Ways To Maintain Your Prostate Health – Best Tips To Follow!

The prostate is a gland just located below the bladder area in a male body. It surrounds the top portion of the urethra that drains urine from the bladder. The main function of the prostate gland is to produce seminal fluids that nourish the semen. It helps urine and semen pass out of the body. It also plays a crucial role in hormone production along with regulating urine flow. Issues relating to prostate health are common symptoms that older men need to take care of.

How To Maintain Your Prostate Health?

Some factors affect your prostate health naturally, which you can do nothing about. But it is important to look after your prostate health, or it will give rise to some adverse conditions like Prostatitis, BPH, enlargement of the prostate due to aging, and prostate cancer.

Following certain ways will promote prostate health. In this article, we will discuss a few tips and ways to help you keep your prostate healthy. 

Some Common Prostate Problems

‘Prostate Enlargement’ or Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) is a very common problem in older men. It occurs when the cell in the prostate gland begins to multiply. This causes the gland to swell, leading to an increase in the size of the prostate gland. This is not the same as prostate cancer. It generally occurs in men above the age of 50. The exact cause of prostate enlargement is still unknown. The symptoms of BPH are often mild in the initial stage. Some of the common symptoms are:

• Inability to empty the bladder
• Slowness of the Urinary stream
• Difficulty urinating
• Frequent or sudden need to urinate
• Pain while urinating or ejaculating
• Blood in the urine
• Urinary Tract Infection

The other condition is ‘prostate cancer’. It starts when the cells in the prostate gland begin to grow out of control. Prostate cancer can spread from its original place to another. The cancerous cells might break out of the gland and affect other parts of the body. They travel through blood vessels or nodes. In the early stages, prostate cancer doesn’t show any symptoms. The symptoms are generally the same as that of Prostate Enlargement. Some of the other symptoms can be: 

• Pain in the lower Pelvic Area
• Trouble in urinating, burning feelings, or slow urine flow
• Pain in lower back, hips, or thighs
• Loss of appetite and rapid weight loss
• Pain in the bone

Here are some natural ways mentioned that you could follow to keep your prostate healthy. 

👉 Add More Vegetables and Fruits to your Diet

Vegetables and Fruits contain many vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals. These nutrients help to keep your prostate gland healthy naturally. Eat at least five types of fruits and vegetables every day in different colors and categories. You can include tomatoes, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Collard Greens, etc. Look out for healthy and tasty recipes with these vegetables. 

👉 Maintain a Balanced Diet

Maintain a balanced diet and watch the portion sizes you are consuming daily. If not, then this will lead to weight gain, which will eventually cause prostate issues along with several other health problems. Avoid junk and include more healthy options in your diets, like different types of fruits and vegetables. 

👉 Eat More Legumes and Whole Grains

The nutrient named Isoflavones has properties that can reduce the chance of prostate cancer. It is found in Tofu made from Soybeans, Chickpeas, Peanuts, and sprouts. Legumes contain a high amount of folate, potassium, iron, and magnesium, which keeps your prostate healthy. Include more unprocessed whole grains in your everyday meal. In processed grain, nutrients like Vitamins and Fibre get ripped during the refining process, which is important for a healthy prostate. Whole grains like barley, oats, and brown rice are an excellent choice. 

👉 Avoid Red Meat and Diary

Studies have shown that red meat and dairy can have negative effects on the prostate. Dairy products are high in Calcium which can increase the risk of prostate cancer. Cutting on dairy products like butter, cheese, or milk will also reduce the chance of BPH. 

Red meat is linked with the enlargement of the prostate gland. There are carcinogens found in cooked meat that can give rise to several cancers. 

👉 Cut Down on Salt

A diet rich in sodium may increase the symptoms associated with the prostate gland and urinary tract infection. Avoiding high sodium food, not adding much salt in everyday meals, or processed food is a good choice to maintain prostate well-being. 

👉 Stop Smoking and Alcohol Consumption

Those who smoke too much have a higher risk of prostate cancer. Prostate patients who smoke are much more likely to get a recurrence of the disease. Non-smoker prostate patients have an approx 10 years more life span than smoker prostate patients. Alcohol also causes unhealthy inflammation in your body. So it is important to shift to nutritious food like pomegranates, cucumbers rather than indulging in smoking and alcohol consumption. 

👉 No Saturated Fat

Saturated Fat causes heart diseases. But as per some studies, there is a link between saturated fat intake with prostate cancer. Reduction in the consumption of saturated fat can benefit not only prostate health but also your overall health. Saturated fat is found in items like meat, dairy, salad dressings, baked food, and processed food. Try to replace these fats with healthy food items like fish, avocado, nuts, olive oil, etc. 

👉 Achieve a Healthy Weight

Maintaining healthy body weight is essential for your overall health and well-being. It also promotes a healthy prostate. Try a proper diet and exercise routine for weight loss. You need to aim to lose at least 1-2 pounds per week. A healthy meal can help you lose weight and be in shape. So add more vegetables, whole grains, beans, etc., in your everyday spread. You can also follow a workout or exercise routine for the same. 

👉 Consider Green Tea and Coffee

Green Tea lowers the risk of advanced prostate cancer while providing your body with many other health benefits. Drinking 3 to 4 cups of coffee every day can reduce the risk of fatal prostate cancer by about 11 percent. The effect of coffee will not be the same if one drinks an occasional cup. A Study in Norway showed that a man who had boiled coffee had less chance of getting prostate cancer than a man who had it any other way or not at all. 

👉 Stay Active

In addition to all other points mentioned above, it is important to stay active. Regular exercising and staying fit lower the risk of many diseases like heart issues, cancer. Exercises have shown a good impact on prostate health. Researchers found an inverse relationship between prostate activity and BPH symptoms. Men who were more physically active, even low to moderate physical activity like walking or jogging, were less likely to suffer from BPH. Even Erectile dysfunction is 20% less likely to develop in men who regularly exercise. 

👉 Sun Bath

Vitamin D keeps us healthy in a lot of ways. A little sun exposure can reduce the chance of prostate cancer. Vitamin D from the sun is a good way to maintain your prostate health. So let your body get some sun rays daily. 

👉 Reduce Stress

Stress has a big effect on prostate health. When stressed, some men unknowingly tighten their pelvic muscles, which can create pelvic floor muscle problems and can cause chronic prostatitis. Stress can also increase BHP levels. Having prostate issues might raise the stress level more, which can worsen the condition. This is why it is important to manage your stress levels, release tension. You can also try therapies, yoga, or other activities to gain mental peace and get rid of stress. 

👉 Hormone Replacement 

The androgen in men called Testosterone helps to keep the prostate healthy. With age, the level of this hormone decreases. If your T level lowers down, you might start accumulating fat. This weight gain can give rise to prostate problems. It is advised to check your T level and get testosterone replacement therapy if the balance is on the lower side. Testosterone also helps to maintain muscle density and strength while making your body burn more calories quickly. 

👉Consult a Physician

Consult your physician about the risk of developing prostate cancer. Discuss points like all medical tests you must do, Family history of Cancer, Dietary Recommendations. If you feel any discomfort in your pelvic area, Urination difficulty, blood in semen or urine, don’t hesitate to go for a checkup. These symptoms, if not diagnosed at the right time, might turn dangerous in the future. 

👉 Get a Prostate Check Every Year

Men between the ages group 55-69 need to get a prostate checkup every year. This age group has the highest chances of developing prostate cancer. It is recommended that you go through a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test to determine the level of PSA. You can get your first check at 40 to under the normal value of your PSA. This test might sound a bit awful but is advised to get it done for your benefit. 

Tips to Follow

You will be able to maintain good prostate health following these tips. 

• Eat more fruits and vegetables on an everyday basis. 
• Eat portion size. Eat slowly and avoid overeating.
• Add more red foods like tomato, watermelon, pomegranate juice, soybeans to your everyday meal. 
• Have food items rich in Isoflavones like Tofu, Chickpeas and lentils. 
• Choose food low in sodium
• Limit the consumption of processed, canned, or frozen food. 
• Avoid sugar and sweetened food items. 
• Avoid consuming red meat and dairy products. 
• Include more unprocessed whole grains in the diet than processed whole grains. 
• Stop smoking and drinking. 
• Consume healthy fat such as olive oil, nuts, avocadoes, etc. 
• Get regular sun exposure for Vitamin D. 
• Exercise to stay healthy and get in shape.
• Stay Active and get engaged in physical activities. 
• Consider having at least 2-3 cups of green tea or coffee every day. 
• Stay away from foods like Fish with Omega 3, Folate and Diary. 
• Reduce stress and tension to maintain mental peace. 
• Go for prostate check ups at least once a year.