Top Tips Relating to Male Health

Researchers from the University of Cincinnati, Ohio have reported that a father's diet before conception has huge impact on a child's health. The study, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, claims that those who have a low carbohydrate and high protein diet produce healthier offspring than those who don’t. While we aren’t in a position to comment on the validity of these findings, we thought it was a good opportunity to share our Top Tips Relating to Male Health Concerns, that you can read for yourself or share with your dad/brother/male loved ones!

There is growing concern over the state of men’s health, because health statistics show they have a greater risk of developing cancer, as well as higher rates of obesity and diabetes. Apart from heart problems, which
affect both sexes, the main areas of men’s health that cause concern are prostate problems, male-specific cancers and mental health issues, in particular depression.

While unfortunately your diet cannot prevent, or rid you ofcertain illnesses, there are some key ways men can improve their health by changing the way they eat, in particular to deal with prostate problems, fertility and impotence.

PROSTATE

Although there appears to be little that food can do to slow down the growth of an enlarged prostate, research suggests that the beta-sitosterol found in foods such as flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, olive oil and avocados may help to relieve the urinary symptoms of BPH.

It’s also good for men to make sure they are getting plenty of zinc in their diet (found in foods such as eggs, nuts, wholegrains, poultry & seafood) as this mineral is beneficial for men’s health in general, including reproductive health and the overall functioning of the prostate.

A lot of the research investigating the link between prostate cancer and diet has looked at tomatoes, which contain the powerful antioxidant lycopene. The World Cancer Research Fund has concluded that foods rich in this antioxidant are likely to help to reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer.

Other foods that may have a protective effect against prostate cancer include those rich in selenium, such as nuts, seafood and poultry.

FERTILITY

Zinc is top of the list of minerals beneficial to male fertility. Choosing plenty of zinc-rich foods (eggs, nuts, wholegrains, poultry, seafood) will help to increase levels of sperm, as will reducing negative lifestyle habits such as smoking and heavy drinking.

Getting plenty of vitamin C in your diet is also important as it has been shown to reduce the tendency of sperm to clump together (common with infertility).

IMPOTENCE

Adopting good healthy lifestyle habits and improving the diet will go some way to tackling the problem of impotence. Diabetes and high blood pressure are key contributing factors that can reduce blood flow and cause impotence. Maintaining a healthy weight will help to reduce the risk of these.