Follow Your Prostate, Your Prostate Follows You

An enlargement of the prostate gland, commonly referred to as BPH (benign prostate hyperplasia), can be a consequence of a variety of lifestyle choices and other factors.

Many men in their 50’s and beyond feel that prostate enlargement is just part of getting older. It is a common belief that BPH comes with age, like poorer vision, graying hair and wrinkles.

Although your prostate typically tends to enlarge somewhat after you turn 40, not all men develop problems with their prostate after that milestone. Many men go through their senior years without being bothered by such lower urinary tract symptoms as incontinence, problems urinating or weak flow.

Therefore, it is wrong to assume that BPH and its symptoms are purely a direct consequence of age. In fact, BPH is tied to men’s lifestyles and other health conditions, such as obesity, erectile dysfunction, diabetes and heart disease.

These conditions not only have an effect on you prostate health, but the reverse is also true. The prostate can also affect other organs and systems in your body.

Your prostate is associated with other diseases, and understanding this provides an opportunity toward better prostate health.

Gut Check

Research shows that urinary and prostate problems are very strongly associated with obesity and a large waist circumference. It has been found that men with bigger waistlines have poorer urological health as well. Usually, their prostates were more enlarged, their prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels were higher and their urinary flow rate was poorer.

It has also been discovered that men with larger bellies were twice as likely to have lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and over a third more likely to have surgery for BPH.

Moreover, body mass index (BMI), a gauge of obesity, is also closely linked to larger prostates. In fact, men with a BMI greater than 35 were three to five times more at risk of having an enlarged prostate.

Mr. ED (Erectile dysfunction)

Over half of men above the age of 40 complain about ED symptoms. It has been shown that men with ED are more likely to present with complaints of lower urinary tract symptoms. Men with ED more likely to have LUTS, and the seriousness of both conditions are linked. As the urinary tract issues become more severe, the occurrence of ED and ejaculation problems also increases.

Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions that co-exist and increases a person’s risk of heart disease and diabetes by three to five times. The conditions are high blood pressure, high blood glucose, high triglycerides, low HDL (the "good” cholesterol) and belly fat.

These linked conditions are tied to the growth of the prostate, as the increased level of insulin acts as a growth factor. The metabolic syndrome also causes other changes in the body, like an expanding waistline, which in turn causes obstruction of pelvic blood vessels leading to nerve irritation and prostate symptoms. Men with LUTS were also found to experience higher risk of developing coronary heart disease and high blood pressure.

Keep a Healthier Prostate

There is a strong possibility that men may be able to prevent LUTS and other issues by controlling the metabolic syndrome and its associated conditions.

Adopting healthier eating habits is the step one. Overloading on carbohydrates and fat increases the risk of both BPH and LUTS.

It is much better to love legumes, like peas, beans and lentils. Also cooked vegetables, fruits, and foods rich in polyunsaturated fats and omega-6, such as vegetable oils, nuts, seeds and fish, can lower the risk of BPH.

Exercise is another part of your multi-pronged BPH-prevention strategy. Daily physical activity and exercise can reduce LUTS by up to 50% by reducing the weight of the prostate gland and increasing urinary flow rate.

Keep alcohol to a moderate level. For most people, that means no more than two small glasses of wine, a pint of beer or a couple shots of spirits. Of course, smoking should be stopped altogether.

The beauty of practicing a healthy diet and physical activity is that these lifestyle changes can create ripples of positive effects throughout your body and your whole life!

What is good for the prostate is certainly good for the rest of you.

Although modern medicine has many solutions for men with BPH, most are full of potential side effects. Prescriptions drugs for prostate issues can also lead to loss of sex drive, erectile dysfunction and a decrease in semen volume. In rare instances, it can even cause a man’s breasts to enlarge.

You can, however, take a very comprehensive formula that includes Saw Palmetto, Zinc, Lycopene, Beta-Sitosterol, Pygeum Africanum and Stinging Nettle, a total of over 30+ ingredients; a very comprehensive formula; Prostate Health Essentials (click here to view). Prostate Health Essentials contains 30+ natural ingredients shown to support prostate health.