There are 400,000 surgeries on the prostate every year. 189,000 men are diagnosed every year with Prostate Cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, 30,000 deaths per year are due to this problem.

Let’s talk about something you can do to prevent being one of those surgical statistics.

The prostate gland is a chestnut shaped organ that surrounds a portion of the urethra in men. This gland is responsible for manufacturing and secreting milky fluid called semen. Disorders commonly increase after age 40; that’s why it is recommended that men have a Prostate screening starting at age 40.

Prostate problems are epidemic in this country. Swollen prostate or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is the most common diagnosis made in American men over 55. Some doctors say 80%, some 70%, will get it at some point in their life and the longer you live, the greater your chances.

Two other problems: Prostatitis (prostate inflammation) and prostate cancer. The first sign of trouble is usually waking up at night to urinate. It is a minor nuisance at first. Most men say they don't mind once or twice but when it progresses to 3, 4 or more, it is a big problem. It also becomes a daytime problem. Men can't drive more than an hour without finding a bathroom. As this continues to progress it can become painful to urinate. Sufferers experience incomplete bladder emptying and sexual dysfunction.

The conventional approaches are drugs, radiation or surgery. The incidence of impotence is 50-60% for both radiation and surgery.

The New York Times and Washington Post ran articles on this enormous problem with particular attention to PSA testing. Current guidelines from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network call for starting PSA screening tests at 40 and performing a biopsy if the PSA level exceeds 2.5. The biopsy involves taking a series of tissue samples (6-12 punches or cores) from several areas of the gland.

Here was the concern in the newspaper articles. The PSA test has been promoted as a means to improve men’s health outcomes through early detection of prostate cancer. However, high PSA levels don't necessarily indicate cancer. Instead, they indicate that something is going on to inflame the prostate. That something could be cancer, but it's much more likely to be a recent infection or a completely benign enlargement of the prostate gland.

Dr. Thomas Stamey, Stanford University, was one of the original boosters of PSA testing. Then, in 2004, he spoke of the shortcomings of the test. Dr. Stamey stated in his presentation: We have been so thorough and effective in screening for prostate cancer over this 20 year period that PSA no longer has a relationship to prostate cancer. Because we all develop the cancer, we're now removing prostates from men whose cancer is so small that they do not need the procedure. We're finding all these little cancers that are never going to be a danger to the patient.

What some are considering worse than your new knowledge of cancer is that new guidelines call for active surveillance (repeating the PSA test every 6-12 months and more frequently if they took fewer chunks out of your prostate the first time).

The decision point to begin therapy has also become more aggressive, meaning again that men with clinically insignificant prostate cancer will be subjected to radiation, surgery and chemo.
 

The point of this information is just a caution regarding a biopsy. It’s not being suggested that no one needs a biopsy. However, if your doctor suggests a biopsy, you might want to get a second opinion before moving forward with it.

Your best course of action is to take care of your prostate. Research has focused on the association between nutrition and prostate health. A number of dietary factors have been found to affect prostate health. Reducing saturated fat intake, increasing the intake of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D (Re:Charge contains 1,066 mg of vitamin D), increasing fiber intake, increasing dietary antioxidants from fruits and vegetables (or Re:Plenish), and drinking high-ORP alkaline water. Another interesting long term study from the Harvard School of Public Health found a link between consumption of dairy products, including whole and skim milk, cheese and ice cream and an increased risk of prostate cancer. Men who drank more than 6 glasses of milk a week had lower levels of the most active form of vitamin D (milk impairs an enzyme function that converts vitamin D to its active form). According to this study, the risk factor for prostate cancer was increased by 30%.

There are many studies that support the roles of specific nutrients and herbs in protecting prostate health. The ones with the greatest potential include Saw Palmetto, Pygeum, nettles, Zinc, Arginine, vitamin D and antioxidant nutrients such as Selenium, vitamin E and Lycopene—all found in Re:Charge. The Re:Store product (formerly Essential Fatty Acid) is also important when it comes to prostate health, as is Re:Plenish functional beverage (formerly Heartland Select). According to the National Institutes of Health, laboratory experiments show that an extract of the skin of muscadine grapes can inhibit growth of prostate cancer cells.

The hormone controlling the growth of the prostate is called DHT. DHT binds to growth receptors on prostatic cells telling them to grow and divide. Recent research has repeatedly confirmed this. But here is the amazing part... all around the world, different cultures have developed traditional remedies for swollen prostate. Some of the traditional remedies are hundreds of years old. And guess what? We are only just now learning that they inhibit the action of DHT.

The herb Saw Palmetto—in Re:Charge—has been shown to inhibit 90% of the activity of an enzyme, 5-alpha reducatse, that makes DHT in your prostate. A study published in the medical journal PROSTATE found Saw Palmetto to be as effective as the drug Finasteride (Proscar) but without the side effects. Most of the world’s Saw Palmetto is grown in Florida.

More confirmation came in 1998 when the usually anti-herb publication, the Journal of the American Medical Assoc, (JAMA) made a rare concession. After reviewing multiple studies on Saw Palmetto, they concluded "extracts from the Saw Palmetto Plant improve urinary tract symptoms and flow measures in men with BPH." (prostate enlargement)

PYGEUM is in the evergreen family found in Africa. South African tribes have used the pygeum bark for centuries to sooth bladder discomfort and treat what they called "Old man’s disease." It has been used in Europe since the 1960s to treat men suffering from BPH. Many studies have demonstrated the benefit of pygeum in improving the urinary symptoms of BPH without side effects or adverse reactions.

The use of STINGING NETTLE has its origins in Indian medical history where it was used to relieve the stinging, prickling sensations of prostate infection and enlargement. Studies point to its beneficial effects for Prostate Enlargement either used alone or in combination with pygeum or Saw Palmetto.

ZINC concentrations are much higher in the prostate gland than in any other human tissue. According to the research zinc possesses a specific regulatory mechanism to help control cancer cell proliferation.

Eighty percent of seminal fluid is composed of the amino acid ARGININE and researchers have found that the addition of Arginine to Zinc supplementation may provide additional benefits for Prostatitis.

Re:Charge uses a unique patented form of zinc bound to Arginine. Zinc Arginine Chelate has been shown to have a greater ability to reach the male gonadal tissues than other forms of zinc.

SELENIUM works along with vitamin E and other antioxidants, such as quercetin, to help reduce the effects of free radical oxidation. Several studies have found that selenium supplementation may reduce the incidence and/or recurrence of prostate cancer. An interesting study reported by the British Journal of Urology concluded that selenium treatment was associated with a 63% reduction in Prostate Cancer recurrence in 974 men with a history of the disease.

LYCOPENES (a potent antioxidant) - Licopene-rich foods such as tomatoes are associated with lower risk of prostate cancer. Taking Lycopene supplements has been found to slow the growth of tumors and lower PSA scores in men with Prostate Cancer.

Re:Charge—an extraordinary whole food supplement with its unique patented CAEDs delivery system—guarantees that the beneficial nutrients get to the site and cells where needed.

In discussing good nutrition for Prostate health, we must mention that the prostate also needs good circulation from both the blood vessels and lymphatic system. Exercise is the answer! Walking is especially beneficial to the prostate. The movement of muscles and organs in the pelvic cavity during walking helps circulation to and from the gland. Constant sitting during most of your childhood and adult life only adds to your chances of having prostate problems.

Also, good hydration and alkaline water are important. Minimize your coffee and alcohol consumption. Too much of either predisposes you to prostate trouble. Snack on raw nuts and seeds—almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds—great sources of good fatty acids and zinc.

Another important topic associated with Men’s health is male hormones and the aging process. As men age past 40, hormone changes occur that inhibit physical, sexual and cognitive function. The outward appearance of a typical middle aged male shows increased abdominal fat and shrinkage of muscle mass, a hallmark effect of hormone imbalance. A loss of just the feeling of well being, sometimes it can manifest as depression, just one of the common complications of hormone imbalance. Until recently, these changes were attributed to "growing old" and men were expected to accept that decline.

A remarkable amount of data has been compiled indicating that many of the diseases that middle aged men begin experiencing, including depression, abdominal weight gain and prostate and heart disease, are directly related to hormone imbalances that are correctable with currently available drug and nutrient therapies. Conventional doctors are increasingly prescribing drugs to treat depression, elevated cholesterol, angina and a host of other diseases that may be caused by an underlying hormone imbalance.

If doctors checked their male patients' blood levels of estrogen, testosterone, thyroid and DHEA, they might find that many problems could be eliminated by adjusting hormone levels to fit the profile of a healthy 21-year old (a word of caution: never take a hormone without first talking to your physician and having blood levels checked). Few physicians know what hormone blood tests to order for men nor do they have the experience to properly adjust hormones to reverse the degenerative changes that begin in mid-life so you may need to do some research, inquiring in your area for a professional that knows this field.

The most significant hormone imbalance in aging men is a decrease in free testosterone, while estrogen levels remain the same or increase significantly. This imbalance is a direct cause of many problems associated with normal aging.

One cause of hormone imbalance in men is that their testosterone is increasingly converted to estrogen. One report showed that estrogen levels of the average 54 yr. old man are higher than those of the average 59 year old woman.

The reason that testosterone replacement therapy does not work by itself for many men is that exogenously (outside the body—creams) administered testosterone may convert into even more estrogen, potentially worsening the hormone imbalance problem in aging males.

Estrogen is an essential hormone for men, but too much of it causes a wide range of health problems. The most dangerous acute effect of excess estrogen and too little testosterone is an increased risk of heart attack or stroke. High levels of estrogen have been implicated as a cause of benign prostate hypertrophy (BPH), prostate enlargement. One mechanism by which nettle extract works (this extract is found in Re:Charge) is to block the binding of growth stimulating estrogen to the prostate cells.

Age related decline in testosterone levels is not inevitable. A report in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism looked at data for 1667 men 40-70 years old. They found that biggest factor in testosterone loss was weight gain. See the Vollara Shape Your Weight system.

Adding 4-5% to your Body Mass Index can result in a drop in testosterone levels equal to 10 years of aging. If you simply shed pounds and increase muscle mass, you can turn back the T-Factor clock a decade. Builds a case for Re:Place (formerly The Enzyme Diet) and exercise.

You can reverse the effect of aging naturally and safely by keeping your natural testosterone production high in these ways:

FOLLOW A DIET LOW IN CARBOHYDRATES and HIGH IN PROTEIN: Empty carbs, the kind you find in bread, flour and processed foods, spike your insulin and pack on the pounds. This sends testosterone downward. By over consuming protein, you tell your body that "times are good." As a result, your body will feel it is okay to start burning off your fat stores. Again, add Re:Place to your daily program.

Eat LOTS of cruciferous vegetables, specifically broccoli, cabbage, asparagus, cauliflower. These contain a substance called DIM, which has been proven to help the body to break down estrogen, the feminizing hormone that robs you of your manhood. These vegetables also contain a precursor to DIM and they work in combination to keep estrogen levels down. Again, Re:Plenish is strongly recommended. Two ounces per day is equivalent to eating several servings of vegetables.

There are natural testosterone boosting supplements. One that is produced naturally by your body is DHEA but as you get older, DHEA levels begin to decline. Talk to your doctor about restoring DHEA levels. Have your levels checked. Youthful DHEA levels fall between 300 and 500 mg/dl. If you discover your levels are low, discuss with your doctor the best supplemental dosage and the optimum level you want to reach.

Again, EXERCISE. This is the fastest way to burn fat. Add Re:Lease (formerly Lipo-Chromizyme) to your exercise program and increase muscle mass by doing resistance workouts (weights, pushups, as opposed to just walking). The benefits of Re:Lease are also found in Re:Fuel (formerly Essentials For Life).