Prostate cancer kills 3,300 Australian men every year with 20,000 new cases being diagnosed annually. Further statistics show that 1 in every 9 Australian men will develop Prostate cancer in their lifetime. The figures rise with advancing age beginning with 1 in 1,000 for men in their 40s and rising to 80 in 1,000 for men in their 70s. Only 52 percent of Australian men are well informed about Prostate cancer, in spite of it being as common as breast cancer in women. Now, in the face of these statistics, do you want to maintain a healthy Prostate into your old age? If so, you need to think about what you eat and how you live your life. If you follow naturopathic medicine practices they will help you to:

• Maintain a healthy Prostate
• Beat Prostate cancer and other Prostate problems
• Lead a sexually fulfilling and healthy life

Common Prostate health problems

Health problems associated with the Prostate are:

• Prostate cancer
• Prostatitis – inflammation and/or infection of the Prostate
• Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy (BPH) – an enlargement of the Prostate which is non-cancerous

Symptoms of Prostate health problems

• Pain in your lower back and genital area
• Fever
• Burning sensation during urination
• Straining to start urinating
• Frequent urination

Lifestyles to prevent Prostate health problems

Taking care of your Prostate health before any symptoms arise will help prevent future problems. Make the following lifestyle changes to improve your prostrate health:

• Stop or cut down cigarette smoking
• Stop or cut down alcohol consumption
• Maintain a healthy sexual lifestyle. Avoid engaging in indiscriminate sexual relationships with multiple partners. Prostate cancer has been found to be more prevalent in men who have had many sexual partners
• Exercise regularly. Exercises involving the Prostate area such as Kegal exercise help improve circulation in the Prostate. As you urinate, stop the flow, and then restart. Do these squeezes 100 times daily for positive results. Once you identify which muscles you are using you can do the exercise anywhere (without urinating of course!) – such as watching TV, working or driving your car
• During sex there are many muscles used. These support and tone your Prostate and the whole genital area.  Keeping the whole system of muscular support strong and healthy is one of the benefits of having a healthy sex life as all these muscles are used during deep penetration. The squeezing action of these muscles ensures that the Prostate is emptied properly as well.

Healthy eating to beat Prostate health problems

Research studies indicate that lifestyle and diet have a lot to do with the prevalence of cancer. Interestingly in India, where the diet includes many vegetables and spices, Prostate cancer occurs in only 4.6 per 100,000 men! The remarkable yellow spice Turmeric, which is high in Curcumin has wonderful anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties and is part of the daily diet in India. Combined with Cruciferous vegetables from the cabbage family, which also have anti-cancer properties – think of Cauliflower Bhaji – and you may have a recipe for good Prostate health.

Prostate friendly foods

• Drinking plenty of fresh pure water is, of course, a must for all aspects of your health
• Include whole foods that are rich in:
  • Zinc
  • Selenium
  • Vitamins A C and E
• Avocado, tomato, grapefruit, broccoli and cauliflower contain antioxidant Vitamins C and E, which help rid the body of free radicals
• Garlic contains antioxidant vitamins A and C, as well as Selenium and a cancer fighting enzymes known as alliianase
• Pumpkin seeds (and other seeds too) are a rich source of the immunity-enhancing mineral, Zinc. It is worth noting that the Prostate is one of the organs that needs the largest quantities of Zinc of any organ or gland, for proper functioning and health
• Tomatoes contain lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that has been shown to prevent Prostate and other cancers
• Pomegranate juice slows growth of Prostate cancer
• Brazil nuts are one of the richest natural sources of Selenium, a mineral that helps prevent Prostate cancer. Taking 200mcg of Selenium daily reduces the risk of developing Prostate cancer by 50 percent. Other types of raw nuts are great too
• Probiotic foods such as natural yoghurt and sauerkraut – maintain good quality gut flora assisting digestion and elimination
• Oily fish such as salmon, tuna and mackerel. these contain omega 3 essential fatty acids that are very important. Think of supplementing with good quality fish oil or Krill oil
• Green tea contains cancer fighting compounds which help prevent Prostate and other cancers
• Turmeric – as mentioned above

Foods to avoid to promote Prostate health

• Polyunsaturated fats such as safflower, sunflower, soybean and corn oil. Polyunsaturated fats suppress immunity and have been shown to increase ‘bad’ (LDL) cholesterol and cause circulation problems
• Hydrogenated fats - found in many processed foods e.g. cakes and biscuits
• Margarine in any form including those made from Olive Oil – it’s the processing which turns good fat into unhealthy transfats
• Deep-fried foods - they contain carcinogenic compounds formed during cooking
• Processed foods such as hot dogs, sausages and bacon - they contain carcinogenic compounds such as sodium nitrite and acryl amides
• Excess alcohol
• Excess salt

Taking care of your Prostate the natural way has many benefits. It improves your overall health and fitness and enjoyment of life. Come and Ask a Naturopath to guide you with further information and suggestions towards better Prostate health.