Understanding Prostate Health And How to Support It

June marks Men’s Health Month, a time for focusing on men’s health issues, and encouraging healthy wellness decisions for men everywhere. As men age, prostate enlargement, and developing risks of prostate cancer are common concerns, so it’s important to understand how to support your prostate completely. If you have health concerns about your prostate, here’s what to know to best support your prostate health and urinary function.

The prostate is a small, walnut-shaped gland that plays key roles in male reproductive and urinary function. It is located at the base of the pelvis under the bladder, in front of the rectum, surrounded by muscles and nerves. It circles part of the urethra, the tube that empties urine from the bladder via the penis.

The prostate gland helps create part of the semen fluid that carries sperm from the testes at the time of ejaculation. Prostatic fluid is essential for healthy sperm cell function, playing important roles in male fertility and overall prostate health. Another important function of the prostate gland is to metabolize sex hormones, converting, testosterone into its more active form: Dihydrotestosterone (DHT).

It is common for the prostate to grow larger in men as they age, which may lead to health complications. Non-cancerous prostate growth, or Benign Prostate Hyperplasia (BPH) is commonly found in men over age 50, but you may feel the effects of an enlarged prostate sooner. 

When functioning properly, most men don’t ever give their prostate a second thought, but when prostate issues occur, it can have serious health impacts on quality of life.  

When you have an enlarged prostate, whether it is from BPH, inflammation, or infection such as prostatitis, the common symptoms of complications largely come down to urination.  

You may have an enlarged prostate if you:  

• Struggle to urinate  
• Have the sudden urge to urinate
• Frequently urinate, especially at night
• Experience difficulty emptying bladder  

80% of men will develop an enlarged prostate during their life and 90% of men over age 85 have BHP. Family history and overall health status can also increase your chances of prostate health risks, and cause symptoms at an earlier age, so if anything seems concerning, please check with your doctor. If you experience any of these common prostate symptoms, it’s important to discuss them with your doctor to rule out something more serious than BPH. 

According to many integrative health experts, the prostate is particularly susceptible to toxins and inflammation in general, causing many of these common symptoms. Due to the prostate’s location at the bottom of the torso, the prostate is exposed to higher doses of toxins and heavy metals as they settle downward in the body. Some health experts theorize that this may be one of the reasons cancers often manifest in the prostate and other reproductive organs at younger ages. There’s only so much detoxification the body can do on its own.  

To complicate matters, prostate conditions can have overlapping symptoms, making them sometimes difficult to diagnose without more invasive tests, like biopsies.  

Make your prostate health a priority. While BPH or enlarged prostate is not considered a significant threat, ensuring you visit for annual checkups is an easy way to stay on top of your prostate health. If you experience symptoms that are causing serious discomfort however, more intensive approaches can also be used. It’s important to discuss these options with your health provider to determine which avenue is best for you.  

Watchful waiting— If symptoms of enlarged prostate are not bothering a patient, they may be advised for annual checkups and tests to measure possible prostate changes over time. This is the most common approach with most cases of BPH. Some people call this approach “wishful waiting” because they believe that not doing anything can raise the risks of a more serious condition down the road.  

Diet and lifestyle interventions—There is a significant amount of research that shows how a diet rich in phytonutrient plant foods and minimal inflammatory foods like sugar, trans fats and alcohol, can make a difference in prostate health and symptoms. Reducing caffeine intake can also help with urinary symptoms.  

Conventional Medicine—There are a number of pharmaceutical approaches to treating the symptoms of an enlarged prostate. Many choose alpha-blockers, drugs that block the hormone adrenalin to relax the prostate muscles and increase urinary flow. However, alpha blockers come with some unappealing side effects such as erectile dysfunction, mood balances, and others. They may also end up causing loss of bladder control.  

Surgery—In severe cases of enlarged prostate where symptoms are at their highest, surgery is sometimes offered as an option. This procedure can carry a risk of complications and should be carefully weighed with your healthcare provider.  

There are a number of clinically-researched botanicals, nutrients and formulas that can work to optimize prostate health and function, while helping men stay active and vital as they age. 

For complete prostate support, ecoNugenics recommends two clinically researched supplements, proven to promote prostate and urinary health.  

ProstaCaid is a comprehensive supplement blend of science-backed botanicals, antioxidants and nutrients that work together to promote a healthy prostate.* ProstaCaid has clinically shown to deliver broad-spectrum support for prostate cellular health and urinary function. 

Multiple peer-reviewed studies on the formula itself demonstrate that ProstaCaid supports prostate cellular health, even against aggressive prostate cells, and actively promotes healthy prostate and urinary function.*

Prostacaid gives powerful support for prostate health: 

• Promotes a healthy prostate  
• Supports prostate cell function 
• Supports urinary tract function 
• Helps maintain a regular urination schedule 

Our most complete flagship formula, PectaSol Modified Citrus Pectin is shown in over 70 published studies—including double blind clinical trials— to deliver powerful benefits for prostate cellular health and function, as well as total-body health.* 

The most recent clinical results on PectaSol showed that after 18 months, 65% of subjects who consumed PectaSol at 15 grams per day, saw significant prostate cellular health benefits, including PSA levels, compared to their original baseline.* 

PectaSol supports prostate health in multiple ways:  

• Promotes prostate cell health*
• Supports optimal immune function* 
• Safely removes toxins and heavy metals* 
• Super-nutrient for total-body health* 

While these two powerful prostate formulas offer significant long-term benefits on their own, research shows they work better when used together. ProstaCaid is shown to work synergistically with PectaSol, resulting in up to 40% greater benefits for prostate cellular health when the two are used together, compared to either product alone.*

Achieving—and maintaining— optimal prostate health doesn’t have to be complicated. At ecoNugenics, it’s our mission to deliver the most effective, research-based formulas and natural health solutions—like ProstaCaid and PectaSol— that make a difference in how you feel, especially as you age. Prioritize your total-body wellness with complete prostate support.

Sources:

Eliaz, I, et al. Altern Ther Health Med. 2018 Sep;24(5):26-32. 

InformedHealth.org [Internet]. Cologne, Germany: Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG); 2006-. How does the prostate work? 2011 Feb 15 [Updated 2016 Aug 23]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279291/

Jiang J, Eliaz I, Sliva D. Integr Cancer Ther. 2013 Mar;12(2):145-52.

Keizman D,  Frenkel M,  Peer A, et al. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2019 37:15_suppl, e16609-e16609/

Swiner C. What is the prostate? What’s normal? Web MD. Nov 18, 2020. Accessed May 24, 2021. https://www.webmd.com/men/prostate-enlargement-bph/what-is-the-prostate