Over the years, many diets have been recommended to a population that has decided to take control and eat its way to better health. High fiber, low-carb, high-protein, low-fat, lactose-free, vegetarian--the list of diets is extensive. The one thing they all have in common is a focus on specific health issues. Whether the goal is to lose weight, lower blood pressure, decrease blood cholesterol or control blood sugar, there is a diet available, and people who are willing to try it. With many men who are over 60 developing prostate problems, it is no surprise that suggestions have been made about the diet that would best keep prostate problems at bay.
Prostate Enlargement
Most prostate problems stem from an enlargement of the prostate gland, which can result from natural growth with age, or from cancer. You can be diagnosed with an enlarged prostate without having any symptoms through a routine physical check by your doctor. A digital rectal examination, or DRE, allows your doctor to feel the prostate via the rectum, giving some indication of the extent of the enlargement.
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
Once an enlarged prostate is diagnosed, your doctor will determine whether the growth is benign or cancerous. Benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH, is the non-cancerous growth of the prostate that accompanies age. Many older men suffer from this condition, with the percentage of sufferers increasing with age.
Prostate Cancer
Although the cause is unclear, abnormalities sometimes occur in cells in the prostate gland. These abnormal cells grow and multiply faster than their normal counterparts, and they do not succumb to natural cell death. A tumor results when these abnormal cells accumulate. Your probability of getting prostate cancer increases with age, with the disease being most prevalent in men who have past the 65-year mark.
Nutrition and Prostate
Antioxidants, omega-3s, isoflavonones and lycopene are among the terms that have become recognizable among health-conscious people. In the book "Foods That Harm, Foods That Heal," Readers Digest compiled a list of foods that appear to have positive effects on prostate health, and these are all foods that fit into a normal, healthy diet.
Prostate-Healthy Foods
Cruciferous vegetables, such as cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli, with their antioxidants and isothiocyanates or protective phytochemicals, are high on the list of foods lauded as being good for the prostate. Omega-3 fatty acid-rich fish and vegetable oils; soy products for their supply of isoflavones; whole grains and nuts for the selenium and vitamin E; and tomatoes, tomato products, red grapefruits and watermelon for their lycopene content are all said to help in maintaining a healthy prostate.
Considerations
Whether it is BPH or cancer, symptoms of prostate problems can make life uncomfortable. The multiple bathroom trips to empty a bladder that does not always empty completely, the slow urination, the inability to urinate, among other things, all result from prostate conditions that every man would avoid if possible. If a healthy diet, coupled with the recommendation of drinking adequate water and reducing alcohol and caffeine intake has even a slim possibility of delaying the onset of prostate problems, you could gain more than you have to give up in trying it.
