men's health

A plant-based diet appears able to both prevent and treat prostate cancer (see also here, here, here). Coffee, flax seeds (see also here), orange bell peppers, chamomile tea, and broccoli consumption may reduce the risk of prostate cancer. Eating tomatoes appears to protect against prostate cancer, possibly due to the red pigment lycopene. However, one should eat fat to maximize lycopene absorption. Conversely, multivitamins and kimchi may increase the risk of prostate cancer. The relatively recent spike in prostate cancer rates in Japan in men has been linked to consumption of hormone-laden beef there. Similarly, the hormones in dairy may be a risk factor. Cutting down on saturated fats (primarily found in meat and dairy) appears to be linked to prostate cancer survival.

Men eating the most meat appear to have twenty times the odds of having muscle tremors. Eating foods rich in carotenoids and vitamin C may be associated with a reduction of lower urinary tract infections in men. Watermelon may be a natural treatment for erectile dysfunction. And male smokers over the age 65 are at the highest risk for an abdominal aortic aneurysm and should get a sonogram to be safe.

Chicken consumption during pregnancy may result in the feminization of the genitalia of male babies in utero (see also here). Xenoestrogens (human-made chemicals that have estrogenic effects) also may negatively influence male sperm counts. Soy has not been found to decrease male fertility. But meat consumption has been found to have a negative effect on the body odor attractiveness of men.

Dioxins and PCBs in men are the most important fish biomarkers; you can use blood levels to estimate how much fish men have been eating. Vegetarian men should be sure to eat whole grains, nuts, and beans every day to meet their zinc requirements.

Topic summary contributed by Denise.
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