Movember

I was lazy last week and didn’t shave (not an unusual occurrence, much to my wife’s dismay), then I realized that we were a good week into November, so after confirming that I last shaved on October 31^st, I figured this would be a good first time for me to honor the Movember movement.

For those that don’t know, Movember, or “mustache November”, is a movement to raise awareness regarding men’s health issues, so I’ll specifically focus on prostate health.

Men’s prostates naturally get larger as they age.  This is called BPH (Benign Prostate Hypertrophy).  Because the prostate wraps around the urethra just below the bladder, when the prostate does get larger, it can cause common symptoms that include weaker urination stream, difficulty starting and/or stopping urination, more frequent urination, and dribbling at the end of urination.  BPH is not cancer, but it is annoying and can eventually lead to more serious conditions like recurrent kidney infections.

How about prostate cancer?  There’s a general rule of thumb that 60% of men aged 60 will have trace amounts of cancer cells in their prostates.  The vast majority of those who have prostate cancer cells do not ever even know they have prostate cancer.  However, prostate health should be taken seriously, since almost a quarter million men in the U.S. are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year and around 10% of them will die from it.  According to www.cancer.org, 1 man out of every 38 will die from prostate cancer.  Not good.

I’m all about prevention, and plenty of research suggests that dietary and lifestyle changes may help maintain and influence healthy prostate cells.  Of course, more research is needed, but some simple guidelines for overall prostate wellness are below.

Strategies to Support Prostate Health

• Reduce Stress: Reducing stress balances stress hormones and equilibrates neurotransmitters ultimately causing less DNA damage and less cancer overall improving prostate health.
• Eat a Low-Glycemic Diet: Insulin may exacerbate prostatic disease. Eating a low-glycemic diet with minimal processed carbohydrates does good for your prostate health.
• Ample Veggies and Fruit: Veggies and Fruit give antioxidants and phytonutrients to your body and many phytonutrients have been implicated in prostate health.
• Cook protein at Lower Temperatures and do not eat burning/charred foods: Cooking meat and charring any food increases the presence of harmful carcinogenic compounds that may negatively affect prostate health.
• Exercise CONSISTENLY: Even if its moderate amounts each time and low-intensity, exercise still benefits prostate health.  Exercise aids the hormone balance, specifically the estrogen-testosterone relationship thereby aiding in prostate health.
• Supplements: There is a growing body of research exploring the role of supplements in prostate health.  It’s likely that some extra concentrated doses of certain phytonutrients can benefit prostate health.  There are many prostate supplement options on the open market.  Just make sure you get a good quality brand and then monitor for changes in urination.  If you notice urination changes for the better, then the supplement might be worth continuing.  If you do not notice any changes, then it’s probably not worth your money to keep taking it.

Medical Disclaimer: Information provided in this article is for informational purposes only. The information is a result of years of practice and experience by Yoshi Rahm, DO. However, this information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other health care professional, or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging. 

Do not use the information provided in this article for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other health care professional before taking any medication or nutritional, herbal or homeopathic supplement, or using any treatment for a health problem. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, contact your health care provider promptly. Do not disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking professional advice because of something you have read in this article.

Information provided in this article and the use of any products or services related to this article by you DOES NOT create a doctor-patient relationship between you and Yoshi Rahm, DO or any other physician featured in this article. Information and statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.