Protect The Prostrate And Your Sex Life

As you grow older, it makes sense to pay attention to maintaining a healthy prostate. This walnut-sized gland, which rests under the bladder and surrounds the urethra, produces most of your seminal fluid — and is therefore critical to both urinary and sexual health. The good news is there’s a natural solution for men who want to support prostate health. These simple steps can help keep your prostate functioning properly for life…and sleep peacefully through the night.

Diet

Good nutrition supports a healthy prostate so your first line of defense for protecting your prostate is to make substantial reductions in your fat intake — cut back particularly on the animal and saturated fat so common to the American diet. Move away from high-fat meats and dairy products. This kind of change will help keep your prostate safe and healthy throughout your life.

Exercise your way to a healthy prostate and vital sex life

Exercise improves blood flow and encourages capillary beds to open, placing less resistance on arteries and arterioles. Exercise also improves the elasticity and responsiveness of the arteries — an important factor in sexual potency, stamina, and enhancement.

I recommend you start your exercise program by walking briskly 20 minutes, four times a week. Once you can do this comfortably, it’s time to increase your pace. To do this, don’t lengthen our stride; instead, increase the number of steps you take per minute. Work up to 30 to 60 minutes of exercise four or more times per week.

Aim for regular, not rigorous, exercise. It's better to be gentle and consistent rather than strenuous and sporadic. Your goal — not your starting point — should be 30 to 60 minutes of exercise four or five times per week.

Good nutrition supports a healthy prostate and vital sex life

Your first line of defense for protecting your prostate and reviving your sex life is to make substantial reductions in your fat intake — cut back particularly on the animal and saturated fat so common to the American diet. Move away from high-fat meats and dairy products. This kind of change will help keep your prostate healthy throughout your life and enhance your pleasure.

At the same time, make sure you're getting enough of the good fats — especially omega-3 fatty acids — which are considered essential because they can only be obtained through foods or supplements. Cold water fish (salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, tuna and trout) and flax are the richest sources of omega-3 fatty acids. I recommend eating salmon or other cold-water fish several times a week, and having one to two tablespoons of flax oil, or up to one-quarter cup of freshly ground flax seed daily. Flax oil should never be heated, as its EFAs are destroyed by high temperatures. For cooking, use extra-virgin olive oil.

Make a move toward whole foods, in as close to their natural state as possible. Reach for vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, and legumes. The mineral zinc is crucial to healthy prostate function, so be sure your diet includes plenty of zinc-rich foods such as oysters, pumpkin seeds, beans, and nuts. You should also cut down or eliminate your alcohol consumption — alcohol depletes both zinc and vitamin B6, which is necessary for zinc absorption. Two side benefits of these changes in diet are that you'll likely lose weight, particularly if you exercise regularly, and you'll enhance your body's immune system, cardiovascular health, and blood sugar control.

Nutrients

Saw palmetto is the best-known natural remedy for maintaining prostate health and proper urinary function as is pygeum. Clinical studies verify the important prostate-supporting benefits of these herbs.