Healthy Prostate

The prostate is a thumb size gland that wraps around the urethra just behind the testicles. It is the gland that produces the somatic fluid (ejaculation fluid) and carries sperm produced by the testicles. For those who have experienced swelling of the prostate, you know the symptoms of a slower urine stream and getting up in the middle of the night to urinate – perhaps more than once. Prostate problems also account for the highest rate of cancer in men.

Why do men have these problems? The first suspect is diet – more precisely high saturated fat and high carbohydrates. This has been supported by several studies noting the lack of problems in Asian men. These same men have similar problems with their prostates as western men when exposed to the western diet.
The second suspect that is gaining credibility is increased levels of estrogen. As men age testosterone levels go down and muscle begins turning to fat. Fat cells convert testosterone to estrogen. Prostate tissue is sensitive to estrogen, more specifically, its metabolite 16-alpha-hydroxy estrone. This can prompt cancer cells to grow in a man’s prostate similar to what happens in a woman’s breast tissue. At particular risk are men who tend to carry fat around their middle.

The way to combat this risk is to check your estrogen level and take steps to lower it if necessary. Zinc, up to 75mg in divided dose, is a good start. Indole-3-Carbonol, which is found in cruciferous vegetables and protects women’s breast tissue, also protects a man’s prostate by preventing estrogen from converting to 16-alpha hydroxyl estrone. See Indoplex.

What can you do?

· Maintain a healthy diet
· Keep testosterone and estrogen at a healthy level.
· Make zinc up to 75mg per day to suppress the conversion of testosterone to estrogen.
· Take indole-3-carbonol (nutrient found in cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage and Brussels sprouts) to prevent estrogen from converting to 16-alpha-hydroxy estrone. See Indoplex
· Take Saw Palmetto as part of a health prostate supplement formula.