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Men’s Health: The Prostate |
 David L. Joseph, N.M.D. |
Prostate cancer is the most reported cancer among men, accounting for 43% of all male cancers. |
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In today’s fast-paced society, men face many health risks. Of these, one of the most prevalent is prostate cancer and related diseases. Prostate cancer is the most reported cancer among men, accounting for 43% of all male cancers. According to statistics published by the National Institute on Aging, prostate cancer is the second leading cause of death among men, with 60,000 related deaths estimated for 2009. Approximately one in five men will develop prostate cancer in their lifetime. African-American men have an incident rate 66% higher than Caucasian, and more than twice the mortality rate. Prostate cancer is common in North America and northwestern Europe. It is rare in Asia, Africa, Central America and South America. More than 58 percent of all prostate cancers are discovered while still localized. The five-year survival rate for men diagnosed with prostate cancer while still localized is 99%, 63% survive beyond 10 years and 15% survive beyond 15 years.
The prostate is a walnut-size organ, located below and slightly to the rear of the bladder, and surrounds the urethra (the tube carrying urine from the bladder to the penis for urination). The prostate manufactures an alkaline fluid that constitutes part of semen. Many prostate disorders can develop symptoms such as a frequent urge to urinate, difficulty in urinating, or a dribbling of urine. Sexual dysfunction or difficulty in performance an also be attributed to unchecked prostate problems
Non-cancerous prostate conditions can also occur in men age 50 and older, but these problems are not necessarily age-specific. They include acute and chronic prostatitis (bacterial infection of the prostate, usually caused by sexually-transmitted disease), prostatic calculi (stones in the prostate gland), and benign prostatic hypertrophy, also known as BPH (enlargement of the prostate, usually occurring in 50% of men 65 and older).
The urologist is a medical specialist dealing with diagnoses and treatment of diseases and disorders of the urinary system, especially the prostate. It is imperative to get yearly check ups if under age 50, and twice a year thereafter. Early detection and treatment is the key to dealing with any serious medical problem!
Many drug and surgical therapies are available for prostate problems today, so it is most wise for the patient to be well informed of these drugs and side-effects, surgical procedures and any dangers associated with them…knowledge is power! There is also a blood test to detect the amounts of a substance called PSA (prostate specific antigen). PSA levels may be elevated in men with prostate cancer or BPH. However, this test is not 100% accurate, and research is continuing in the study of PSA in the blood as a diagnostic tool.
A promising diagnostic tool used By Naturopathic doctors is Tissue Mineral Analysis (Hair Analysis). Hair analysis reveals tendencies in mineral deficiencies and excesses in the body. Certain minerals, such as zinc, are used in large amounts by the prostate gland, and the excess or deficiency if zinc in the male body has been shown to indicate trends toward prostate problems later in life. For decades, Naturopathic physicians have successfully treated patients experiencing prostate problems using natural protocols. The following is general guideline used by Naturopathic physicians for their patients’ prostate health recovery and maintenance. As always, this is a general guideline and may not apply to your specific body or metabolic type. You should seek out the advice of a Naturopathic physician to make sure this type of program will work for you!
DIETARY CONSIDERATIONS
AVOID fried, processed and fast-food, table salt, breads, cereals and pastas containing enriched flour, refined sugar, sweets, candies pastries, caffeine, soda pop, fatty foods, spicy foods, dairy products, smoking, excessive alcohol use, red meat, foods high in MSG and other preservatives. A GOOD diet consists of 70% complex carbohydrates, protein 12-15%, fats 12-15%. Eat fresh raw or steamed vegetables, foods low in cholesterol, sea or kelp salt, baked or broiled fish, lean turkey or boneless-skinless chicken, fresh fruits, cold-pressed cooking oils such as canola, sunflower and flaxseed. Multi-grain breads and cereals are good. Drink 1 to 2 liters of quality bottled water per day, every day. Dilute fresh fruit juices 50% with water. Plain yogurt is good. Vegetable juices such as beet, carrot, cucumber, and asparagus are good.
VITAMINS & SUPPLEMENTS
Vitamin C ,Vitamin B, Vitamin E
Multi mineral supplement
Multi-amino supplement Food enzymes
Zinc
Copper
Selenium Pro-50 (made by Enzymatic Therapy)
Prosta-Med (made by Enzymatic Therapy)
Ginseng Extract
CQ 10 Anti-oxidant
Pycnogenol
Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:35:00
David L. Joseph, N.M.D.
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