Description

This article was authored by Klaus Ferlow, HMH (Honorary Master Herbalist), innovator, lecturer, researcher, writer, founder Ferlow Botanical Enterprises Ltd, Vancouver, B.C. manufacturing/distributing organic toxin-free medicinal herbal and personal care products to professional health & wellness practitioners in Canada and parts of USA since 1993.

Prevention Is Key To Prostate Health

Infection, enlargement and cancer are three common problems that challenge health. According to the Canadian Cancer Society prostate cancer is the most frequently cancer in Canadian men and it accounts for almost one in four cancer diagnoses. In 2002, an estimated 18.200 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer; 4.300 died from it. On average, 350 Canadian men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer every week. Of those diagnosed, 83 will die each week! Furthermore, statistics reveal that one in eight men will develop prostate cancer during his lifetime, after age 70 one in 28 will die from it. A pretty grim statistic that should really act as a wake-up call in men!

Symptoms of an enlarged prostate typically appear in men after 50 years of age, in many cases even earlier. An enlarged prostate does not necessarily indicate cancer, but it is a symptom that should not be ignored. It is not uncommon or the prostate gland to become enlarged as a man ages. This condition is referred to as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The exact cause of this condition is not known. Prostate enlargement and cancer are both linked to hormonal changes that occur as men get older (called andropause) which is similar to the menopausal changes that occur in women. Statistics show that approx. 75% of males between the ages of 30 - 40 will develop enlargement of the prostate. This increases to 90% of men over the age of 65 years.

Therefore early detection can make it possible to catch the cancer before it spreads to other sites of the body. A careful rectal exam of the prostate, how inconvenient it may be, is the simplest and most cost-effective approach for dectecting prostate cancer. It is suggested that every man have an annual exam beginning at the age of 40. A blood test to detect elevated levels of a substance called prostate-specificantigen (PSA) is an excellent screening test for prostate cancer. PSA is currently the most valuable "tumor marker" available to diagnose and evaluate the effectiveness of therapy for prostate cancer. A PSA test result between 0 and 4 is considered to be within the normal range, a PSA over 10 is assumed to indicate cancer until proven otherwise. If a man's PSA level is found to be high, the test should always be repeated.

Here are some signs to watch out for. Your health care practitioner should check out any of these symptoms:

• a weak, hesitant or interrupted flow of urine
• difficulty controlling the flow of urine
• pain or straining to maintain a stream of urine
• blood in the urine or semen
• a sensation of incomplete emptying the bladder
• frequent urination, especially during the night
• infection of the bladder
• pain or stiffness in the hips, thighs and lower back

Prevention is key to prostate health! Good dietary habits and supplements can help to prevent most problems associated with the prostate. The following offers simple guidelines to clean up your diet and environment, and to enrich your nutrition and supplementation. It may not possible to follow each of these recommendations, but a few alterations to your current practices can make a significant difference.

Recommendations:

Try to Avoid:

• daily consumption of red meat
• refined sugar & table salt, alcohol, caffeine, tobacco, white bleached flour products, hydrogenated (deep fried vegetable oils), margarine, processed peanut butter
• chemicals added to food (artificial preservatives such as BHA, BHT, MSG, nitrites, nitrates, sodium benzoates, processed meats and sausages, artificial colouring and flavouring, sweeteners (such as Aspartame, Neotame, Nutrasweet, Equal, Splenda) and saccharine (like Sweet 'n low) found in diet sodas, diabetic food and other processed low calorie foods
• fluoride, chlorine, aluminium and Teflon cookware, amalgam (mercury) dental fillings.

Try to include:

• zinc, the single most important nutrient for a healthy prostate (cert. organic pumpkin seeds are an excellent source
• other nutrient rich seeds include hemp ,flax, sunflower, sesame seeds
• unrefined, cold pressed nut and seed oils such as flax, hemp, walnut, hazelnut, evening primrose, sesame, fish oil GMO free
• certified organic fresh leafy green vegetables, whole grains and raw wheat germ (includes freshly pressed juices of carrots, green vegetables, wheat grass, citrus fruit, mangos)
• chickpeas, pistachios, almonds, brazil nut, lentils, beans, cabbage, spinach, swiss chard, oatmeal
• apples, onions, tomatoes, watermelon, grapefruit, papaya, carrots, sweet potatoes, turnip, corn, digestive enzymes, lactobacillus, acidophilus
• beneficial herbal remedies like saw palmetto, pygeum africanum, stinging nettle, cat's claw, Echinacea, ginseng, buchu, goldenseal, uva ursi, chaparral, parsley, sage, St. John's Wort tea, horsetail bath

Of the herbs listed, saw palmetto is the most commonly used herb to offer protection for the prostate. Studies have shown that saw palmetto to be an effective alternative to prostate surgery. Men using it also experience an increase in sex drive and ability to function sexually. It must be used long-term to shrink the prostate, but many men notice an improvement in their symptoms within six weeks. Saw palmetto can be used to increase strength and muscle mass and sit works best when combined with exercise programs.

Good prostate health begins with PREVENTATION!

Words of Wisdom

"A wise man should consider health as the greatest of human blessings and learn how by his own thought to derive benefits from his illnesses.

Hippocrates (Greek Father of Medicine, 460 - 377 BC)

References & Further Readings

The Natural Way of a healthy prostate, Michael B. Schachter

The Men's Essential Guide to prostate health, Victor Contreras, MD, Garry Gordon, MD, Roger Libby, Ph.D.

Freedom Press Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy & Prostate cancer, Kurt W. Donsbach, Ph.D.

The Prostate, Yosh Taguchi, MD

Nature Cure for prostate troubles, Harry Clemens, ND, DO

Protect your prostate, Michael Colgan, ND

This information is offered for its educational value only and should not be used in the diagnose, treatment, or prevention of disease. Any attempt to diagnose and treat illness should come under the direction of your health care practitioner.

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