Prostate health is something that every man should think about. Changes in the prostate are most commonly beginning to be noticeable in middle-aged men. Issues with prostate can affect your health and well being drastically.
However, there are ways to help support your prostate health naturally. One of the most popular supplements for it is Lycopene. Let’s find out what it is and how it can help!
PS! There is a bonus tip at the end of this blog post. Continue reading to find out!
What Is The Prostate?
Prostate is a golf-ball sized gland that is part of the male reproductive system. It’s located close to the bladder, urethra and rectum. This gland is responsible for secreting a fluid that makes up around 30% of the volume of semen and helping to expel semen during ejaculation. Because of its location and purpose, problems with your prostate can have a negative effect on urination and sexual function.
Prostate issues are a common thing in middle aged and older men, because the prostate gland tends to grow when you age. The first phase of growth occurs in puberty, the second phase starts around the age of 25 (Source). This is why it’s important to start paying attention to your prostate health even as a young man. We’re firm believers in early prevention and you should be too.
The most common issue that men struggle with is difficulty urinating due to the prostate pressing against urethra. This can be caused by age-related enlargement of the prostate gland (benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH), inflammation or infection of the prostate that is called prostatitis or even prostate cancer.
Prostate cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in men. Here’s what the statistics based on the U.S population says:
“Number of New Cases and Deaths per 100,000: The number of new cases of prostate cancer was 112.6 per 100,000 men per year. The number of deaths was 19.5 per 100,000 men per year. These rates are age-adjusted and based on 2011-2015 cases and deaths.
Lifetime Risk of Developing Cancer: Approximately 11.2 percent of men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point during their lifetime, based on 2013-2015 data.
Prevalence of This Cancer: In 2015, there were an estimated 3,120,176 men living with prostate cancer in the United States.” (Source)
What Is Lycopene And How Can It Help?
Lycopene is a carotenoid that’s found in tomatoes and other red fruits and vegetables. It is a powerful antioxidant that your body can’t produce on its own and needs to be ingested. As you might already know, antioxidants are extremely beneficial for your body. They help protect your cells from oxidative stress that produces free radicals.
Excess amount of free radicals has harmful impact on your cells, skin, immune-system and overall health. This results in DNA damage and age-related problems. Essentially, free radicals make your body age quicker. Furthermore, because issues with prostate health are more common in older men, it is important to start with prevention early on.
Lycopene has shown to support prostate health in different ways. The first controlled clinical study conducted in 2008 concluded that supplementing with lycopene may inhibit the progression and reduce the symptoms of BPH a k a prostate gland enlargement (Source).
A systematic review and meta-analysis published in 2015 showed the trend that there was reduced incidence of prostate cancer with higher lycopene intake (Source). Another systematic review and meta-analysis conducted in 2017 suggests that higher dietary and circulating lycopene concentrations in your body are associated with reduced risk of prostate cancer and may help protect from the aggressiveness of it (Source).
Bonus Tip: Pumpkin Seed Oil
Pumpkin Seed Oil can be another great way to promote good prostate health. It has a high zinc and phytosterol content that are known to be beneficial for the prostate. Research conducted in 2014 showed that supplementing with pumpkin seed oil can be an effective way to reduce the symptoms of an enlarged prostate (Source).
Moreover, Lycopene is a fat-soluble nutrient that’s best absorbed with fat containing meals. For maximum absorption and extra support for your prostate, try it out with our Pumpkin Seed Oil softgels.
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