Health

By Prof M.K Oseni

THE prostate is a male accessory organ of reproduction. A professor of Anatomy described the relationship between the testes and the prostate thus: “Man has three balls, two dangling outside, while the third remains up inside.”

The prostate is a walnut-sized gland located between the bladder and the penis, just in front of the rectum. The urethra runs through the center of the prostate, from the bladder to the penis, letting urine flow out of the body. This is the reason why any condition affecting the normal size of the prostate, internally or externally also affects the amount of urine retained in the bladder and its rate of flow out of the bladder. 

The prostate secretes fluid that nourishes and protects sperm. During ejaculation, the prostate squeezes this fluid into the urethra, and it is expelled with sperm as semen. This function of the prostate requires it to have loads of zinc. The semen may be considered an armored tank that carries sperm to its ultimate destination where it will fertilize the ovum.

Do you know that all men over 50 years old have some levels of asymptomatic prostate enlargement?

Do you know that 90 percent of men over 70 years old suffer from one prostate problem or the other? 

And that for all men that died of natural causes, on autopsy, their prostate was already having one problem or the other, and it was only a matter of time before the prostate would have been the very cause of death? 

And do you also know that changes in lifestyle and diet before reaching fifty years of age and after can be all the difference that will exclude you from those having prostate problems? Wouldn’t you rather be among those whose prostate problems would probably be detected only on routine autopsy after living a healthy and active life?

There are three main types of Prostate Problems :

#1.Prostatitis: Inflammation of the prostate,

sometimes caused by an infection. In this case, it is treated with antibiotics.

#2.Enlarged Prostate: called benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). This affects virtually all men over fifty years old, and it is associated with symptoms of difficult urination. 

#3.Prostate cancer: It is the most common form of cancer in men (besides skin cancer), but only one in 40 men die from prostate cancer. 

Here are some dietary factors to consider in preventing or managing prostate enlargement:

Cooked tomatoes have lycopene in a concentrated form, much higher than ordinarily available in raw tomatoes. Lycopene is very essential for prostate health, preventing enlargement and cancer.

Sesame seeds are rich in zinc – an important prostate mineral (research shows that men with prostate cancer have up to 75 percent depletion in their zinc).

Pumpkin seeds, almonds, and oysters also have high levels of zinc.

It is important to note that zinc is more easily absorbed when it is part of food as opposed to when taken as a supplement.

African Walnuts are also very good for the prostate.

The use of turmeric with ginger in foods is probably the best investment a man can make in his prostate health.

Peppers: Cayenne pepper, Alligator pepper, Black Pepper, and Bell Pepper are all powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents. They prevent prostate enlargement.

Water Melon: this is a must for every man regularly. All parts of this fruit are consumable and loaded with nutrients, especially the seeds and the external cover.

Grapefruits are also rich in lycopene, but unlike tomatoes, grapefruit needs no cooking to make their lycopene available. Simply cut up the whole grapefruit into pieces, put in a blender, add some slices of lemon, and blend!

Aside from these dietary tips, there are also a few lifestyle changes necessary for a healthy prostate that needs mentioning:

•Avoid dairy milk and beverages containing sugar or other sweeteners. 

•Avoid sodas or soft drinks. 

•Avoid any food packed in a tin. 

•Avoid wearing tight-fitting nylon under-wears.

And lastly, but not least important is the need to sit less and walk more. 

Move those legs to keep those dangling two balls rolling, to keep the third ball upstairs healthy. Your prostate will be happy about it!

***Professor Maruff Kayode Oseni is the Vice President of the Nigerian Council of Physicians of Natural Medicine (NCPNM)/

Association of Practitioners of Alternative & Complementary Medicine (APCAM).

KN

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