Forget the
pint of bitter, or the whisky, the modern man intent on keeping his
urine flowing freely into middle age and beyond would be better to
have a couple of tomato juices after he goes home than a nightcap.
On the other hand if he, like me, still enjoys his drink(s), he
makes certain that he supplements Glenmorangie with a daily high
quality lycopene capsule, or some other lycopene product, together
with a reputable multivitamin and mineral supplement. He need no
longer have qualms about pouring the tomato ketchup on his chips -
it is the ketchup, and the lycopene it contains, which may be
extending his life by providing the flavonoid antioxidants capable
of keeping his prostate healthy by defeating the marauding army of
free radicals which may lead to prostatic cancer.
Surprisingly, processed or cooked tomatoes render the lycopene more
readily available than if eaten raw. Some forms of plant extract
may possibly alleviate the symptoms of BPH but some recent
investigations have suggested that female hormones may have been
added to some products. Even so there is data which shows that the
risks of benign enlargement of the prostate is reduced by the small
amounts of natural plant oestrogen in some foods including
soya.
Sunlight too is beneficial to the prostate and may reduce the
likelihood of prostate cancer. Office workers may have to make do
with a vitamin D supplement.
The brighter the better
Tomatoes are rich in lycopene but that they are not the only
sources of the antioxidants in vegetables and fruits. In general
the brighter the colour the higher the antioxidant content. Why
struggle with piles of bedraggled lettuce - almost without food
value - when yellow and red peppers, courgettes, chilli, broccoli,
or even the humble carrot has so much more food value. Men are also
well advised not only to take antioxidant vitamin rich foods, but
to remain slim and to take regular brisk exercise.
The antioxidant vitamins such as carotene and lycopene are not the
only supplements which are important for male health. Selenium, a
trace element, which has long been known to have an important role
in maintaining heart health, has more recently been shown to have a
marked effect on prostatic health. I recommend that my patients
should take Selenium ACE, a combination of selenium and vitamins A,
C and E as well as antioxidant vitamins.
Fatty foods and a life enriched with good food and good living have
been implicated as risk factors which increase the chance of
prostate cancer. Prostatic cancer is rare in the fisherman who cast
their nets on lonely Pacific shores but their chances of developing
it increases if they migrate to the western world. The good news is
that we can get some of those advantages of the simple life once
enjoyed by the emigrating fishermen if we swallow Omega 3 and Omega
6 essential fatty acids. We can do this by eating oily fish a
couple of times a week, or by taking fish oil supplements in
capsular form.
Find me a loo!
Just as surely as most men will grow bald, grey and paunchy, so for
most, the time will come, when they will have to memorise a map of
the lavatories in their neighbourhood. Likewise they will make
certain before they settle down to a formal dinner, or a cinema
performance, that they are in a seat convenient for a quick exit to
the loo. Like nearly half of all men over the age of 65 they will
be showing the symptoms associated with enlargement of their
prostate.
The prostate surrounds the urethra, the tube leading from the
bladder to the penis and beyond, just after it leaves the bladder.
It produces around half of the semen including that part of it
which liquefies it so that the sperm may swim as vigorously as an
Olympic athlete. It also nourishes the sperm en route to its
destination - the ovum. As the prostate lies behind the root of the
penis, and in front of the rectum, it is not part of the body
likely to be featured on page 3, or even be talked about with your
mother in law. A survey earlier this year showed that the majority
of men still don’t know where to find their own prostate
gland, or what its function is.
Symptoms to look for
Whether the enlargement within the prostate is benign or cancerous
it produces symptoms which are the same. The man begins to notice
that his urinary stream is not what it was. He finds it difficult
to start and once started, it is so lacking in force that it tends
to dribble over his shoes and the floor. The man is unable to stop
peeing to order so that he ‘dribbles on’, and his
trousers display the too frequently seen damp patch, which may
reveal a medical problem that should send him hurrying to the
doctor. The man with an enlarging prostate will have to urinate
very frequently, hence the need for the map and a seat by the door
at public occasions. When he wants to urinate there is no putting
it off, he has to make a dash, and even then may be caught short.
After, other men will have noticed they have finished peeing, they
will still feel that the bladder is not empty. Nights may be
disturbed and it is not only the man with prostate trouble whose
sleep is disrupted but that of his partner and the rest of the
household is also disturbed. An enlarging prostate stretches the
bladder over the gland and may produce blood in the urine, as can a
cancer of the prostate for rather different reasons. By the time a
prostate enlarged by cancer is causing troubles the tumour may
already be too big to give the best chance of a complete cure. An
answer - not the perfect answer, but the best available - is the
simple PSA blood test which can alert doctor and patient to the
possibility of a cancer at an earlier stage.
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