Health Bits

After many years of research, scientists have discovered that the foods a man chooses to eat, or not eat, can have a huge impact on the health of his prostate gland. Therefore, prostate cancer may be the most preventable type of cancer (following smoking-related lung cancers). There has recently been a large amount of research and investigation into prostate cancer. These studies examine the use of certain nutrients and their ability to prevent and actually treat prostate cancer. These nutrients include: calcium D-glucarate, selenium, broccoli, green tea, maitake, and lycopene.

The prostate is a gland in the man’s reproduction system which makes and stores seminal fluid to be used in semen. The prostate gland can be found wrapping around the upper part of the urethra. Although early prostate cancer does not often cause any symptoms, many symptoms of prostate cancer are also symptoms of other prostate problems, including infection or benign prostatic hyperplasia (prostate enlargement due to age-related changes). If you or a man you know has any of the following symptoms, see a health care practitioner for evaluation: difficulty starting urination and holding back urine, inability to urinate, painful ejaculation, and/or blood in urine or semen. Age is the biggest factor associated with prostate cancer as most prostate cancers occur in men over the age of 65. If a man’s father or brother has the disease, his risk for developing prostate cancer becomes higher. African-Americans are at a higher risk, along with mechanics, farmers, sheet metal workers, Read the rest of this entry »