Learn about natural options for the most common men’s health concerns, including what to look out for and your best bets for natural support.
PROSTATE HEALTH
It’s helpful for men to focus on their prostate health long before concerns arise due to healthy aging. Don’t take prostate health for granted! Most men will develop prostate concerns at some point in their lives, so good habits now may be beneficial in the long run.Lifestyle recommendations for healthy prostate
- Be trim. maintaining an ideal weight.
- Exercise. Studies have shown that men who are physically active are less likely to develop prostate concerns. Even just two-to-three hours of walking each week helps.
- Go red. Tomatoes are high in the antioxidant nutrient, lycopene, which supports prostate health. Cooking tomatoes with some oil increases lycopene’s absorption.
- Go green. Drinking green tea and eating greens improve health profile.
- Get crunchy. Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and Brussels sprouts support healthy hormone balance.
- Get sun. Men with adequate levels maintain better health. Expose your face, arms, hands, and legs to the sun for about 15 minutes several times each week to help ensure adequate vitamin D levels or take supplements.
Your integrative practitioner may recommend products containing ingredients that naturally support prostate health:
- Beta-sitosterol: Taking this plant-derived compound may support healthy urinary flow.
- Pumpkin seed oil: 1000 mg/day supports prostate health and urinary flow.
- Nettle Root: may support healthy urinary volume and flow rate.
- Saw palmetto extract: Helps limit the amount of testosterone that can bind in the prostate, thereby supporting prostate and urinary health.
MALE FERTILITY
When it comes to conception, a lot of things (actually, an amazing number of things) have to go right. Of course, one huge factor for male fertility is the health of the sperm. Sperm factors—including sperm movement (motility), quality, and quantity—account for most cases of male. , drug or alcohol abuse, cigarette smoking, and overheating of the testicles can all affect male fertility.
Struggling with infertility?
Sperm quality has been on a continual decline for the last several decades. An interesting study in British Medical Journal reviewed 61 studies published between 1940 and 1990. Across those 50 years, sperm concentration in “normal” men declined from an average of 113 million sperm per mL of semen to only 66 million sperm per mL of semen.
It is suspected that this is the result of higher oxidative stress due to poor diet, exposure to environmental and industrial chemicals, and several other factors.
An integrative specialist in fertility can help find the root of the issue. If it’s determined that you have suboptimal sperm parameters, a focus on a healthy lifestyle and targeted supplementation may be beneficial. Decline in sperm health is driven by. So, supplements to address those factors can be beneficial.
Some nutrients with research to support sperm health include like CoQ10, carnitine, acetyl-L-carnitine, and nutrients like vitamins A, C, E, zinc and selenium.
Lifestyle recommendations for male fertility
- Keep cool. Wearing tight-fitting underwear or soaking in a hot tub for extended periods can decrease sperm function.
- Get clean. and avoid recreational drugs, smoking, and environmental toxins
- Eat healthy: Antioxidants and phytonutrients in a plant based diet support fertility.
Supporting male fertility:
- Zinc: supports healthy sperm count, motility, and quality
- Mitochondrial support: CoQ10, L-carnitine and acetyl-L-carnitine support sperm quality
- Ginseng. Preliminary studies suggest that Asian ginseng may support sperm count and motility and provide antioxidant support as well
- Maca: Maca root has long been used in South America to support libido and fertility
No matter your age, the keys to maintaining reproductive health and function is a healthy diet and lots of exercise. Supplementing with certain nutrients and antioxidants not only helps fill in nutrition gaps but also supports critical organ health and vascular health throughout the body which is important for men. As always, an integrative practitioner can recommend a health regimen specific for your age and personal health concerns.