Archive for the ‘Prostate’ Category
Can Garlic Breath Save Your Heart?
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In common folklore wearing garlic is supposed to repel vampires, but in our workaday world consuming garlic may have a major health benefit. For some time garlic has been touted as food that can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease is of particular importance to seniors. Previous research into how garlic contributes to cardiovascular health focused on its ability to help our bodies synthesize both NO and CO. Garlic apparently helps our bodies boost the levels of both carbon monoxide (CO) and nitric oxide (NO) so that the heart is better protected against cardiovascular disease. This is good news for seniors who are searching for ways to take preemptive aging steps to foster their senior health, but there is even better news about garlic.
Recent research has discovered that garlic helps our bodies synthesize a third molecule known as hydrogen sulfide (H2S) which is not as well known as the first two, but which your nose has probably detected. The H2S molecule gives off the familiar odor of rotten eggs. The H2S molecule is the one that is responsible for the infamous ‘garlic breath’ that appears after anyone has eaten anything containing garlic or its extracts. The small amount of H2S that is generated from eating garlic is not toxic and apparently has a beneficial effect on our cardiovascular health. Specifically the H2S molecule produces several physiological effects that benefit cardiovascular health including relaxing blood vessels, promoting the development of new blood vessels, and lowering blood pressure.
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Why Cancer Doesn’t Like Cruciferous Vegetables?
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When we were growing up our parents always told us to ‘eat our vegetables’, but at the time most of us ignored their advice, because typically we liked the taste of other foods more. Now it turns out that our parents were on the right healthy track and it is not too late for seniors to experience a conversion that will benefit senior health. The vegetables that are especially healthy for senior men are the cruciferous vegetables that include the well-known broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower. They have been shown to provided a two-fold capability to to slow prostate cancer growth. This capability was documented at a meeting of a national cancer research association meeting nearly three years ago.
Over several decades numerous studies have reported the anticancer effects of the cruciferous vegetables. It turns out that when we cut or chew them compounds called isothiocyanates are formed that appear to be responsible for contributing to these benefits. Lab tests showed that one of the anticancer effects provided by these isothiocyanates is that they block the formation of the new blood vessels that cancer tumors need to grow. This is good news for senior men who may be looking for ways to slow down or halt the spread of prostate cancer.
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Are Onions Really a Super Healthy Food?
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Onions and their close cousin garlic have been used since ancient Egyptian times as an integral part of healthy diets and natural medicine. During World War II British and Russian soldiers in the field regularly used onions to heal wounds, because of their reported antibacterial and antiseptic properties. Today we know more details about the health benefits of onions, because many of the phytonutrients have been recognized for their value in the prevention and management of conditions such as cancer and cardiovascular disease. Two of the most important chemicals in onions are flavanoids and organosulfur compounds. The organosulfur compounds provide the strongs flavors and the flavanoids color the onions red, yellow, or brown. An outstanding property of onions is their ability to aid in the prevention and management of a number of cancers including prostate cancer.
Another important health benefit provided by consuming onions is they contribute a rich source of bioavailable quercetin. Quercetin is a flavanoid that may be very beneficial for cardiovascular health. Research results suggest that quercetin may contribute to preventing the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) thereby protecting against a major contributor of artherosclerosis. Recent research suggests that onions may protect against high blood pressure which is an important predictor of heart attack. This is good news for seniors who want to take preemptive aging steps to foster their senior health.
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Why Black Beans Are a Super Healthy Food
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Why have black beans which are a plain simple food been a staple in the diet of folks in Central and South America for more than 7,000 years? It turns out that the folks in those regions figured out long ago that this plain simple black bean is a nutritional powerhouse. They are sometimes called the ‘poor man’s meat’, because by combining them with rice or corn which are complementary grains you get a protein that is low-calorie, but it is basically fat-free and full of a large range of nutrients. For example the polyphenols in black beans assist in preventing the oxidation of cholesterol which short circuits artheroschlerosis. This is good news for seniors, because blocking artheroschlerosis is a prime requirement for preventing cardiovascular disease.
In addition to the polyphenols, black beans contribute magnesium that improves circulation of blood and oxygen to the entire body which is another plus for senior’s cardiovascular health. The high fiber content of black beans helps to prevent heart disease and heads off digestive disorders. Their high folate content also helps guard against heart attacks. Finally, another major contribution provided by black beans is their high concentration of cancer-fighting antioxidants. This is certainly good news for seniors who are trying to find preemptive aging means to improve their senior health.
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Predicting Success for Prostate Cancer Surgery
- Image by Ian Samuel via Flickr
For senior men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer the decision about deciding to undergo surgery to eradicate the prostate is often a difficult decision for the patient and the doctor. Trying to decide if this type of surgery or other therapy is the best course of action depends in large measure on the probability that the procedure will be curative. If the cancer has already spread beyond the prostate gland, then the surgery will probably not cure the disease. In this case the doctors will not recommend surgery. In many cases the surgeon does not know the extent of the cancer prior to performing the surgery.
Fortunately a newly developed test has been identified that offers hope of revolutionizing the evaluation of cancer prior to deciding on a treatment. This new test measures the circulating tumor cells (CTC) in the bloodstream by both detecting them and allowing a genetic assay of them. The circulating tumor cells are the seeds that allow the cancer to spread or metastasize to other parts of the body. In recent tests patients suffering from prostate cancer who had PSA scores greater than 10 were tested using the CTC test. The ones who tested positive on the CTC test all had potential surgical failure, but those who tested negative on the CTC test showed greater than an 85% chance of a surgical cure.
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Senior Men Need Alpha and Gamma Vitamin E
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When folks are younger taking multivitamin supplements that contain vitamin E as one of the vitamins, the supplement usually lists the alpha form of vitamin E which is the most important component for that age group. It turns out that there are a number of other components found in natural food sources of vitamin E. When we age and enter our senior years our bodies change and the vitamin supplements that enhanced our health when we were younger may not enhance our health, but may even degrade it. This is definitely the case with the alpha component of vitamin E. Recent research has shown that senior men need to supplement with the gamma component of vitamin E as well as the alpha component, in order to maintain prostate health.
In one recent large scale test that was designed to resolve the issue of whether or not vitamin E helped to promote prostate health and to preempt prostate cancer the result was negative. That particular test used the alpha component of vitamin E which is why the test produced a negative result. Other research has shown that senior men need to consume the gamma component of vitamin E along with the alpha component in order to promote their prostate health. A number of foods such as asparagus, avocado, almonds and sunflower kernels contain the full spectrum of vitamin E components. Senior men would be well advised to add these foods to their diets or to use supplements that contain the full spectrum of vitamin E including both the alpha and gamma components.
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Two Sources for the Healthy Omega-3s
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The press and the health journals have both been reporting on the many benefits of the omega-3s from fish fats which are the richest source of the omega-3s. The omega-3s were discovered in the 1970’s when researchers figured out that the Eskimos in Greenland ate a high fat fish based diet, but seldom developed heart disease. Since then many studies have been conducted and both the FDA and the American Heart Association have compiled some of the benefits of eating oily fish or consuming fish oil. The list of benefits is long and impressive. Here are some of the highlights. The omega-3s are known to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, to provide relief from inflammatory diseases, to raise the levels of the ‘good’ HDL cholesterol, and to lower the levels of the ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol.
The key omega-3 fats in fish are EPA and DHA. Folks can get an adequate amount of both by consuming 3-ounces of salmon or of sardines that are fresh, frozen or canned. These particular fish are low in mercury so they are preferred. Beside fish as a source there are plant sources of omega-3s. The plant sources include flaxseeds, flax oil, and chia seeds. They provide alpha-lineolic acid (ALA) which our bodies convert to the EPA and DHA forms that are found in fish. Other good foods sources of ALA are pumpkin seeds and walnuts. This is good news for seniors who are looking for preemptive aging information that they can implement to enhance their senior health.
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Can Green Tea Block Cancer?
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In Asia where folks frequently consume green tea researchers have discovered that the rates of many cancers are much lower than in parts of the world where folks do not consume a lot of green tea. The researchers were pleasantly surprised to discover this link between heavy green tea consumption and low rates of cancers. The lower hormonal cancer rates in Asia for breast cancer and prostate cancer are well documented. In addition to these demographic results, labs tests have zeroed in on the apparent compounds in green tea that are responsible for blocking cancer. The research in the lab identified the extracts from green tea known as polyphenols as the compounds that stopped cancer cells from growing in the lab tests.
In terms of particular cancers, a noted British news source reported that consuming green tea may block lung cancer. In Asia a researcher reported that people who did not drink green tea were at least five times more likely to get lung cancer compared with green tea drinkers. This report indicated that the results of avoiding lung cancer applied to smokers and non-smokers alike; green tea drinkers were five times less likely to get lung cancer. This is very good news for seniors who are concerned about finding preemptive steps they can take to reduce their risk of age-related cancers and foster their senior health.
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Pick the Right Type of Vitamin D
- Image by Thai Jasmine via Flickr
Recently the major health publications and the press have been promoting the significant health benefits that result when folks consume an adequate amount of vitamin D. Sadly some of the reports fail to identify the form of vitamin D that produces the better health results which are especially important for achieving senior health. The form of vitamin D that produces the better health results and last for a longer time is the same form that our bodies synthesize using sunshine. This is the form of vitamin D that is sometimes called the “sunshine vitamin” which is vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol). The form of vitamin D that is often put in many multivitamins is the vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) form which is not utilized in our bodies as well as is the vitamin D3 form.
Seniors who are concerned about taking preemptive aging steps to protect themselves against as many as 27 age-related diseases need to verify that they are getting the vitamin D3 form. This is particularly true in the winter months when the amount of sunshine is at its yearly lowest. Seniors who are deficient in blood levels of vitamin D3 are at greater risk to their cardiovascular health and to contracting cancers, particularly the hormonal ones.
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Increasing Prostate Awareness
Over the course of a lifetime, more than one in five males will have medical issues with their prostate. It’s important to be aware of potential risks of improper prostate health, and also to take precautions to ensure the well-being of your prostate. Ironically, maintaining a healthy prostate begins as easily as most other health improving practices; balanced diet. It’s important to avoid eating foods that are high in fat or cholesterol, and also to be sure to eat green vegetables when possible.
You can also increase prostate health by taking various vitamin supplements designed for men of all ages. The prostate can repair and prevent future damage with a correct allocation of vitamins and minerals.