I recently had a male client ask if I would write about health concerns that guys face, and I’m happy to do so.

For all you guys out there (or their significant others that want to help them feel better!), here are some of the major health challenges you face and how you can help counteract their effects.

Hair loss

Hair growth is largely controlled by hormones (especially testosterone), and male pattern baldness is largely the result of genetics. 

Early in life, a man's hair grows normally, responding to the signals from the hormones in his hair follicles.  But then a gene that has been "sleeping" gets awakened and changes the way your hair follicles respond to the testosterone.  The growth cycle shortens, and eventually, hairs don't grow long enough to emerge from the skin before they fall out.

The higher a man's testosterone level is, the greater the risk of baldness.

Ways to help:

Free radicals have also been shown to play a role in male pattern baldness, so getting enough antioxidants to combat free radicals is essential to help slow down the rate of hair loss.

Vitamins C and E, zinc, and alpha lipoic acid are the superstars here.  A healthy diet can provide sources of each, but if you want to make sure all your bases are covered, check out our Super Core multi-vitamin and mineral formula. 

Super Core is jam-packed with a variety of nutrients, plus the superstar antioxidants I mentioned above, as well as natural anti-inflammatories.  

Prostate problems

The main problems that can arise with your prostate are:

• > Enlargement of the prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH)
• > Prostate infection (prostatitis)
• > Prostate cancer

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) results when testosterone in a man’s body converts to a highly active form and stimulates prostate cells to grow larger. 

In most cases, BPH is not life-threatening, but it can be a huge nuisance because as your prostate gets bigger, it pushes on the urethra and can cause an increased frequency of urination and waking up at night having to go.

Prostatitis is an inflammation of the prostate gland that can cause a wide variety of symptoms including pain or burning with urination, increased frequency or urination, pain during intercourse, and even flu-like symptoms.

Finally, there’s prostate cancer.  Although any form of cancer is concerning, prostate cancer typically grows very slowly, so most men that develop it won’t die from it. 

Ways to help:

If you smoke, please quit.  Smoking depletes antioxidants in your body which help with cancer protection.  In addition, cigarette smoke is high in cadmium, which interferes with zinc’s role in your prostate health.

Take a look at your diet.  I know you probably love your junk food, especially while watching sports, but junk food breeds disease.  Stick to the good stuff—proteins and veggies—and avoid refined carbs and sugars.  Make those chips a once in a while treat, and buy organic when you do indulge so you avoid GMOs.

Vitamin D deficiency has also been linked to prostate cancer, and with our exaggerated fears about sun exposure, many of us are seriously deficient in vitamin D. 

To help your body get what it needs, try to spend 20-30 minutes per day in the sun without sunscreen (weather permitting!).  Also, supplementing with a top-quality formula like our brand-new Optimum DK Formula with FruiteX-B can help make sure you have health-supporting vitamin D levels—all year round.

Lastly, if BPH or prostatitis is a concern, Omega-3 essential fatty acids are Nature’s anti-inflammatory and can help fight prostate inflammation.  Omega-3s are found in fatty fish like salmon, as well as fish oil formulas like VitalMega-3. 

Spare tire

Having an abdominal spare tire (aka “apple shape”) increases your risk of heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, memory loss and dementia!

Ways to help:

Your diet comes into play here too.  Refined carbs like bread, sugar, pasta, chips, crackers and soda turn to pure sugar upon digestion, and you know what happens then—your spare tire continues to INFLATE.  Try to avoid the sugars and starches as much as possible. 

And I know you REALLY don’t want to hear this, but beer is a belly bloater too, so keep it under control.   

Reduce stress as much as possible.  Chronic stress makes your body produce the hormone cortisol, which can deplete lean muscle and make your body hold on to fat in the belly region. It also enlarges your fat cells, allowing them to store more fat.

In addition, to burn fat anywhere in your body, you need to engage in cardio activities like jogging, running, cycling or swimming—activities that raise your heart rate.  Work in some interval training too.  Studies have shown that quick bursts of intense exercise followed by slower “resting” periods are very effective in stoking your fat burning furnace.  Just get your doctor’s OK first.

Lastly, be sure you’re getting 7-9 hours of sleep each night.  Lacking sleep compromises your ability to deal with stress and can get you into cortisol trouble like I mentioned above. 

To your health,

Sherry Brescia