Our bodies rely on us to take proper care of them. Sometimes that can seem impossible since many of those organs don’t alert us to their needs. Many also don’t show symptoms of a problem, leaving us blind. One of the most overlooked areas in male health is prostate health.
While it’s discussed in medical situations, everyday life is another matter. Yet, as the years pass, learning about it becomes more important. Below are simple, practical tips to support your journey to better prostate health.
Critical areas of prostate health
There are three main areas to focus on about realistic and actionable prostate health tips. These include the following:
- A varied, healthy diet
- Regular daily exercise
- Timely targeted testing
By focusing on these three areas, you can do your part to protect your prostate. Don’t worry; it won’t be as complicated as you expect.
The importance of diet and prostate health
If you’ve done any amount of research on prostate health, one of the first things you learn about is diet. Most experts have different opinions on approaching your food content, though. Different food groups have different advantages and disadvantages that all must be considered.
Your best bet is to aim for your “five a day” rule and focus on eating dark leafy green vegetables as much as possible (1). It would help if you also focused on eating omega-3 fatty acids. These give you the healthy fat you need without the downsides of other types of fat (1). Look to your oily fish (fresh or tinned) for that. You can also find it waiting for you in many types of nuts.
Avoid sugar, salt, and saturated fats to protect your prostate (1). These areas are linked to poor prostate health. This is primarily through their tendency to promote inflammation in the body. They are also linked to poor general health, indirectly impacting your prostate. Do what you can to keep these areas as indulgences.
One final tip is to aim for fresh foods for your diet goals rather than supplements. Even if you take supplements for optimal health, natural foods with minerals and vitamins will always be better (2).
The importance of exercise and prostate health
Once you get your diet straightened away, you can focus on exercise. Daily and weekly exercise support your best prostate health. Studies also suggest that exercise can help lower your risk of prostate health concerns later in life (2). This is especially likely if you are at risk of developing aggressive prostate cancer (2). The earlier you start your exercise routines, the better.
Personalize your approach to daily physical activity and exercise to make it work. It’s a good idea to vary your exercise throughout the week. This way, you will be doing activities to strengthen all your major muscle groups (2). This helps you move toward better well-rounded health.
Most experts recommend aiming for 150 minutes or 2.5 hours of weekly exercise (2). If you are new to daily exercise, stick to low-impact exercise at first. Once you get comfortable, increase it to moderate intensity and occasional high-intensity exercise.
The importance of testing and prostate health
The other aspect of keeping on top of your prostate health is testing. No one wants to consider testing because of the fear of finding something wrong. Yet, the only thing worse than knowing something is wrong is not knowing something is wrong.
Consider a PSA test for prostate health testing at regular intervals. These test kits can detect abnormalities that could signal a health concern (3). PSA tests are simple, quick, and can be done from the comfort of your own home. These tests can pick up changes in your levels before you notice anything yourself. They could also signal an inflamed prostate or early signs of prostate cancer (3).
If your PSA test results come back abnormal, you can contact your GP for specialized testing. It is much better to know about a problem as early as possible so that you can assess, diagnose, and treat it effectively. In an aging population, preventative care can only do so much. This is particularly so about prostate health.
The bottom line
There is no guarantee that you will never face prostate health problems. But, looking at the role of diet, exercise, and prostate testing can help you do everything possible to keep those risks low. These will also help you enjoy a better health profile and long-term quality of life! All that’s left is to get started.
LINKS
1 https://www.prime-health.co.uk/blog/how-can-i-naturally-strengthen-my-prostate-health/
2 https://prostatecanceruk.org/prostate-information/are-you-at-risk/can-i-reduce-my-risk
3 https://prostatecanceruk.org/prostate-information/prostate-tests/psa-blood-test