A short time ago, when a man turned sixty-five, he became
officially old, retiring from work, and then having four or
five years to spend as he wishes before illness set in. However,
this is not the case anymore. It is becoming more and more
evident that the older a man gets, the healthier he has been.
By eating healthy, exercising, and quitting harmful habits,
such as smoking, a man can add years to his life. Although
it is better to start good clean living from early on, it
is never too late for men to make changes and take better
care of them selves. One of the main ways men can improve
their health is by adding high quality nutritional supplements
to their diet.
Although many men would like to begin taking nutritional supplements,
most men feel that they are very confusing. Because there
are hundreds and hundreds of nutritional supplements on health
food store shelves, determining which supplements provide
health benefits for a 50+ man can be extremely overwhelming.
The best supplement to begin with is a good multivitamin that
contains large amounts of calcium, magnesium, and potassium.
The only mineral a man should avoid is iron, which he should
get enough of through the food he eats. Too much iron can
cause health problems. When searching for a multivitamin,
one that contains lycopene is very important. Lycopene decreases
a man’s risk for heart disease, age-related macular degeneration,
and prostate cancer. Other important components are antioxidant
blends, ginseng for energy and stamina, and digestive enzymes
to aid absorption.
Along with taking a quality multivitamin for general health,
there are six other vital nutrients that can help prevent
prostate cancer from developing and also help fight against
disease. The first of these is calcium d-glucarate, which
is found in fruits and vegetables. This nutrient helps men’s
detoxification systems get rid of harmful excess hormones
that increase the risk for prostate cancer. Selenium has very
powerful effects on the prostate gland. A recent study by
researchers concluded that selenium can cut the risk of prostate
cancer by 63 percent. The third of these nutrients is green
tea, which is the second most widely consumed liquid in the
world, following water. Men in China and Japan who have been
drinking it for centuries have very low rates of prostate
cancer. Research has concluded that a plant substance in green
tea called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) can stop the growth
of prostate cancer right in its tracks. Maitake Mushrooms
are linked to good health in those who eat them because they
contain an important compound called D-fraction, which destroys
95% of human prostate cancer cells in lab experiments. The
last of the vital nutrients is lycopene, whose preliminary
reports demonstrate that it can actually kill prostate cancer
cells.
Similar to women, who experience significant hormonal changes
as they age, men experience something called andropause. Andropause
in men occurs when testosterone production, the main sex hormone
in men, begins to slowly decline. Although estrogen levels
in women decline faster than testosterone levels in men, testosterone
decline can cause a great deal of unpleasant symptoms including
abdominal weight gain, hair loss, reduced energy and sex drive,
heart disease, and prostate enlargement. Whether the man believes
that these are changes due to andropause, or just consequences
of aging, most men will experience some or all of them as
they continue to age.
Unfortunately, there is no supplement that can give a man
the hormone level of a twenty year old. However, there is
a nutrient that can help the testosterone in an older man
“behave” more like a younger man’s testosterone. A study by
the Fred Hutchinson Center in Seattle concluded that men who
ate three servings of cruciferous vegetables, broccoli, cauliflower,
or Brussels sprouts, each day have a 48 percent lower risk
of prostate cancer. A chemical found in cruciferous plants,
DIM, is responsible for this prostate cancer prevention because
of its ability to metabolize estrogen. A precise ratio of
testosterone to estrogen is needed for men to be able to maintain
a healthy sexual response, effective sexual function, strong
bones and muscles, viable sperm, and a well-functioning prostate
gland. After many years of work, scientists have finally discovered
a stable, all natural and absorbable form of DIM. When men
take DIM, their estrogen metabolism improves, and testosterone
metabolism accelerates, which results in higher testosterone
levels similar to those seen in young men. This results in
weight loss, reduction in prostate gland enlargement, and
helping men 50+ feel stronger and leaner.
Saw palmetto, a small palm tree which is found in Florida
and South Carolina, produces berries which contain many beneficial
compounds. Supplements that contain saw palmetto are extremely
effective in treatment of Benign Prostate Hyperplasia (BPH),
one of the most common health conditions in older men, with
half of all men aged 40-60 and more than 90 percent of men
over 80 having BPH. BPH is caused by the conversion of estrogen
to a very potent form of testosterone called dihydrotestosterone
(DHT). Once prostate cells are exposed to DHT, they multiply
in number and get much larger. Rarely improving, BPH gradually
gets worse over the years, causing the man to continually
need to urinate, interrupted sleep, dribbling, and loss of
urine, which significantly interferes with a man’s quality
of life. Prescription medications that have been developed
to treat BPH are only partially effective. However, saw palmetto
berry extract relives the symptoms of BPH by furthering the
production of DHT.
Because sexual intimacy is an important, complex, and lifelong
need, there are honest nutritional supplements for men’s sexual
health. Sexual intimacy makes us feel better physically and
mentally and adds to our sense of security, belonging, and
self-esteem. Since many things can affect men’s ability to
engage in sexual activity, such as erectile dysfunction (ED),
the development of the prescription medication Viagra has
revolutionized ED treatment. Like all medicines, Viagra can
cause some side effects which include headache, flushing of
the face and upset stomach. However, not every man can take
Viagra. Those who use nitrate drugs, which controls chest
pain and those with serious liver problems should not take
Viagra. However, there is a nutritional supplement formulated
with vitamins, herbs, and glandular products that targets
male sexual organs. It contains vitamin E, liver fractions,
wheat germ, beta-sitosterol, and herbal extracts of muira
puama, Mexican damiana, saw palmetto, cola nut, ginseng, and
ginkgo biloba. If the use of nutritional supplements for two
months does not improve your erections, you do need to see
a healthcare practitioner, as sexual problems can be a sign
of serious health problems. Almost all practitioners understand
how difficult this problem is for men to discuss and are experienced
in getting the information as quickly and painlessly as possible.
Great supplements like Beta Sitosterol and Saw Palmetto along
with other supplements mentioned can be found at your local
or internet health food store.
Visit VitaNet Health Foods at http://vitanetonline.com/ VitaNet
sells high quality supplements like broccoli
sprouts for better health. Please link to this site when
using this article.
