As Men Grow Older, Men Should Be Feeling Better

A short time ago, when a man turned sixty-five, he became officially old, retiring from work, and then having four or five years to spend as he wishes before illness set in. However, this is not the case anymore. It is becoming more and more evident that the older a man gets, the healthier he has been. By eating healthy, exercising, and quitting harmful habits, such as smoking, a man can add years to his life. Although it is better to start good clean living from early on, it is never too late for men to make changes and take better care of them selves. One of the main ways men can improve their health is by adding high quality nutritional supplements to their diet.

Although many men would like to begin taking nutritional supplements, most men feel that they are very confusing. Because there are hundreds and hundreds of nutritional supplements on health food store shelves, determining which supplements provide health benefits for a 50+ man can be extremely overwhelming. The best supplement to begin with is a good multivitamin that contains large amounts of calcium, magnesium, and potassium. The only mineral a man should avoid is iron, which he should get enough of through the food he eats. Too much iron can cause health problems. When searching for a multivitamin, one that contains lycopene is very important. Lycopene decreases a man's risk for heart disease, age-related macular degeneration, and prostate cancer. Other important components are antioxidant blends, ginseng for energy and stamina, and digestive enzymes to aid absorption.

Along with taking a quality multivitamin for general health, there are six other vital nutrients that can help prevent prostate cancer from developing and also help fight against disease. The first of these is calcium d-glucarate, which is found in fruits and vegetables. This nutrient helps men's detoxification systems get rid of harmful excess hormones that increase the risk for prostate cancer. Selenium has very powerful effects on the prostate gland. A recent study by researchers concluded that selenium can cut the risk of prostate cancer by 63 percent. The third of these nutrients is green tea, which is the second most widely consumed liquid in the world, following water. Men in China and Japan who have been drinking it for centuries have very low rates of prostate cancer. Research has concluded that a plant substance in green tea called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) can stop the growth of prostate cancer right in its tracks. Maitake Mushrooms are linked to good health in those who eat them because they contain an important compound called D-fraction, which destroys 95% of human prostate cancer cells in lab experiments. The last of the vital nutrients is lycopene, whose preliminary reports demonstrate that it can actually kill prostate cancer cells.

Similar to women, who experience significant hormonal changes as they age, men experience something called andropause. Andropause in men occurs when testosterone production, the main sex hormone in men, begins to slowly decline. Although estrogen levels in women decline faster than testosterone levels in men, testosterone decline can cause a great deal of unpleasant symptoms including abdominal weight gain, hair loss, reduced energy and sex drive, heart disease, and prostate enlargement. Whether the man believes that these are changes due to andropause, or just consequences of aging, most men will experience some or all of them as they continue to age.

Unfortunately, there is no supplement that can give a man the hormone level of a twenty year old. However, there is a nutrient that can help the testosterone in an older man "behave" more like a younger man's testosterone. A study by the Fred Hutchinson Center in Seattle concluded that men who ate three servings of cruciferous vegetables, broccoli, cauliflower, or Brussels sprouts, each day have a 48 percent lower risk of prostate cancer. A chemical found in cruciferous plants, DIM, is responsible for this prostate cancer prevention because of its ability to metabolize estrogen. A precise ratio of testosterone to estrogen is needed for men to be able to maintain a healthy sexual response, effective sexual function, strong bones and muscles, viable sperm, and a well-functioning prostate gland. After many years of work, scientists have finally discovered a stable, all natural and absorbable form of DIM. When men take DIM, their estrogen metabolism improves, and testosterone metabolism accelerates, which results in higher testosterone levels similar to those seen in young men. This results in weight loss, reduction in prostate gland enlargement, and helping men 50+ feel stronger and leaner.

Saw palmetto, a small palm tree which is found in Florida and South Carolina, produces berries which contain many beneficial compounds. Supplements that contain saw palmetto are extremely effective in treatment of Benign Prostate Hyperplasia (BPH), one of the most common health conditions in older men, with half of all men aged 40-60 and more than 90 percent of men over 80 having BPH. BPH is caused by the conversion of estrogen to a very potent form of testosterone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Once prostate cells are exposed to DHT, they multiply in number and get much larger. Rarely improving, BPH gradually gets worse over the years, causing the man to continually need to urinate, interrupted sleep, dribbling, and loss of urine, which significantly interferes with a man's quality of life. Prescription medications that have been developed to treat BPH are only partially effective. However, saw palmetto berry extract relives the symptoms of BPH by furthering the production of DHT.

Because sexual intimacy is an important, complex, and lifelong need, there are honest nutritional supplements for men's sexual health. Sexual intimacy makes us feel better physically and mentally and adds to our sense of security, belonging, and self-esteem. Since many things can affect men's ability to engage in sexual activity, such as erectile dysfunction (ED), the development of the prescription medication Viagra has revolutionized ED treatment. Like all medicines, Viagra can cause some side effects which include headache, flushing of the face and upset stomach. However, not every man can take Viagra. Those who use nitrate drugs, which controls chest pain and those with serious liver problems should not take Viagra. However, there is a nutritional supplement formulated with vitamins, herbs, and glandular products that targets male sexual organs. It contains vitamin E, liver fractions, wheat germ, beta-sitosterol, and herbal extracts of muira puama, Mexican damiana, saw palmetto, cola nut, ginseng, and ginkgo biloba. If the use of nutritional supplements for two months does not improve your erections, you do need to see a healthcare practitioner, as sexual problems can be a sign of serious health problems. Almost all practitioners understand how difficult this problem is for men to discuss and are experienced in getting the information as quickly and painlessly as possible. Great supplements like Beta Sitosterol and Saw Palmetto along with other supplements mentioned can be found at your local or internet health food store.

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Homeopathy: A Safe And Natural Alternative

You may have heard of "homeopathy" but you are not sure what it is. Simply put, it is a system of medicine that treats a condition with highly diluted natural substances that mimic the symptoms of the condition being treated. This concept seems paradoxical to most.

Homeopathy is a difficult concept to grasp. How do you cure someone of an illness by giving them a tiny concentration of something that can actually cause the disease? One would think that this would simply make the person even more sick.

But, according to proponents of the science, homeopathy not only works, but is much more effective than conventional medicine. They claim that conventional medicine only suppresses the immune system and prolongs the illness.

There are actually quite a few homeopathic products in your local pharmacy. The FDA requires that homeopathic products indicate what kind of product it is somewhere on the packaging. The easiest way to tell what kind of product you are buying is by examining the list of ingredients on the back or the on the side of the packaging.

With homeopathy, all of the ingredients are diluted, so each ingredient in such a product has the letter "X" after it. So, if one of the ingredients is "Zinc 20X", that means the product contains Zinc that has been diluted 20 times. One of the most popular cold medicines on the market, "Zicam," is actually a homeopathic remedy that consists of diluted zinc in the form of a nasal gel.

There are homeopathic remedies available for almost every condition. Cold, flu, allergy, even bedwetting; there is a homeopathic remedy available for almost every condition.

Homeopathy is universally recognized as being safe, as the ingredients used are natural substances diluted many times over. Because there is such a small concentration of the ingredients, many opponents of the science, including the drug companies that make conventional medicines and are afraid of the growing popularity of natural medicine, claim that any relief an ill person receives after using a natural product is the result of the placebo effect.

Since the FDA does not require most natural products to undergo clinical testing before being sold to the public, the detractors feel that it does not actually work. So, who is telling the truth? Does homeopathy really work or is it a bunch of nonsense?

In my opinion, it works. There have been several clinical trials done over the years to test the efficacy of homeopathic products. Liddell Laboratories makes a product called Vital HGH. Vital HGH is designed to treat the symptoms of aging and/or a rundown condition.

In a small clinical trial performed years ago, a group of test subjects who were deficient in human growth hormone, ranging in age from 45 years and up, were given the Vital HGH formulation. The results speak for themselves. During the five month clinical trial, the levels of HGH in the blood increased in every test subject, and more than doubled the average level of HGH.

Homeopathy does work. I speak from personal experience. I used such a remedy to deal with the allergy attacks I was having, and the medicine not only stopped the attacks faster than the Claritin I had been taking previously, but it also prevented subsequent allergy attacks.

So, why is there a controversy? Well, there is a public perception that homeopathy is the same thing as holistic healing or faith-based medicine. This is simply not accurate.

Homepathy and natural medicine in general make big drug manufacturers worry that such products might be more effective for treating common illnesses as opposed to the more expensive prescription versions that make the pharmaceutical companies rich. Most natural products are incredibly cheap. A prescribed conventional medicine costs a lot more.

If the public began demanding natural remedies to treat their ailments, drug companies would have to make these kinds of products to stay in business, and then their profits would shrink. Imagine if Pfizer had to stop manufacturing Viagra, which they sell at $20-$30 per pill, and instead make a homeopathic product that would retail for only $20 for a one month supply.

This is why drug companies often spend significant amounts of money to debunk claims that homeopathy works, using a wide variety of misinformation tactics to instill a belief in the public that natural medicine is is not effective for treating common ailments.

I am not saying that you should discontinue the use of conventional medicines. But, next time you go to the pharmacy, take a look at some of the natural brands on the shelf and give them a try. For common ailments that are not life threatening, a homeopathic product is probably a cheaper and more effective alternative.

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Ed Treatments No Longer Limited! Try Out the Options Available

Erectile dysfunction became more popular amongst the common man not because of its nature but because of the treatments that were invented for the disease within the space of the last ten years. Erectile dysfunction was a matter of great concern and worry among the common man because earlier there were no convincing treatments for the disease. But now oral ED pills are doing very well as regards to ED cure.

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Do you mean "it" didn't work or the pill didn't work? Either way, what a bummer! Are you sure it was a Viagra? There are other pills that look similar but have totally different functions. Viagra also only works if the person is aroused. Maybe more time should be spent on that part of it instead of going for broke right away. Know what I mean?

VIAGRA DOESN'T WORK!

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How to Beat Erectile Dysfunction

Erectile Dysfunction (ED) also known as impotence is a condition that affects men. This is when a man cannot get an erection or if he does he can not hold it for long. Many men have suffered from this dysfunction at one point or another, but the good news is that, though it cannot be treated overnight, it can still be treated and a man can enjoy having sex with his partner. Many men have viewed this as something that is very embarrassing and are not ready to discuss this with their partners. They pretend not to be interested in sex so that their partners does not find out they have a sexual problem. The first step however towards feeling better and getting better is talking about it with your partner and a doctor. This way, you will be on your way to recovering.

You can also deal with erectile dysfunction by getting drugs for it. Drugs like Viagra, Levitra and Cialis can be used to treat this condition in men. All this drugs have been tested on men and the clinical result of Cialis has shown that it is more effective than Viagra and Levitra. This however does not mean that Cialis is the drug that you should go for if you have erectile dysfunction. You will still need to test all the three drugs that are available to see which one best works for you. Do not forget to include the help of your doctor when making a decision of what best works for you.

If you do not want to get an erectile dysfunction, you should try to keep your life as stress free as possible. This is because researcher have found out that stress contributes to 50 percent of the erectile dysfunction cases. Most men who had this dysfunction when asked whether they were worried about something always gave out something that worried them. It ranged from money matters to family issues. Stress affects our health in all kinds of way. If you feel something is stressing you out, talk to someone, try to solve it with someone else. Do not deal with problems alone. You might end up hurting your sexual life.

If you like smoking and drinking, you should keep it to a minimum level. Research has also shown that heavy smoking can cause an erectile dysfunction in men. This is because everytime you over drink and smoke you lower the production of the testosterone which is a steroid hormone that has a major sexual function in both men and women. The testosterone sort of give the men increased libido and energy and if you do not stay away from excessive drinking and smoking you might not be able to beat erectile dysfunction because you will lower the production of this hormone. Stay away from drinking, smoking and stress and be on your way to beating erectile dysfunction. Do not be afraid of using some of these drugs, they might even enhance your performance.

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Does Hoodia Gordonii Really Work For Safe Weight Loss?

Hoodia gordonii (pronounced HOO-dee-ah) is also called hoodia, xhooba, khoba, Ghaap, hoodia cactus, and South African desert cactus.

Hoodia is a cactus that's causing a stir for its ability to suppress appetite and promote weight loss. 60 Minutes, ABC, and the BBC have all done stories on hoodia. Hoodia is sold in capsule, liquid, or tea form in health food stores and on the Internet. Hoodia gordonii can be found in the semi-deserts of South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, and Angola.

Hoodia grows in clumps of green upright stems and is actually a succulent, not a cactus. It takes about 5 years before hoodia's pale purple flowers appear and the cactus can be harvested. Although there are 20 types of hoodia, only the hoodia gordonii variety is believed to contain the natural appetite suppressant.
Although hoodia was "discovered" relatively recently, the San Bushmen of the Kalahari desert have been eating it for a very long time.

The Bushmen, who live off the land, would cut off part of the hoodia stem and eat it to ward off hunger and thirst during nomadic hunting trips. They also used hoodia for severe abdominal cramps, haemorrhoids, tuberculosis, indigestion, hypertension and diabetes.

In 1937, a Dutch anthropologist studying the San Bushmen noted that they used hoodia to suppress appetite. But it wasn't until 1963 when scientists at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), South Africa's national laboratory, began studying hoodia.

Initial results were promising — lab animals lost weight after taking hoodia.

The South African scientists, working with a British company named Phytopharm, isolated the active ingredient in hoodia, a steroidal glycoside, which they named p57. After getting a patent in 1995, they licensed p57 to Phytopharm. Phytopharm has spent more than $20 million on hoodia research.

Eventually pharmaceutical giant Pfizer (makers of Viagra) caught wind of hoodia and became interested in developing a hoodia drug. In 1998, Phytopharm sub-licensed the rights to develop p57 to Pfizer for $21 million. Pfizer recently returned the rights to hoodia to Phytopharm, who is now working with Unilever.

Much of the buzz about hoodia started after 60 minutes correspondent Leslie Stahl and crew traveled to Africa to try hoodia. They hired a local Bushman to go with them into the desert and track down some hoodia. Stahl ate it, describing it as "cucumbery in texture, but not bad." She lost the desire to eat or drink the entire day. She also didn't experience any immediate side effects, such as indigestion or heart palpitations. Stahl concluded, "I'd have to say it did work."

One of the first studies of Hoodia Gordonii was done in the UK on obese patients. Half of the volunteers were given Hoodia Gordonii, the other half were given a placebo. The subjects were allowed to read, watch television and eat. After 15 days it was found that those taking Hoodia had reduced their calorie intake by 1000 calories a day. Despite having unlimited access to food, the Hoodia subjects lost weight.

Is Hoodia Safe?

Since Hoodia is a plant (versus a man-made chemical), it is completely natural and experts say it is safe to eat. Scientists have been studying Hoodia for almost 10 years and have not found any side effects. (Not to mention the San Tribesman who have been eating Hoodia for years with seemingly no ill effects).

What Can You Do?

One way to tell if a Hoodia pill is real is to look for a document called the C.I.T.E.S. Certificate (The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). Since the Hoodia plant is a protected plant species it can only be sold to an exporter who has this certificate.

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