Numerous, if not most, men over the age of fifty or so worry about the prospect of their prostrate causing them issues in the near future. The fact is that numerous men will have concerns with their prostate and the proportion is quite high.
For most men, this will mean little more than recurrent visits to the toilet, where urination will be sparse. Nocturnal visits to the toilet are also common. Some men may find themselves in the embarrassing situation of ‘dripping’, which involves a wet patch on the trousers.
These are fairly dismal prospects, but there is much worse that can happen. It all has to do with the prostate which encircles the tube from the bladder to the penis. It swells from the inside not the outside and so it ‘bites’ on the urethra cutting off the flow of urine.
This produces the feeling of having a full bladder but not being able to evacuate it fully. This in turn may cause urinary tract infections (UTI’s) and produce problems for the kidneys which can become life-threatening.
Some individuals think that a diet containing certain foods in quantity can defer or even prevent significant issues with the prostate gland. Here are a couple of the most important ones:
Lycopene: is a robust antioxidant which is responsible for the red colouring in numerous foods such as carrots, red grapefruit, watermelons, papayas and tomatoes (but not cherries or strawberries). It is a carotene that exists in numerous red-orange natural foodstuffs.
Lycopene is deposited in the adrenal glands, the liver and the testes, which seems to cause it to be particularly useful against prostate cancer. Research continues and there is not enough proof to convince the world’s Western health authorities yet, but it is recognized as a non-dangerous food dye in the USA, Europe and Australia.
Lycopene is normally best consumed raw, but with one extraordinary exception – tomatoes. The chemical is more easily absorbed from cooked tomatoes. Hence the recommendation to eat unsweetened tomato sauce.
Lycopene is not only beneficial for men as it will help in glandular, heart and liver concerns too. It is worth keeping an eye on the development of this research carefully and adding red fruits to your diet anyway.
Quercetin: is a flavonoid discovered in fruits, vegetables, leaves, grains, and both green and black tea. It is particularly present in (red) onions, red grapes, raspberries, lingonberries, cranberries and tomatoes. (Notice all the red fruits).
Studies have shown that naturally produced or wild fruits have a lot more quercetin than the ‘intensively farmed’ varieties. 70% more in the case of tomatoes. Similar percentage increases, between 50% and 100%, were found for most wild fruits.
Quercetin has anti inflammatory characteristics and some research has suggested that it might help reduce the danger of cancer, but as yet, no leading health authorities have been convinced that it is useful at preventing or curing cancer. Another one to watch though.
It is not at all a problem to add some of these foods into your diet. Scientists have been telling us for decades to eat more fresh fruit and vegetables, simply make sure you add a few more red ones and drink tea rather than coffee.
Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on a number of subjects, but is now involved with the stages of ovarian cancer. If you want to know more go to Signs and Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer
Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on a variety of subjects, but is now concerned with the stages of ovarian cancer. If you want to know more go to Signs and Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer