An Introduction to Prostate Health
So, what’s the big deal about the prostate? And why is it so important for men to keep this particular gland healthy? The prostate is a small gland that sits under the bladder. It’s a gland that only men have, and it assists in many urinary functions. But this is only the beginning of the many reasons why you should avoid foods that raise PSA levels.
Did you know that if your prostate isn’t functioning properly, you can develop erectile problems? When your prostate becomes inflamed and swollen, it can be hard to urinate. The prostate is also where semen is produced. So, an unhealthy prostate could also affect your fertility as a man. Foods that raise PSA levels are harmful to your prostate. But what exactly are PSA levels?
What Does PSA Stand for And How Does It Relate to The Prostate?
A PSA test could also tell your doctor whether your prostate is inflamed or enlarged. High PSA levels could indicate several conditions ranging from benign to very serious. So, this is why it’s so important to try to keep your PSA levels low and avoid foods that raise PSA levels.
Are There Any Foods That Help with Prostate Health?
Before we get into the foods that raise PSA levels, you may be wondering if there are foods that support prostate health. And the answer is yes. Some foods can help prevent serious prostate issues. These foods include:
- Broccoli – Broccoli contains phytochemicals that are very beneficial for prostate health. That’s why broccoli is one of the foods that shrink prostate gland.
- Fish – Fish high in fatty acids like salmon can help prevent prostate inflammation. Chronic prostate inflammation can cause more serious problems down the line.
- Green Tea – The catechins in green tea help prevent healthy prostate cells from mutating. Cells that quickly mutate are some of the leading causes of prostate cancer.
- Tomatoes – Tomatoes contain lycopene, which is a very potent antioxidant. That’s why tomatoes are often included in an enlarged prostate diet. In particular, you should cook the tomatoes to ensure that your body absorbs as much lycopene as possible.
Other Ways to Keep Your Prostate Healthy
Of course, you should do your best to avoid foods that raise PSA levels. But there are other things you can do to give yourself the best shot at a healthy prostate as you age. For example, obesity and prostate issues have been linked in many modern studies. Doctors suggest that to keep your prostate as healthy as possible, you should maintain a healthy weight.
If you are overweight, it is recommended that you lose weight at a rate of about 1-2 pounds per week. Another problem for the prostate gland is excess hormones. When you are sedentary, or don’t move and exercise very much, you can gain an excess of hormones, which is bad for your prostate.
Exercise uses up these hormones. Regular exercise will also strengthen your immunity, which has been linked to prostate health. That’s why, in addition to avoiding foods that raise PSA levels, medical experts often recommend a regular regimen of exercise.
The Foods You Should Avoid If You Want A Healthy Prostate
Now that you know what foods and lifestyle choices can help protect your prostate, it’s time to talk about the foods you should limit in your diet. Here is a list of 12 foods that raise PSA levels:
- Red Meat – The link between high red meat intake and prostate problems is still unclear. But high red meat intake has been identified as one of the apparent causes of prostate cancer. You should limit your intake of red meat. Also, processed meats like bologna and salami may be unhealthy for you.
- Non-organic White Meat – Processed white meat is also one of the worst foods for prostate health. Non-organic white meat is usually treated with hormones. And as we have discussed already, an excess of hormones puts undue stress on your prostate. White meat treated with hormones, like chicken breasts, should be avoided in excess.
- Dairy and Calcium – Dairy is one of the worst foods for prostate health for the same reason that non-organic white meat is – it is treated with hormones. Calcium, on the other hand, has a much murkier link to prostate issues. Though the connection is still elusive for medical professionals, it has been observed in many men that high calcium levels tend to lead to prostate problems.
- Canned Foods – Canned foods are one of the worst foods for prostate health because of how they are packaged. The lining of the cans often contains BPAs – these are synthetic forms of the hormone estrogen. Again, introducing outside sources of any kind of hormone can do serious damage to your prostate.
- Table Salt –Table salt comes from mostly sodium chloride. This version of sodium isn’t beneficial for the body like iodine is. Iodine is found naturally in organic salts like sea salt. So, while you shouldn’t avoid salt completely, you should eat more natural salts with iodine. Also, salt of any kind could become one of the worst foods for prostate health when you are not getting enough potassium.
- Unnatural Fish – We mentioned fish as one of the foods that shrink the prostate gland. But this is only when they are sourced naturally. In other words, you should avoid fish that come from a farm or hatchery. The food they give fish in these hatcheries contains unhealthy contaminants.
- Cooking Oils – Cooking oils like olive and vegetable are usually good for you. But when they become heated, they lose many of their nutrients. More than that, when these oils become heated, they also become one of the worst foods for prostate health because they are converted into bad cholesterol.
- Soy Products – Much of the soy that is grown in the United States is genetically modified. And many of these genetic modifications are linked to causes of prostate cancer.
- Overly Spicy Foods – Spicy foods should not be part of an enlarged prostate diet. They can irritate the urinary tract and cause inflammation to the prostate.
- Refined Sugar – Processed sugar should be avoided in an enlarged prostate diet. Refined sugar contains indigestible elements that can pollute the digestive tract and cause undue stress to the colon and prostate.
- Eggs – In recent studies, it was shown that diets that include a lot of eggs were related to BPH or Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia. Although the link has yet to be concretely identified, for now, doctors are discouraging eggs as part of an enlarged prostate diet.
- Alcohol – Alcohol should also be cut out of an enlarged prostate diet or at least minimized because it could exacerbate the inflammation that your prostate may already be experiencing.
Final Advice
A healthy prostate is part of an overall healthy life for men. So if you are wondering how to shrink the prostate, remember the tips that we have provided in this article.
You should eat foods that shrink the prostate gland. These include broccoli, natural fish, and berries.
Getting plenty of exercises is another viable option if you are wondering about how to shrink the prostate. Cardio exercise is especially helpful for this.
Unhealthy foods and lifestyle choices have been linked with some of the most common causes of prostate cancer, so be sure you are avoiding those pitfalls as well.
And remember that there are many causes of prostate cancer, so you should do a combination of all the beneficial things that we have listed today to cover all the bases.