Most men forget about having a prostate until it starts acting up. Some don’t even know what it is and what it does. Basically, the prostate is a small gland found under the bladder. Its most essential function is to produce fluids that make up semen. The prostate’s muscles ensure that the semen is pressed into the urethra forcefully and expelled outwards during the process of ejaculation.

Although the prostate is small, it may complicate men’s lives. As men age, it undergoes a lot of changes. Generally, the men’s prostate gland is stable until they reach their mid-40s. This is when the prostate starts to enlarge in some men, which can choke off urine flow and may cause cancer. An unhealthy prostate can affect men’s sexual and urinary function.

Things That Can Worsen Prostate Health

If you suspect that there’s something wrong with your prostate, take the time to consult specialists like https://drcatalona.com/. They’ll offer advice and treatment to keep your prostate healthy. They’ll also provide tips to help you avoid the things that may worsen your prostate health.

Some of the things that may negatively affect your prostate health are the following:

• Ignoring Urine Symptoms

The most common prostate problem is prostate cancer, but there’s a much more common condition that you should know and that is BPH or Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia. BPH is the gland’s enlargement, which normally occurs with aging. The early signs of BPH include urinary tract infections, incomplete emptying of the bladder, and getting up every midnight to urinate.

Most men may not pay attention to such symptoms and just ignore them. However, what they don’t know is that those symptoms can affect their prostate health negatively. If you experience them, make sure to talk with your doctor as soon as you notice the signs. You can also visit the Urological Research Foundation to know more. It’s an organization that supports patient education and research in prostate cancer.

• High Cholesterol Levels

Cholesterol can cause serious health problems once it accumulates in the lining of your blood vessels. Normal cholesterol level is a good thing since its fatty substance serves as a nutrient for your cells. This is also true for healthy cells in the prostate. But if you have a high cholesterol level, prostate cancer cells may thrive. If this happens, do your prostate a favor and consult your doctor.

• Weight Gain

Everybody knows that obesity is connected with diabetes and heart disease. However, did you know that it can also affect your prostate health? A bigger waistline means a greater risk of developing prostate cancer.

Weight gain doesn’t only increase your risk of prostate cancer, it can also lead to the development of a more aggressive form of prostate cancer, which has low survival rates. So, if you see yourself gaining more weight, you might want to start getting rid of the extra pounds if you don’t want to worsen your prostate health or end up with an enlarged prostate. 

Things That Can Help Improve Prostate Health

If there are things that can worsen your prostate health, there are also things you can do to keep it healthy and these include the following:

• Eat More Fruits And Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables contain many minerals, vitamins, fiber, phytochemicals, and antioxidants. In combination, these nutrients help ensure that your prostate is healthy. Eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily. Pick fruits and vegetables from every color category to get a variety of phytochemicals that are healthy for your prostate.

Eat tomatoes that contain lycopene, a powerful antioxidant. Pink grapefruit, guava, and watermelon are also a good addition to your diet because they also contain lycopene. Since your body can absorb lycopene in cooked tomatoes easily, stewed tomatoes or tomato sauce are great sources. However, don’t peel your tomatoes because most of the lycopene is found on their bright red skin.

• Drink Green Tea

Green tea has an antioxidant known as catechin polyphenols that may play an important role in your prostate health. It’s most beneficial if you drink at least 3 cups of green tea daily. Generally, green tea contains about 10 to 20 percent the amount of caffeine.

If you like decaffeinated green tea, pick one that uses water and carbon dioxide as the solvent. It’s the most preferred method of decaffeination since it retains the majority of catechins.

• Reduce Stress Levels

Stress can affect your prostate health negatively. When some men are stressed, their pelvic muscles may tighten. The chronic tightening may create some pelvic floor muscle issues, which may lead to an increased risk of having chronic prostatitis.

Stress may also affect men who suffer from BPH. It may also worsen symptoms including pain and frequency of urination. Having prostate problems may also increase your anxiety and stress, which can worsen your condition because stress impairs the ability of the immune system to fight the disease. This is why it’s crucial to manage your stress levels, take care of your emotional health, and release tension.

Techniques that might be worth looking into include deep breathing, meditation, therapy or activities such as tai chi, yoga, and exercise. When it comes to prostate health, never isolate yourself because it’s important to have meaningful social relationships and have somebody you can talk to.

• Regular Exercise

Daily physical activity and exercise are also important for prostate health. Exercising regularly releases tension, keeps the hormone levels healthy, enhances immune function, and reduces stress.

One of the exercise tips to improve prostate health is to do resistance exercise, which can also help boost your muscular performance and strength, reduce fatigue, and boost your quality of life. Just aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity daily. You may also talk with your healthcare provider to know what activities are perfect for you.

• Maintain A Healthy Body Weight

Maintaining a healthy weight isn’t just essential for your overall health, it may also benefit your prostate. For a healthy weight loss, aim to lose 1-2 pounds weekly. You can achieve this by eating healthy meals and exercising regularly. 

Conclusion

Knowing the things that can worsen and improve your prostate health can have a great impact on your overall health. Just remember that you don’t need to spend a huge amount of money to treat your prostate problems. You only need to make some small changes in your lifestyle, weight, and diet, which can be the key to have better prostate health in the long run. However, if things are beyond your control, consult your doctor as soon as possible.