Men’s Health: Preventing Prostate Cancer

Stanley complained that by his early 70’s he needed to get up to urinate 4 to 5 times a night (nocturia). As is typical for men of his age, he hadn’t been sexually active for several years, and his prostate had begun to swell (benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH).

The prostate sits immediately above the bladder, and its increased size put pressure on the bladder, causing a need to urinate more frequently and a sense of urgency when the bladder fills -- a common problem affecting older men’s health. When he went to the doctor, Stanley’s PSA (prostate specific antigen) test was elevated, showing that he had some cancerous changes already taking place.

Although prostate cancer is now the most common malignant cancer in men, this is of less concern than cancer in other parts of the body, since the prostate is uniquely enclosed by a protective sheath. Most cancers in the prostate will not easily spread while sequestered within this sheath. A man can have prostate cancer for decades and not know it.

Stanley’s physician practiced whole medicine. Given Stanley’s symptoms, the doctor prescribed saw palmetto extract, vitamin E, selenium and lycopene. The doctor also wanted to continue to monitor his PSA for any changes.

Doc also suggested that Stanley would benefit from a low-carbohydrate diet, and recommended that he see a chiropractor regularly to assist the nerves from the low back control the bladder and prostate.

The saw palmetto plant is a short palm tree that grows in the West Indies and in Florida. The berry-like fruit of the palm is used, usually as an extract in herbal remedies for the prostate gland and urinary dysfunction. Unlike the drugs which treat similar symptoms, saw palmetto has few if any side effects, and contains numerous compounds that work together synergistically -- phytosterols, free fatty acids, monoglycerides, and fatty acid alcohols.

It can take weeks or even months to see dramatic effects from saw palmetto use, but there are numerous studies on its effect on men’s health, which show it to be highly effective in relieving symptoms. The first study was performed in Germany in 1996 and showed a 73% improvement for nocturia, with 54% of the patients having less frequent daytime urination as well. An analysis of eighteen separate trials, involving almost 3000 men, showed the usefulness of saw palmetto.

Lower insulin levels from a diet low in carbohydrates also seems to slow the growth rate of prostate tumors. Other studies showed that the incidence of prostate cancer was 32% lower in men taking vitamin E, and their death rates 41% lower. Men who ate the most tomato products, which contain lycopene, also had lower rates of cancer.

What happened with Stanley? With three months, his nocturia was down to once a night, and within ten months, his PSA levels had returned to normal. His cancer seemed to have disappeared! He was pleased with the results of this natural approach to restoring men’s health.

Dr. Christopher Lyden contributes articles on men’s health for Feelgoodforlife.com. More information on men’s health and other topics can be found at http://www.feelgoodforlife.com.

As Many As 9 Out Of 10 Of Men Will Suffer From An Enlarged Prostate

Health problems inevitably begin to develop as we get older and one problem which you are very unlikely to escape if you live long enough is that of an enlarged prostate.

The problem in normally first seen in men once they pass the age of 45, although it can occasionally appear at earlier ages, and you will have about a 50 percent chance of developing an enlarged prostate by the age of 60. Once passed the age of 60 the odds of developing the condition increase substantially and, by the age of 80, your chances of suffering from an enlarged prostate will be as high as 90 percent.

The prostate gland, which sits just below the bladder and forms part of the male reproductive system, grows rapidly during puberty and by the time a man reaches maturity it weighs about one ounce and is roughly the size of a walnut. What it often not realized however is that this is not the end of its growth and the prostate gland will then continue to grow very slowly throughout the rest of a man's life.

However, in middle age cell growth typically begins to accelerate in one particular area of the prostate gland which partially surrounds the urethra, which is responsible for carrying urine from the bladder out of the body.

Initially this accelerated growth of cells, which are non-cancerous, is still relatively slow and many men will experience no symptoms at all from it, or the symptoms will be so slight that they will be dismissed as simple a case of 'getting older'.

In time however, as the prostate gland continues to enlarge, it will start to pinch the urethra interrupting the flow of urine from the bladder and the symptoms of the problem will begin to become evident. At first these will not be painful, or even particularly discomforting, but they will become increasingly irritating as you begin to experience difficulty in urinating, the need to get up during the night to visit the bathroom and perhaps the embarrassing tendency to continue to dribble urine even after you have visited the bathroom.

At this point, if you have not already done so as part of your routine and regular medical screening, you should consult your doctor not simply to seek treatment for your enlarged prostate but also so that you can be screened for the possibility of any underlying and developing signs of prostate cancer.

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ProstateProblemCenter.com provides information about the problem of an enlarged prostate and covers everything from its symptoms and treatment to the therapeutic application of prostate milking