) Increase water intake to stimulate urine flow and prevent urinary retention and kidney infection.
7) Reduce fluids taken after 8 pm.
8) Stay regular – avoid constipation.
9) Keep blood cholesterol below 220 mg per deciliter.
10) Avoid antihistamines and decongestants.
11) Limit exposure to pesticides and other environmental contaminants.
12) Use a well-designed nutritional supplement, which supplies the nutrients important to your prostate health.

Working together, saw palmetto berry extract, pumpkin seed extract, zinc and lycopene extract assist the body in maintaining proper urinary function and in sustaining a normal, healthy prostate. With the help of a nutritious diet that includes these ingredients, an individual may find himself aging while still maintaining a high level of prostate health.