The Importance of Healthy Testosterone Levels

Why you need to optimize your levels

While primarily associated with male sexuality and reproduction, testosterone also plays a role in maintaining muscle mass, bone density, levels of red blood cells, and a general sense of vigor and well-being.  It also plays an important role in emotional health.

While conventional medical thought stresses that testosterone is a catalyst for prostate cancer the prostate gland requires testosterone for it to remain at optimal condition.

Testosterone levels naturally decline with age http://www.mercola.com/testosterone.aspx beginning at age 30 – and continue to do so as men advance in years.  Aging-induced testosterone decline is associated with the over activity of an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase, which converts testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). This process simultaneously decreases the amount of testosterone in men, putting them at risk for prostate enlargement, androgenic alopecia (hair loss) and cancer.

Symptoms of declining testosterone levels include decreased sex drive, erectile dysfunction, depressed mood, and difficulties with concentration and memory. Men with low testosterone may also experience weight gain, breast enlargement, and problems urinating.

Unfortunately, widespread chemical exposure is also causing this decline to occur in men as early as childhood, and is completely impacting their biology. Recently, for instance, both statin drugs and the active ingredient in Roundup herbicide were found to interfere with the testicle’s ability to produce testosterone.

PSA Testing – Is it right for you

Signs and Symptoms of Prostate Cancer

Difficulty urinating

Urgent need t urinate

Frequent urination especially at night

Burning or pain while urinating

Inability to urinate or difficulty starting or stopping

Painful ejaculation

Blood in the urine

Risk Factors

Age: The chance rises quickly after age 50

Race: More common in men of African or Caribbean descent
Family history: Genetics can play a role

Diet: Men who eat a low-fibre, high fat diet have a higher rate of prostate cancer.

Lifestyle: Having a high body mass index may increase the risk – Exercise and diet can help decrease your risk

How to prepare for the test

Before you talk t your doctor find out what you can about your family history of prostate cancer.  It will help to know if you have any first-degree relatives (father, brother) who were diagnosed with prostate cancer. If yes, at what age?

Do not have intercourse at least 24-48 hours before your test as this can alter the readings and cause concerns

Don’t ride a bike at least 24-48 hours prior for the same reason


Who should be tested

Men over 50 or younger if higher risk - have close family relatives who’ve had Prostate cancer

What to ask your doctor

What is my risk of developing prostate cancer? Is there anything I can do to lower my risk?

What tests should I have, if any?

How often should I be tested?

Could I benefit from having a PSA test and DRE? (Digital Rectal Exam)

Could I be harmed by a PSA test and DRE ?

What happens if my results are normal?

What happens if my results aren’t normal?

Do I have to pay for the tests? If yes, how much?


What you should know about your test results

The PSA test cannot diagnose cancer – It can only help detect a rise in your levels
Your normal PSA level will change as you grow older

Many prostate cancers grow very slowly – these low risk and may not need active treatment right away.

Routine PSA tests often lead to over-diagnosis resulting in unnecessary treatments

The problem is that many of the cancers that get detected are so small and slow-growing, they'll never be harmful, and doctors have a difficult time discerning the quick, harmful cancers from the slow, harmless ones." As reported by CNN

The false positive rate is high, and the bulk of the harm is a result of subsequent unnecessary treatments.

The PSA test indicates nothing more than the size of your prostate gland.
It should be used to provide a base line from which to refer to.

Getting a PSA test reduces your lifetime risk of dying from prostate cancer from three percent to just 2.4 percent, so the difference is negligible.

Ways to Support Your Prostate

Prostate cancer is often preceded by prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN), a condition marked by abnormal cells that are likely to become cancerous. Consuming nutrients and herbal compounds that block the inflammatory enzymes may help prevent PIN from progressing to cancer.

·       Herbal agents that may help block the progression of PIN include green tea, ginger, rosemary, oregano, Chinese goldthread, and barberry.

·       Other promising agents for preventing and managing prostate cancer include lycopene, vitamin E, selenium, pomegranate and soy.

http://www.lef.org//Magazine/2007/4/report_prostate/Page-01?source=search&key=prostate%20health 

 

Talk to a Certified Professional Cancer Coach about strategies for reversing your risk for any cancer diagnosis. www.nuhealings.com


 

Additional sources:  http://prostatecancer.ca

                              http://www.cancer.ca