Keeping Your Prostate Healthy
Will You Avoid These Foods To Keep Your Prostate Healthy?
Over 200 million men are affected by benign prostatic enlargement worldwide but there are some simple dietary and lifestyle changes that can help alleviate the lower urinary tract symptoms that accompany benign prostatic enlargement (BPH).
Healthy Diet – A healthy balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats is thought to protect the prostate. There are specific foods known to benefit the prostate such as: salmon, berries, tomatoes, onions, garlic, nuts, broccoli and citrus fruit. It is the combination of antioxidants such as lycopene in tomatoes, omega-3 fatty acids in salmon and sulforaphane in dark green leafy vegetables that protect the prostate by decreasing inflammation and balancing the hormones.
There are certain foods which should be avoided or cut out of your diet completely as they can irritate the prostate and increase symptoms of BPH. Avoid these foods to keep your prostate healthy:
Red meat – daily meat consumption is believed to almost triple your risk of prostate enlargement.
Dairy – similarly to meat, dairy is also linked to prostatic enlargement and reducing consumption should help reduce BPH symptoms
Caffeine – acts as a diuretic and may aggravate BPH symptoms by increasing urgency to urinate – consumption should by reduced.
Alcohol – stimulates urine production possibly making BPH symptoms worse. Reducing alcohol can help improve symptoms.
There is anecdotal evidence that taking a Saw Palmetto supplement can alleviate lower urinary tract symptoms. It is thought that Saw Palmetto can improve patient’s symptoms who have BPH by blocking DHT production. Although DHT plays a vital role in prostate health it can lead to enlargement of the gland.
Stress can worsen symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and this is caused by shifts in hormone levels or the involvement of the sympathetic nervous system. Stress management techniques such as exercise, breathing focus and proper nutrition may ease symptoms of BPH.
Pelvic floor exercises can help improve a whole range of urinary tract symptoms – we will soon be posting a step-by-step guide on how to perform these
Simple lifestyle changes such as avoiding fluids in the evening to reduce night time urination, emptying the bladder completely when urinating and limiting fluid intake to 2 litres of liquids each day can be effective in improving your lower urinary tract symptoms.