Men’s Health: Nutritional Help for 3 Common Male Health Risks

June is Men’s Health Month, which is a great reminder for men to make an appointment for their annual physical and take better care of their health. All too often, guys don’t pay enough attention to what’s going on inside their bodies. So, we want to highlight some main health concerns men face, and offer pointers for staying healthy.

If you do a little Googling, there actually aren’t a lot of articles out there truly focused on men’s health. Most of what you find is generally about building muscle and physical activity. While an active lifestyle is very important, it’s also important to know how to take care of a physically active body through nutrition and supplements.

Some top health concerns men face are heart disease and cancer. When looking at statistics, heart disease is number one on the list. Two symptoms of heart disease include high blood pressure and high LDL cholesterol.

Keeping your blood pressure and cholesterol in check can not only help your arteries pump as they should, it can also help ward off any other minor issues.

CHOLESTEROL

Consider this, Oatmeal! Oatmeal is higher in Beta-glucan, which is a type of glucose that soaks up LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol).

Another idea is to keep Omega-3 fats on the menu. Stock up on salmon and other fish. Or if that’s too fishy for you, walnuts, flax seed, and chia seeds are some plant-based options.

BLOOD PRESSURE

When it comes to blood pressure, there’s a lot you can do to prevent your numbers from creeping too high and staying there. First, address your diet. We don’t mean to sound like a broken record, but this truly is the best place to start!

With all the marketing ploys smacking you in the face, it’s hard to resist some of those sugary and processed foods because, let’s be honest, they do taste good. But give eating a whole foods diet some time and you’ll soon feel your cravings for the less-than-desirable foods lessen and your hunger for some high quality foods increase.

Grab some fruits and veggies and try to avoid foods that are higher in sugar and sodium. Give some new recipes a try, and let us know what you discover! Learn more about which diet is best for your heart here.

PROSTATE

Unique to the male reproductive system, the prostate is the largest accessory gland of the male reproductive tract. It remains one of the body’s least understood structures. We know it’s essential to a healthy reproductive system, and it’s not something to ignore.

Three issues to watch for are prostatitis (more commonly seen in younger men), benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer.

When it comes to supporting a healthy prostate, one antioxidant to include in your diet is quercitin. Found in leafy greens, tomatoes, berries and broccoli, it has shown strong effects on immunity and inflammation. And we can use all the help we can get when it comes to inflammatory and immune support.

In addition, Zinc is vital for a healthy immune system, which also contributes to the health of your prostate.

THE BOTTOM LINE

With proper nutritional knowledge AND that annual physical, you can be on track to enjoy a healthy life. To learn more about the many important aspects of the body that men need to keep in check to stay healthy, visit our supplement collection dedicated to men’s health!