Perfect Prostate Problem

Perfect Prostate Problem

 

What is the Prostate in human body?

The prostate (from Greek προστάτης, prostates, literally “one who stands before”, “protector”, “guardian”) is a compound tubuloalyeolar exocrine gland of the male reproductive system in most mammals.It differs considerably among species anatomically,chemically, and physiologically.

In female anatomy, Skene’s glands or the Skene glands  (also known as the lesser vestibular glands, periurethral glands, paraurethral glands, female prostate) are glands located on the anterior wall of the vagina, around the lower end of the urethra. They drain into the urethra and near the urethral opening and may be near or a part of the G-spot. These glands are surrounded with tissue (which includes the part of the clitoris) that reaches up inside the vagina and swells with blood during sexual arousal.

A healthy human prostate is classically said to be slightly larger than a walnut. The mean weight of the normal prostate in adult males is about 11 grams, usually ranging between 7 and 16 grams. It surrounds the urethra just below the urinary bladdaer and can be felt during a rectal exam.

Prostate2

The secretory epithelium is mainly pseudo-stratified, comprising tall columnar cells and basal cells which are supported by a fibroelastic stroma containing randomly orientated smooth muscle bundles. The epithelium is highly variable and areas of low cuboidal or squamous epithelium are also present, with transitional epithelium in the distal regions of the longer ducts. Within the prostate, the urethra coming from the bladder is called the prostatic urethra and merges with the two ejaculatory ducts.

The prostate can be divided in two ways: by zone, or by lobe. It does not have a capsule, rather an integral fibromuscular band surrounds it. It is sheathed in the muscles of the pelvic floor, which contract during the ejaculatory process.

Prostate Conditions

  • Prostatitis: Inflammation of the prostate, sometimes caused by infection. In some cases, it is treated with antibiotics.
  • Enlarged prostate: Called benign prostatic hypertrophy or BPH, prostate growth affects virtually all men over 50. Symptoms of difficult urination tend to increase with age. Medicines or surgery can treat BPH.
  • Prostate cancer: It’s the most common form of cancer in men (besides skin cancer), but only one in 35 men die from prostate cancer. Surgery, radiation, hormone therapy, and chemotherapy can be used to treat prostate cancer. Some men choose to delay treatment, which is called watchful waiting.

Prostate Tests

  • Digital rectal examination (DRE): A doctor inserts a lubricated, gloved finger into the rectum and feels the prostate. A DRE can sometimes detect an enlarged prostate, lumps or nodules of prostate cancer, or tenderness from prostatitis.
  • Prostate-specific antigen (PSA): The prostate makes a protein called PSA, which can be measured by a blood test. If PSA is high, prostate cancer is more likely, but an enlarged prostate can also cause a high PSA.
  • Prostate ultrasound (transrectal ultrasound): An ultrasound probe is inserted into the rectum, bringing it close to the prostate. Ultrasound is often done with a biopsy to test for prostate cancer.
  • Prostate biopsy: A needle is inserted into the prostate to take tissue out to check for prostate cancer. This is usually done through the rectum.

Prostate Treatments

Enlarged Prostate Treatment

  • Alpha-blockers: Alpha-blockers relax the muscles around the urethra in men with symptoms from an enlarged prostate. Urine then flows more freely.
  • 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors: These medications reduce the level of a certain form of testosterone (DHT). The prostate shrinks when less DHT is present, improving urine flow.
  • Surgery for an enlarged prostate: Usually, medications resolve symptoms of an enlarged prostate, but some men require surgery to improve symptoms and prevent complications.

Prostate Cancer Treatment

  • Prostatectomy: Surgery for prostate cancer, called a prostatectomy, removes the prostate with the goal of removing all the cancer.
  • Radiation therapy: Radiation kills prostate cancer cells while minimizing damage to healthy cells.
  • Radio-active seed implants: Instead of radiation pointed at the prostate from outside the body, radioactive seeds can be implanted into the prostate to kill cancer cells.
  • Cryo-therapy: Cryotherapy involves killing prostate cancer cells by freezing them.
  • Hormone-therapy: Prostate cancer cells grow in response to hormones. Hormone therapy helps block that effect.
  • Chemo-therapy: When prostate cancer is advanced, chemotherapy may help reduce the cancer’s spread.
  • Watchful waiting: Since prostate cancer is often slow growing, some older men and their doctors hold off on treatment and wait to see if the cancer appears to be growing.
  • Clinical trials: Through prostate cancer clinical trials, researchers test the effects of new medications on a group of volunteers with prostate cancer.

Prostatitis Treatment

  • Acute and chronic prostatitis: Depending on the type of prostatitis, treatment includes antibiotics, medications, and/or surgery.

 

Now I forward the letter of consultant doctor Al Sears (11905 Southern Blvd. Royal Palm Beach, FL 33411) 

Dear Sufi,

What’s a guy to do?

It seems like everything you eat or drink is going to hurt your prostate.

Part of the problem is that in today’s world our bodies aren’t getting enough of the nutrients we need to protect ourselves.

Today I want to tell you about one of the simplest ways you can keep your prostate healthy and protected. I’m talking about the mineral selenium.

In a study done at Harvard, where they were looking at results from the famous, Physicians’ Health Study, Harvard researchers found that men who got the most selenium had the healthiest prostates.

This was true even for men with high PSA levels. If they were in the group with the most selenium, their prostate cancer risk dropped by 50%.1

 Prostate 1

The remarkable mineral selenium (Se) suppresses tumors (gold), kills cancer cells (pink), protects cells (green), and helps cells work better and stay young.
Source: Cancer Res. Apr 1, 2009; 69(7): 2699–2703.

A 50 percent lower risk shows up in many clinical trials for selenium and prostate health.

One study took 1,300 men and split them in two groups. The first took 200 mcg of selenium a day, the second got a sugar pill. The authors called the results “striking.” The overall risk of prostate cancer was almost 50 percent lower in the selenium group.2

Another eight-year clinical trial of over 5,000 men found similar results: those with normal PSA levels at the beginning of the study who took selenium saw their risk for prostate cancer drop more than fifty percent.3

Selenium is even protective if youalready have prostate cancer, according to The Netherlands Cohort Study of almost 60,000 men. The data was presented at a recent American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting.

The Swedish and British researchers officially published those results last month. As I read the study, what I found most interesting was that as you get more selenium, your risk for prostate problems drops. People with the highest selenium had the lowest risk for prostate cancer.4

Geographic studies have found that in parts of the world where soil and diet are low in selenium, rates of prostate cancer are significantly higher.5 In fact, “Keshan’s disease” is named after a province in China where people weren’t getting enough selenium.

Men should be especially careful about getting enough selenium. It’s your prostate’s best defense. Selenium stops attackers from killing prostate cells.

In a new animal study, selenium stopped prostate bloating and growth. Selenium prevented the animals from getting BPH,6 which is an enlargement of the prostate that makes you have to pee all the time. BPH can lead to LUTS (lower urinary tract symptoms), which can lead to prostate cancer.7

You should get at least 30 micrograms and up to 200 micrograms of selenium a day.

It’s a small amount, but that doesn’t make it easy to get. We can’t get selenium in high amounts in fruits and vegetables anymore because of soil depletion.

The best foods for selenium are organ meats from grass-fed animals, garlic, nuts or fish.

  • Fish is loaded with selenium. You can get all the selenium you need from a can of tuna or a serving of swordfish. If you are concerned about mercury in big fish like tuna or swordfish, you can go with cod. Three ounces of cod has 32 mcg of selenium.
  • Organ meats like chicken livers or turkey and chicken giblets have a lot of selenium, too. For instance, one chicken liver will give you 140 micrograms of selenium. Muscle meat has less selenium. Three ounces of cooked beef have 35 mcg.
  • One medium egg has 14 mcg of selenium.
  • If liver and eggs aren’t your speed, you can eat some nuts. An ounce of walnuts has 5 micrograms. Almonds have a little less. A cup of almonds gives you 2.5 mcg.
  • One variety of nut offers a full day’s worth of selenium in just one bite. It’s the Brazil nut. Brazil nuts grow in the Brazilian jungle where the soil is rich in the anti-cancer mineral. Just one single Brazil nut eaten right out of the shell will provide you with 100 mcg of selenium.
  • If you don’t like fish or liver or nuts, then you’re going to want to supplement. If you take a multi-vitamin there’s probably a little selenium in it. If not, you should switch. And if you’ve had cancer or are at risk for the disease you should talk to your doctor about adding an additional selenium supplement.

To Your Good Health,

Al Sears, MD

Refferences

1.Li H, Stampfer M, Giovannucci E, Morris J, Willett W, Gaziano J, Ma J. “A prospective study of plasma selenium levels and prostate cancer risk.” J Natl Cancer Inst. 2004;96(9):696-703.
2. Combs et al. “Reduction of cancer risk with an oral supplement of selenium.” Biomedical and Environmental Sciences. 1997. 10(2-3):227-34.
3. Meyer et al. “Antioxidant vitamin and mineral supplementation and prostate cancer prevention in the SU.VI.MAX trial.” International Journal of Cancer. 2005. 116(2):182-6.
4. Geybels M, et. al. “Selenoprotein gene variants, toenail selenium levels, and risk for advanced prostate cancer.” J Natl Cancer Inst. 2014;106(3):dju003.
5. Greenwood-Robins, Maggie Ph.D. Foods That Combat Cancer, Avon Books, 2004. p 29- 31.
6. Minutoli L, et. al. “Inhibitors of apoptosis proteins in experimental benign prostatic hyperplasia: effects of serenoa repens, selenium and lycopene.” J Biomed Sci. 2014;21(1):19.
7. Chang R, Kirby R, Challacombe B. “Is there a link between BPH and prostate cancer?” Practitioner. 2012;256(1750):13-6, 2.

Article references:

 

  • Wikipedia
  • Web MD
  • Al Sears doctor