Prostate Health

Today there is more of an emphasis on good prostate health than ever before. This trend is most likely due to the startling statistics regarding prostate disease and the implications of the surprising number of men who are being diagnosed with prostate cancer each year now that the PSA is available.

Many people are surprised to learn that prostate cancer is second only to skin cancer as the leading cancers in men. The probability of a man getting prostate cancer rises with age. One in 10,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer between birth and 39 years of age; one in 45 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer between the ages of 40-59 and one in seven men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer between the ages of 60-79 years of age. For these reasons, it is very important to pay close attention to prostate health.

The prostate is a gland that sits in the between a male's hips in the pelvic region. It is precisely located between the anus and the penis and under the bladder. The prostate produces fluid that becomes semen when it is mixed with fluid that is produced in the seminal vesicles. The prostate gland itself is made up of four zones including the peripheral area which can be felt by a finger inserted in a male's rectum. This part of prostate health is critically important. Although uncomfortable, it is the most accurate means of detecting early stages of prostate gland cancers, so it is very important to include the rectal examination during a physical exam.

Observing good prostate health habits also means paying attention to other health issues since symptoms of prostate cancer mimic a urinary tract infection. This makes it important to follow-up on symptoms like urinary urgency, incomplete emptying of the bladder and dribbling after urination. Research indicates that a virus often seen in the urinary tract without consequence may play a role in the development of prostate cancer. The BK virus was found in the urinary tract with abnormal cells, which indicates that they might be related to each other. The BK virus has apparently been tracked in several cancers and it has also been studied in laboratory animals.

Observing good prostate health can also include taking advantage of natural herbs for treatment solutions. Some studies indicate that the natural herb Saw palmetto can be effective in treating an enlarged prostate. Almost half of the men tracked reported favorable results when using saw palmetto compared to men who used other herbal remedies. Other ways to observe good prostate health and improve or prevent an enlarged prostate include cutting back or eliminating caffeine and alcohol drinking because both increase urination. Also reducing the amount of after meal drinking of any fluid helped to reduce or eliminate enlarged prostate symptoms. Other suggestions for easing the symptoms of an enlarged prostate include not taking any prescription or over the counter medications that stimulate the bladder or prostate.

At one time the death rate from prostate cancer was even more severe than it is today. In recent years the annual mortality rate for prostate cancer has begun to drop, mainly because of the early detection from the digital rectal exam. This is why it is extremely important for men over the age of 50 to make sure that they go in for an annual rectal exam each year, in order to make sure they are able to catch prostate cancer while it is still early enough to pursue treatment options.

Cancer is actually a cell that has forgotten its mission, if you will. The information that a cell has on its existence becomes compromised over a period of time. Then the cell begins to split and reproduce at an alarming rate. This is a very simplistic explanation of cancer. In essence, cancer is a radical change in the growth information in a cell. It splits and multiplies and grows unchecked.

African Americans have the highest instances of prostate cancer deaths, followed by Caucasians and Hispanics. Japan has one of the lowest instances of prostate cancer in the world. This is fueling speculation that a diet rich in omega 3 oils that you get from eating a diet with fish at least three times per week is a possible prevention of prostate cancer.

Not only is their diet rich in fish, but they also eat soy products which are showing promise as a natural way to prevent prostate enlargement and cancer. There have been many studies conducted that indicate that a diet rich in soy protein stops the enlargement of the prostate gland. There is also another benefit of a high soy protein diet: it apparently halts men's pattern baldness. The studies that suggest the soy link to baldness are just a sidebar to the overall goal of finding an adequate prevention for prostate cancer.

Another possible preventative for prostate disease is the consumption of tea. Green tea has many benefits and is recognized for its health benefits. Both green and black tea are showing signs that they slow the growth or prostate cancer, which is another reason why prostate cancer is relatively minimal in Japan . Other food studies that are underway or being conducted include tomato rich diets, which have been proven to aid in heart health.

Further research into prostate health indicates that that the more times that a man ejaculates between his 20th and 50th birthday, the less likely he will be to develop prostate cancer. The research indicates that ejaculation appears to prevent the build up of carcinogens in the prostate. The research was based on questionnaires that were completed by almost 1100 men younger than 70 years old who were diagnosed with prostate cancer and almost 1300 healthy males. The research further indicated that the amount of times a man ejaculated during a week was significant whereas the number of times a man ejaculated in a given 24 hour period was unimportant. The study was published in July of 2003.

There is no known prevention for prostate cancer, but research is leading to promising data specifically geared toward diet. If a male increases his intake of omega 3 oils and soy protein, as well as tea consumption, he will be taking proactive steps to reducing his chances of developing prostate cancer. More research is necessary to determine the causes of prostate cancer. There is no indication that prostate cancer is a result of sexually transmitted diseases. Research continues to insure prostate health and the continued decline of prostate disease mortality.