Maintaining Good Prostate Health

Maintaining good prostate health is as simple as eating the right foods!

More and more, men who are over 50 are developing an enlarged prostate or even prostate cancer. Beginning at the age of 50 years old, Men are recommended to have their prostate checked every year. If you have a family history of prostate problems, it's a good idea to start having these checks at an even earlier age. However, there is a lot you can do by yourself to help maintain good prostate health. There is quite a bit of mounting evidence that suggests that the foods you eat have a big effect on maintaining good prostate health. A diet that is rich in certain foods may mean that you will never need to be concerned about prostate problems.

It's interesting that these particular foods do more for you than just maintain good prostate health. From a holistic standpoint, if you have good overall heath, then your whole body will function better, including your prostate.

Soybean is at the top of this list of foods. The traditional diet of Japan includes a lot of soy and it has been well documented that the incidence of prostate problems and breast cancer among the Japanese is very low. Tofu is sold in blocks similar to cheese, and has a variety of textures, from soft to very firm. By itself, Tofu doesn't have much of a taste, but it works by absorbing the flavor of the other foods it's cooked with. Try dicing up some extra firm tofu and then soak it in a chicken, shrimp or vegetable broth. Serve the tofu with steamed vegetables and rice, then you'll have a great meal that is high in soy.

With the huge variety of product that can be found in the supermarkets today, make soy a regular part of your daily diet should be easy. How about a soy burger! It tastes just like beef, but unlike regular beef, which you should cut down on if you want to promote prostate health, a soy burger promotes prostate health. Soy milk is another excellent food for your prostate's well being. While there are some studies that suggest dairy products are detrimental to your prostate health, a regular diet of soy milk seems to decrease your chances of having prostate problems.

If you simply don't like the taste of some of the many soy products available, go to your local health food store and get the powdered soy. It's a concentrated source that is also available in capsules.

While you are at the health food store, grab some extract of Saw Palmetto, or Saw Palmetto berries in capsules. A recent study was released that compared more than 1000 men, and it conducted the study over a six month period. The study compared Saw Palmetto with a standard pharmaceutical which is used to treat prostate problems. The conclusion was that both were effective, but the Saw Palmetto had less side effects than the pharmaceutical product. In another analysis of 18 independent studies, a VA medical center concluded that Saw Palmetto was a very effective treatment for prostate problems.

You'll want to use garlic in your food at every opportunity you get. There are a lot of clinical studies that have shown that men who eat garlic regularly have much lower incidences of both prostate and bladder cancer. If you are one of those people who dosen't like garlic or garlic breath,  the go back to the health food store and get some capsules of Kyolic(TM) garlic. This Japanese product does not give you garlic breath and will not upset your stomach.

Lycopene is a unique compound that is found in red fruits and vegetables, like apples, tomatoes and red bell peppers. Lycopene is a strong antioxidant (cancer fighting food) which comes with a bonus. Several studies have proven that a lycopene rich diet will result in overall better prostate health. In particular, the red fruits have been found to promote prostate health.

So what are you going to have for dinner? How about some chicken flavored tofu, in delicious fried rice with a few sweet red bell peppers? For dessert, have a cup of strawberries!