You may not realize it, but the prostate is an integral part of the male reproductive process. While you may still be able to live without a prostate, your chances of producing a healthy sperm count, and thereby offspring, is severely limited — if not entirely obliterated.
But that’s not the biggest news about the prostate. The accessory gland is responsible for the fluid that carries the sperms of a healthy male. The problem is prostate cancer is the #2 cancer in men (aside from skin cancer). It’s responsible for roughly 30,000 deaths every year. Affecting men mostly in their old age, prostate cancer is second only to lung cancer in terms of the number of affected.
The good news is prostate cancer can be prevented. For one, Asian men have far fewer incidences of the disease than their North American counterparts. Experts believe all these have to do primarily with the diet, among many other considerations. Having a healthy lifestyle therefore can be key to ensuring your prostate stays as healthy as can be. And you’re as fertile as a horse.
Your Chances of Getting Prostate Cancer
Of course, taking the prostate out of the picture is one solution to prostate cancer. Your sexual life may no longer be the same again. Many of those who went through prostatectomy became impotent or suffer from incontinence. Take note that the prostate plays a huge role in urination.
So what are your chances of getting prostate cancer? Globally, more than a million men get diagnosed with prostate cancer with over 300,000 succumb to the disease yearly. Pundits predict one in every two men on the planet will develop prostate by the year 2124. That should give you a sigh of relief knowing it will take time for this cancer to be prevalent.
Today, however, take note that the older you get, the greater the chance of developing prostate cancer. Stats show the average age of a male being diagnosed is 66 years old. And the disease rarely affects those under 40 years of age.
In this sense, looking at the future when you’re still young will definitely give you an edge. This is the reason why more and more employees are choosing a defined contribution retirement plan. Unlike traditional pension plans (defined-benefit plans), you have greater options of investing and growing your pension with a defined-contribution one. And that could mean a bigger pot for you in retirement.
Additionally, African Americans have twice more risk of developing prostate cancer than white Americans. Plus, your risk increase if one of your relatives has it.
Preventing It
Certainly, there are things you can do to minimize your risk. One is diet. Poor eating habits, experts say, is to blame why American men have higher rates of prostate cancer compared to their Asian counterparts.
Studies suggest that reducing fat intake can help diminish your risk of developing prostate cancer. Instead of eating saturated fats and trans fats, get more Omega-3 fatty acids, those you can find by eating fish, nuts, and seeds.
Moreover, take more green leafy vegetables. Lycopene, the antioxidant found in tomatoes has been shown to slow prostate cancer growth. To this end, broccoli and other cruciferous veggies should bid you well.
Then, there’s green tea. Studies show drinking green tea may lower the risk of men developing prostate cancer.
This also means you will have to limit on charred meat. It may be tasty but charred meat, those you get by grilling or frying meat at very high temperatures, can be carcinogenic.
And Then Some
If you’re serious about limiting your prostate cancer risk, you may have to lose weight. Being overweight and obese can increase your risk of getting cancer of the prostate. It certainly pays to slim down as belly fat has been directly connected to a host of life-threatening diseases.
Added to this, keeping a healthy lifestyle should be top of your mind. Not only does regular exercise help you achieve a better frame, but it can also reduce inflammation and help you prevent cancer.
Then, there’s the case of vices. Smoking and excessive drinking can be a huge contributing factor to all cancers, prostate including. So if you have to drink, don’t overdo it. Virtue is definitely in the middle.
A little more sun can help you too. Studies show vitamin D can be instrumental in prostate cancer prevention. If you can’t get more sunlight, taking in vitamin D-filled food such as salmon and cod liver oil is wise.
Lastly, you may have to stay sexually active. Research shows those who ejaculated more in a month lessen their risk of prostate cancer better than those who don’t. The good news is you don’t need a partner to make it all happen.
