Posts Tagged ‘prostate health’
Selenium Lowers Prostate Cancer Risk.
- Image by AlyssssylA via Flickr
During the last few years researchers have been debating the value of achieving higher serum selenium levels in order to lower the risk of prostate cancer. Earlier research did not find any benefit in reducing the risk of prostate cancer as a result of attaining higher serum selenium levels. A very recent publication in a journal devoted to cancer this September detailed results that were obtained by comparing the serum selenium levels of men with prostate cancer and those who were free of that cancer. The study included more than 490 men without prostate cancer and more than 240 men with prostate cancer. The researchers grouped the men into four different groups based on their serum selenium levels. The men with the higher serum selenium levels showed a measurable reduction in prostate cancer risk. Men who were in the third highest group in terms of serum selenium levels showed a 39% reduction in the risk of prostate cancer. This is good news for senior men who are concerned about taking preemptive aging steps to foster their prostate health. Foods that supply selenium include wheat germ, bran, tuna fish, onions tomatoes, and broccoli.
Seniors Need Full Spectrum Vitamin E
- Image via Wikipedia
The health news regularly includes articles that claim that vitamin E is very good for our health, but the articles tend to be a little slim on providing the details that can make a real difference in getting the form of vitamin E that is genuinely healthful for seniors. Seniors who are concerned about taking preemptive aging steps to benefit their senior health require more than the typical form of vitamin E found in most supplements. Many multivitamins contain vitamin E, but typically they contain only the form known as alpha tocopherol. This alpha tocopherol is the principal component in vitamin E that supports our health, but it is not the only form that is necessary for senior men and most likely for senior women, too. The vitamin E found in foods such as sunflower seed kernels, avocados, and asparagus contains all the components of vitamin E which number at least eight. For senior men research has found that in addition to the alpha component they need the gamma component, in order to ensure their prostate health. It would not be surprising to discover that senior women need the gamma component to insure the health of their breasts and reproductive organs. It turns out that for senior men the lack of the gamma component of vitamin E can have a very negative effect on their prostate health.
Swallow Your Pride and Get a Checkup
Like many proud and stubborn men, I have a natural aversion to doctors. I know it’s not logical, but I’m always afraid of what they might find. As a result, I often convince myself that what I don’t know can’t hurt me – an obvious fallacy that has proved costly to so many men in the past. Logic and reasoning finally triumphed, however, when I thought about what might happen to my family if they lost me to a preventable disease.
I had always dreaded the prostate exam that comes standard for men in their 50s, but it’s really a small price to pay to ensure the wellbeing of such an important gland. The procedure was over in a matter of minutes and my physician gave me a clean bill of prostate health. Now I can enjoy the stress-free months from now until my next scheduled appointment.