Prostate Got You On the Run?
Optimizing Health, Part 21: Prostate Health
(August 13, 2013)
Dear Readers,
The prostate is a walnut-sized gland that produces semen, the fluid that transports sperm. After a man turns 50, or in those with urinary symptoms, the prostate may begin to need support. And men who have CFS/FMS can be particularly vulnerable to a form of prostate irritation called prostadynia.
The prostate rings the urethra, the tube that transports ejaculate and drains urine from the bladder. As the prostate expands in size, the urethra may be squeezed and narrowed, causing urinary symptoms such as frequent urination (particularly during the night), urgency, difficulty starting the stream, a weaker stream, dribbling at the end, and incomplete emptying.
These are the symptoms of benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), a condition that in mild, moderate or severe form afflicts four out of five men aged 40 and older. (It's THE most common health problem among older men.) And as I mentioned earlier, many men with CFS/FMS have prostate irritation called prostadynia, with similar symptoms and sometimes pelvic pain. The prostadynia symptoms often improve with long-term antifungals, antibiotics in select cases, and the nutrient quercitin.
There are several medications that doctors often use to treat BPH. Flomax (a so-called alpha-blocker) works by relaxing the muscles where the bladder and urethra intersect, allowing for easier flow. Proscar and Avodart work by decreasing production of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), the compound that pumps up prostate cells.
But like most medications, they have downsides. For one thing, they're expensive. And they're not without side effects, from decreased semen volume to painful orgasms (from Flomax).
Natural approaches to optimize the health of your prostate are often effective alternatives to prescription medications. In this article, I'll discuss 5 herbals that can help keep your plumbing in tip-top shape.
Love & blessings,
Dr. T
Research Briefs
The Prostate-Protecting Power of Vitamin D
Patients with low-risk prostate cancer who took a daily dose of 4,000 IU of vitamin D for one year had less biopsied cancer and lower Gleason scores (a measurement of cancer severity). "Patients with low-risk prostate cancer under active surveillance may benefit from vitamin D3 supplementation at 4,000 IU/day," wrote the researchers in the July 2012 issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
Ease Anxiety During a Prostate Biopsy — With Music
Men who listened to music during a prostate biopsy had lower blood pressure after the biopsy than men not listening to music, "indicating lesser physiological response to anxiety and pain," reported researchers from Duke University Medical Center in the January, 2012 issue of Urology.
Eat More Fruit!
Men who had been treated for prostate cancer and then included more fruit in their diet were much less likely to have a subsequent rise in PSA (prostate specific antigen), a biomarker for prostate cancer, reported researchers from the University of South Carolina in the April, 2012 issue of Cancer Epidemiology.
Free Webinar By Dr. T
Topic: Optimize Your Energy with S.H.I.N.E.!
Dr. T will discuss how to bolster your energy using his proven S.H.I.N.E. protocol in a free webinar this week sponsored by the website Terry Talks Nutrition.
When: Thursday, August 15, 1:00 PM Central Time
Register free at Terry Talks Nutrition »
The Fatigue and Fibromyalgia Solution
The Essential Guide to Overcoming Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia, Made Easy
We're pleased to announce that The Fatigue and Fibromyalgia Solution is now available — having debuted as the #1 bestseller on Amazon.com in the CFS and fibromyalgia book category!
Countless people have been helped by Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum's landmark From Fatigued to Fantastic!, the all-time bestselling book on combating disabling fatigue and fibromyalgia. But being very detailed, and textbook like, people kept asking when there would be a short and SIMPLE version. Well, here it is!;-)
The Fatigue and Fibromyalgia Solution (Avery, August 2013, Paperback Original & Ebook) provides a solid, yet really short and easy to read foundation for those with fibromyalgia or even day to day fatigue. For those who have read From Fatigued to Fantastic!, it also offers the latest research and clinical advances in treating chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and the baffling, often dismissed symptoms associated with these debilitating conditions.
Cool Stuff
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Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D. is one of the world's leading integrative medical authorities on fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. He is the lead author of eight research studies on their effective treatments, and has published numerous health & wellness books, including the bestseller on fibromyalgia From Fatigued to Fantastic! and The Fatigue and Fibromyalgia Solution. Dr. Teitelbaum is one of the most frequently quoted fibromyalgia experts in the world and appears often as a guest on news and talk shows nationwide including Good Morning America, The Dr. Oz Show, Oprah & Friends, CNN, and Fox News Health.
