The prostate gland is an organ only found in men and is essential to the male reproductive system. This walnut-sized gland is located just beneath the bladder and secretes prostate fluid, a major component of which is male sperm. Inflammation and cancer of the prostate are all too common health concerns amongst men today. However, prostate cancer prevention and even reversal is possible through a healthy lifestyle.
Most men experience some level of prostate enlargement by the age of 45, but many do not have symptoms. But by the age of 60, about 80% of all men experience urinary problems as the result of prostate enlargement.
Some of the most common symptoms associated with the enlargement of the prostate include the following:
- Urgency to urinate
- Inability to urinate
- Difficulty starting
- Frequent urination
- Reduced force of urine stream
- Terminal dribbling
- Incomplete emptying of the bladder
The Prostate Gland Filters Toxins
In order to produce the highest quality sperm for conception and the successful reproduction of a healthy species, the prostate gland was designed to detoxify impurities and toxins out of the semen. Synthetic or man-made estrogen mimicking compounds known as xenoestrogens are the most abundant toxins found in our bodies today.
Xenoestrogens interfere with the healthy and normal male estrogen-to-testosterone ratio and lead to unwanted prostatic growth. Oxidative stress is a key stimulator in any degenerative disease and the prostate gland does not go unaffected. Excessive free radicals and inflammation causing agents promote oxidative stress and encourage prostate cancer and prostatitis (swelling and inflammation of the prostate gland).
The Link Between a Sedentary Lifestyle and Prostate Health
The health of the prostate is dependent on oxygenation from the circulation of fresh blood to this region. Living a sedentary lifestyle promotes stagnation and congestion in the prostate. Specific population groups are affected by a higher risk than others.
People who spend long periods of time in a seated position and whom have increased pressure from automobile vibrations have a higher risk than others. Examples of some of these occupations and lifestyle settings include bus drivers, truck drivers, motorcyclists, pilots, and men who have long daily commutes. Bicyclists also experience increased pressure to the groin when they ride and are also at an increased risk for prostatic complications.
Which Foods Promote Prostate Health?
Consuming an anti-inflammatory diet including fruits and vegetables is critical to receiving cancer-fighting phytonutrients. A healthy diet consist of good fats such as olive oil, coconut oil, nuts, seeds, and avocados. Eliminating all processed dairy products, meats, and grains is essential to optimal health.
It is important to choose products that are free-range and grass fed as such foods are rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids and zinc and promote prostate function. Incorporate anti-inflammatory herbs into your diet every day including rosemary, oregano, turmeric, garlic, and cinnamon.
Super Nutrients for a Healthy Prostate
Specific nutritional compounds are especially critical to preventing inflammation of the prostate and reversing health problems. Foods such as broccoli sprouts, broccoli, collard greens, cabbage, and kale are rich in super nutrients for supporting the prostate.
These cruciferous vegetables and others are contain high concentrations of sulforaphane, isothiocyanates, and Indole-3-Carbonyl which promote the removal of excess toxins and estrogens from the body. Some of the best source of these vegetables are broccoli sprouts and kale sprouts.
Lycopene and Green Tea
Another nutrient that promotes prostate health is lycopene. Good sources of lycopene are raspberries, goji berries, tomatoes, watermelon, red pepper, and grapefruits. Notably, cooked tomatoes contain more lycopene than raw. Although these food sources are high in this powerful nutrient, be careful to not add too many of these foods into your diet as they are also highly concentrated in sugar.
Green tea is also an excellent nutrient for prostate health. Green tea contains polyphenolic antioxidants called EGCG or epigallocatechin gallate. Researchers have concluded from epidemiological studies that men who drink green tea regularly have a lower risk of prostate complications.
Zinc’s Role in Reproductive Health
Zinc is a critical nutrient essential in supporting a healthy immune response, enzymatic processes, and reproductive health. Zinc deficiency is often reported in individuals with prostate problems. Zinc has been shown to inhibit the pathways that triggers prostate cell multiplication. Add foods high in zinc to your diet including organic and pasture-raised animal products as well as pumpkin seeds.
You may also consider taking a supplement containing a highly absorbable form of zinc glycinate chelate. Depending on your zinc deficiency, an additional 40-80 mg of zinc daily may improve your prostate health.
12 Steps to Improve Prostate Health
1. Good Sleep: Good quality sleep is essential for the health of the reproductive system and the production of sex hormones. Less than optimal sleeping habits will cause a decrease in testosterone levels and elevated stress hormone production. Poor sleep will also result in blood sugar disturbances and prostatic growth.
2. Increase Antioxidant Consumption: Phytochemicals act as antioxidants supporting detoxification pathways essential for a healthy prostate. Drink antioxidant-rich beverages such as saw palmetto tea, green tea, and ginger tea for an extra antioxidant boost.
3. Maximize Your Vitamin D Levels: Vitamin D levels of less than 60 ng/ml is associated with vitamin D deficiency. A deficiency of vitamin D impacts testosterone production and also increases prostatic growth. Regular sun exposure no less than three days a week without sunblock can significantly raise your vitamin D levels. Consume a high quality vitamin D3 supplement when you are unable to receive adequate sun exposure.
4. Use Natural Cleaning Products: Whether the product is for hygiene care or house cleaning, choose natural products that do not contain health hazards. Always avoid xenoestrogen containing substances found in plastics, deodorants, shampoos, and household cleaning agents.
5. Anti-Inflammatory Diet: Consume a diet rich in clean proteins, healthy fats, and antioxidants. High quality fats such as avocados, grass-fed butter, olives, olive oil, fish, and coconut oil contain essential fatty acids required for optimal testosterone production and prostatic health.
6. Improve Your Gut Motility: One way to promote optimal detoxification in your body is to improve the frequency of bowel movements. You can improve your bowel motility by eating a diet rich in anti-inflammatory foods that are rich in fiber. Consider adding foods like chia seeds, flax seeds, fermented foods, probiotics, and bone broths into your diet for optimal gut health.
7. Intermittent Fasting: Fasting is one of the best ways to improve testosterone levels while reducing systemic inflammation and inhibiting cancer growth. Going 16 hours between dinner and breakfast is one of the easiest ways to practice intermittent fasting. Considering consuming all of your meals within an 8 hour duration such as 11:00 am to 7:00 pm.
8. Low Intensity Movement: A sedentary lifestyle will reduce testosterone levels and cause prostatic inflammation. Move throughout the day receiving low-intensity exercise like playing, walking, or light cycling. Regular movement will limit inflammation in the body and improve prostate health.
9. Practice Deep Breathing: Practicing stress relaxation exercises is as easy as deep breathing. Deep breathing calms the heightened sympathetic nervous system responsible for fight or flight, and relaxes the body. This practice reduces stress hormones and lowers inflammation and cancerous cell growth in the body.
10. Zinc and Magnesium: Optimize your zinc and magnesium levels to promote healthy detoxification and provide immune support. Both of these super nutrients stimulate testosterone production and the detoxification of contaminants like xenoestrogens. Pumpkin seeds are one of the best sources of both of these key nutrients. You may also choose to prepare green drinks or use super green powders and consume healthy organic meat products.
11. Use a High Quality Omega-3 Supplement: Consuming 2 to 5 grams of omega-3 fatty acids can help limit inflammation in the prostate and improve testosterone production. Researchers have shown that high dose omega-3 fatty acids are powerful agents to reducing prostatic growth. Taking 200-500 mg of GLA with the omegas can also provide additional anti-inflammatory benefits.
12. Consider Other Supportive Supplements: Adding supplements into your diet can help reverse prostate health complications. Optimize your nutrient intake by adding a combination of high quality supplements, including Vitamin D3, K2, probiotics, and anti-inflammatory compounds such as curcumin, sulforaphane, resveratrol, and pterostilbene (also found in blueberries) and green tea extract (EGCG). These unique compounds synergize to boost up the anti-oxidant pathways.
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Article Summary
The prostate gland is a walnut-sized organ found only in men which is essential to the male reproductive system. While inflammation and cancer of the prostate are common health concerns, prostate cancer prevention and even reversal is possible through a healthy lifestyle.
By age 60, most men (about 80%) experience urinary problems as the result of prostate enlargement. Some of the most common symptoms include:
- Urgency to urinate
- Inability to urinate
- Difficulty starting
- Frequent urination
- Reduced force of urine stream
- Terminal dribbling
- Incomplete emptying of the bladder
The prostate gland detoxifies impurities and toxins out of semen. Synthetic or man-made estrogen mimicking compounds known as xenoestrogens interfere with the healthy and normal male estrogen-to-testosterone ratio and lead to unwanted prostatic growth.
Living a sedentary lifestyle promotes stagnation and congestion in the prostate. Men who spend long periods of time in a seated position and whom have increased pressure from automobile vibrations have a higher risk than others. Cyclists also experience increased pressure to the groin and are at an increased risk for prostatic complications.
An anti-inflammatory diet including fruits and vegetables is critical to receiving cancer-fighting phytonutrients. Foods such as broccoli sprouts, broccoli, collard greens, cabbage, and kale are rich in super nutrients for supporting the prostate. Lycopene is another nutrient that supports prostate health, as does green tea.
12 Steps to Improve Prostate Health include:
- Good sleep
- Increased antioxidant consumption
- Maximizing vitamin D levels
- Using natural cleaning products that don’t contain harmful xenoestrogens
- Consuming an anti-inflammatory diet
- Improving frequency of bowel movements
- Intermittent fasting
- Incorporating movement into your day
- Practicing deep breathing
- Optimizing zinc and magnesium levels
- Using a high quality omega-3 supplement
- Consider other supplements including vitamin D3, K2, probiotics, and anti-inflammatory compounds such as curcumin, sulforaphane, resveratrol, and pterostilbene, and green tea extract (EGCG).
Thanks for the good read on how to keep my prostate healthy. It made me get up from my desk and move around a bit. Sitting in that chair can’t be good for me long term. I am considering one of those stand up desks. That might be the ticket!
Take care,
Randy
I love the stand up desk! Great investment Randy!!
No gluten/dairy/soy/sugar/GMO…taking vitamins/good oils/minerals..probiotic…LDN (helps block hidden gluten) and detoxing may help. Gluten is wheat/barley/rye..oats/corn/rice. LDN/gluten enyzmes may help. Microscopic gluten may hurt people. Food with a label/certified gluten free/nuts not sold in the shell/meat basting/some spices/air etc may have hidden gluten.
Estrogen dominance due to eating meat/dairy/soy/BPA may swell tissues and block thyroid/lower the immune system. Progesterone may help men as well as women. High stress may steal progesterone to make cortisol. Progesterone may help the immune system/blood pressure/blood sugar/sleep/thyroid and more.
Organic vegetables may help. Cook cruciferous family so it doesn’t block the thyroid. Cooking carrots may help more nutrients absorb.
Sunlight/Vit D3 5000IU/zinc/fish oil/Vit C and more may help the immune system. Exercise may help stress/get a person in nature/sunlight/raise oxygen. Good water..not tap water with Fluorine that may block thyroid may help. BPA in plastic water bottles may hurt and many bottled waters may have Fluorine in them.
Great suggestions Sasha!!
HI, You are welcome! Thanks for taking the time to reply. I enjoy your articles…awesome help for people/great summarizing of what is important for health issues.
Doc. Good article. And we need to be careful here. When you say “great suggestions” and there’s misinformation in the post, it’s gonna confuse people.
There is gluten in wheat, barley and rye. Oats, corn, and rice don’t contain gluten. Now, whether they’re good for you is a separate question. Corn is garbage IMO, but for those who can’t eat gluten,you can still eat oats and rice. There are plenty of reasons not to eat rice and oats, but gluten senstivity isn’t one of ’em.
See the book No Grain No Pain by Peter Osborne. It is the newest book that gives the details about Celiac. There is gluten in corn/oats/rice. I was eating rice and my intestines were not healing. Organic brown rice has gluten and lots of arsenic. Gluten in corn is called Zein and in Oats avenin and in rice.
It is “good” that you mention magnesium, but I get urge incontinency of magnesium!
Ca/Mg may help muscles relax. I take Osteoprocare instead dairy…has Ca/Mg and cofactors. Dairy gives me irritable bladder and gluten irritable bowel. Any food with a label may have hidden gluten/dairy/soy/sugar/GMO and may hurt. Certified gluten free/nuts not sold in the shell/meat basting/some spices/air may have hidden gluten. LDN/gluten enzymes may help block hidden gluten. I recently ate Nightshades/nonorganic lentils/split peas and my bladder was weaker. Each person is different. Mg helps 350 chemical reactions and protects the mitochondria/helps blood sugar and more. Mg may help muscle spasms. Keeping a journal…date/time/supplement/food/symptoms helps me figure out my health. Best wishes.
Mention of Iodine is missing. Should be part of any prostate & Breast health regime.
Yes that is a good suggestion Maho!
A few years ago I had an enlarged prostate and woke up one morning and couldn’t pee. By the afternoon I was in a lot of pain and ended up in hospital having a tube inserted to drain it. A week later, having taken the tablets they gave me they removed the tube. I asked the specialist what I could do to stop it happening again and he said eating tomatoes is good, eating broccoli is good but if you eat the two together in the same meal its ten times good. Ive done this for the last 3 years and no more problems. Hope this information helps.
l
Tomatoes have Lycopene and broccoli has sulfur which may lower swelling and helps detox. Thanks for the tip! Happiness….
https://www.google.com/search?client=opera&q=Lycopene+helps+prostate&sourceid=opera&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8
e’ sempre un piacere sapere sempre di piu’ sulla salute.
Grazie .
Emilio.
This is an interesting article. Prostate cancer is a common disease on older men. I suppose changing your diet and lifestyle can reduce the risk of men getting prostate cancer.
Amen, Shasha! great advise!
Thanks! Happiness…..
I was wondering about your opinion of the Harvard study that directly links the consumption of eggs with the incidence of aggressive prostate cancers. My husband had been eating 2 eggs each morning and was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer. After seeing the Harvard study, he is afraid to eat eggs again.
I eat 4 poached cage free/antibiotic free/organic eggs daily. Eggs are good for people. Easy to digest protein…lecithin/biotin in the yolk etc. It is gluten/dairy/soy/sugar/GMO that may hurt. Soy may block thyroid and is in 60% of food. Gluten may hurt intestines so less nutrients absorb. Sugar may feed cancer and cause swelling. GMO may hurt the gut lining and Roundup may wipe out good bacteria in the large intestines etc. All may lower the immune system. Gluten may lower pH as less mninerals are absorbed and lower oxygen. Gluten may affect all glands. Estrogen dominant due to meat/dairy/soy/BPA which affect hormones may hurt. Progesterone may help the immune system and prostate cancer. Best wishes.
Almost everything has gluten what do we have to eat then?
I eat raw walnuts (open shells to avoid hidden gluten and freeze so fresh)/poached cage free/antibiotic free/organic eggs/tea/ organic vegetables and low sugar organic fruit/potato/beans/rice has a small amount of gluten (some people take a gluten enzyme and/or take LDN which helps to block hidden gluten. Food with a label/some spices/meat basting/certified gluten free/nuts not sold in the shell/supplements may have hidden gluten/GMO etc. Pure organic foods…old fashioned cooking at home helps. I eat many raw foods and Asian style. Mushrooms…can make own soup. Many people “grain free”. I tried eating less ripe bananas instead of organic brown rice that had much arsenic and gluten. I can’t eat coconut or olive oil or heated oils or dairy/soy/turmeric/flax/resveratol etc. Each person has to find what foods help and what hurts. There are cook books/health books/Paleo book and sites, but I mostly eat what I explained. Stew is good, but I can’t eat meat now…clogs my blood vessels. I am allergic to many food due to leaky gut due to gluten/GMO/antibiotics/Lyme. Food leaks into the blood and the blood makes antibodies to it..an allergy. I still eat allergic foods, but less of it. Rotating foods may help allergies not be so strong and taking Vit C and quercetin may help allergies. I just make sure I have some good fat/protein/veg/fruit at each meal. Best wishes.
I am eight years three months prostate cancer free since surgery…what are good post prostate cancer strategies?
Essiac/mushrooms/sunlight/organic/ginger/no gluten/no food with label and more may help. Zn may help make testosterone. Avoiding meat/dairy/soy/BPA/fat/chemicals which may make a person estrogen dominant. Low stress so progesterone, B vitamins/Zn are not used up. Below may help the immune system/cancer…is the short version of what I do. Best wishes.
No gluten/dairy/soy/sugar/GMO/food with a label etc. and vitamins/good oils/ LDN and detoxing help me. Vit D3 5000IU, zinc 50mg if detoxing, 2000mg fish oil, 2000mg evening primrose oil. 2000 mg lecithin, Phosphatidylserine/DMAE, krill oil, CLA, Coenzyme Q10, Rhodiola, Mg citrate 400mg, Vit C, 5000mcg of biotin, Nature’s Plus- Source of life multiple, HCl and Now brand- Super enzymes with meals, dairy free probiotic, Vit B12 methylcobalamin shot/spray/under the tongue kind/intrinsic factor kind, MTHF folate, coenyzme Q10, rhodiola, may help brain/body/thyroid/depression/immune system and more. Gluten is wheat/barley/rye/corn…oats has gluten with avenin…and there is a small amount of gluten in rice. GMO corn/soy/canola oil may hurt. Amour thyroid maybe needed since gluten may make antibodies to the thyroid. Coenzymated B vitamins far from synthetic kind made me calm.
Sunlight (helps the immune system and helps to heal the gut lining),exercise, organic food, good water..not tap water, cooking by scratch pure food….. no food in a box/bag/premade/label/restaurant which may help avoid hidden gluten. Certified gluten free food may have 20ppm of gluten…too much. Nuts not sold in the shell/meat basting/some spices may have hidden gluten/food with a label and lotion/make up etc. One restaurant cooks special for me…rice/veg/tea/extra mushrooms (no meat since the woks may have MSG/gluten in them).
EDTA/DMPS IV chelations from an Alternative doctor, 600mg of cilantro, organic sulfur, Now brand- Detox support, Far Infrared Sauna and more may help detox. Hair tests show good minerals and heavy metals. Heavy metals can block thyroid and other chemical reactions in the body/brain.
LDN may help block hidden gluten/heal the gut lining and help the immune system, but the Celiac diet is still needed. 100% no gluten..no hidden or microscopic gluten may help. Cutting back on gluten or cheating by eating gluten hurts the immune system. It may take 1 1/2 months to heal the gut lining after getting hidden gluten. HCl and enzymes with meals and gluten enzymes help me. There are now gluten enzymes also a person may use that may help, but LDN helps block gluten in the air/on the skin and all day long.
Amour thyroid has some T3 and Calcitonin. Synthroid is only T4..may not convert to T3. Zn/Se/enough iron/strong probiotic may help convert T4 to T3 for thyroid.
Alternative doctors/chiropractors/acupuncturists and more may help with health/vitamins etc.
Books: No grain No Pain, Wheat Belly, Grain Brain, Dangerous Grains and The Autoimmune Fix and more explain Celiac. Peter Osborne/Tom O’Bryan on Facebook/Youtube.
Prosectectomy done 3 yrs. ago. PSA check last month revealed 0.2 1st time detectable urologist suggest start radiation therapy 40 treatments. Before prostectomy cancer level @ 2. So does this mean @ PSA dectectable 0.2 mean cancer active now and radiation urgent. Urologist says wait 3 months check again if still dectectable begin ratiation.
Thanks,based on the article knowledge of the cancer signs and symptoms am a two year victim. I know but i fear to dig deeper into it since am 32yr old poor and not married .I can’t afford neither the treatment nor the prescribed diet. I do very tiresome building and contraction jobs to earn a living which is not even enough. I have constant headache,terminal urination,reduced force of urine stream,, pain in the right prostrate and the abnormal gland growth. I need help please,with thanks.
Hi George,
We are so sorry to hear what you are going through. We cannot provide you with medical advice, so the best advice we can give you is to consult with one of the doctors/experts that we interviewed in our Global Quest Series. Here is a link to get their information: https://thetruthaboutcancer.com/experts-info-sheet/