HEALTH AND MEDECINE

Health-Benefits-of-Ginger

homebusinesstraining@gmail.com (DAVID ANWANA UDO) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 01:39:00 +0000

Click Here to learn some Health-Benefits-of-Ginger

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In traditional Chinese medicine, ginger is used to calm upset stomachs, soothe nausea and stop diarrhea. Other traditional health practitioners also understood the health benefits of ginger ? it has been widely used in Europe to help relieve menstrual cramps, treat the symptoms of the common cold and ease headaches. One of the newest reports of the health benefits of ginger is that it may stop cancer from growing and spreading.

What Is Responsible for the Health Benefits of Ginger?
The health benefits of ginger come from chemicals called volatile oils, specifically gingerols and shogaols, that also give ginger its spicy, pungent taste. Those oils stimulate your body to produce more digestive juices and help neutralize the stomach acids that cause cramping, nausea and diarrhea. Ginger is also a natural decongestant and antihistamine, which makes it a natural treatment for head colds.

Research Supports the Health Benefits of Ginger
There are several studies that support the traditionally known health benefits of ginger. Those include:

Two studies about the health benefits of ginger in helping pregnant women with morning sickness showed that ginger root preparations were more effective than a placebo.
A clinical trial that proved that ginger root helped prevent seasickness better than a placebo.
Preliminary results in animal trials show that ginger seems to prevent or slow the rate of tumor growth in cancer.

DANGER OF SUGAR TO OUR HEALTH

homebusinesstraining@gmail.com (DAVID ANWANA UDO) — Tue, 05 May 2009 16:13:00 +0000

Here is a list of ways sugar can affect your health:

In one of my online search i came accross this information , and i decided to share with friends...while on my blog click on CANCER UPDATE ...

Sugar can suppress the immune system.
Sugar can upset the body's mineral balance.
Sugar can contribute to hyperactivity, anxiety, depression, concentration difficulties, and crankiness in children.
Sugar can produce a significant rise in triglycerides.
Sugar can cause drowsiness and decreased activity in children.
Sugar can reduce helpful high density cholesterol (HDLs).
Sugar can promote an elevation of harmful cholesterol (LDLs).
Sugar can cause hypoglycemia.
Sugar contributes to a weakened defense against bacterial infection.
Sugar can cause kidney damage.
Sugar can increase the risk of coronary heart disease.
Sugar may lead to chromium deficiency.
Sugar can cause copper deficiency.
Sugar interferes with absorption of calcium and magnesium.
Sugar can increase fasting levels of blood glucose.
Sugar can promote tooth decay.
Sugar can produce an acidic stomach.
Sugar can raise adrenaline levels in children.
Sugar can lead to periodontal disease.
Sugar can speed the aging process, causing wrinkles and grey hair.
Sugar can increase total cholesterol.
Sugar can contribute to weight gain and obesity.
High intake of sugar increases the risk of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
Sugar can contribute to diabetes.
Sugar can contribute to osteoporosis.
Sugar can cause a decrease in insulin sensitivity.
Sugar leads to decreased glucose tolerance.
Sugar can cause cardiovascular disease.
Sugar can increase systolic blood pressure.
Sugar causes food allergies.
Sugar can cause free radical formation in the bloodstream.
Sugar can cause toxemia during pregnancy.
Sugar can contribute to eczema in children.
Sugar can overstress the pancreas, causing damage.
Sugar can cause atherosclerosis.
Sugar can compromise the lining of the capillaries.
Sugar can cause liver cells to divide, increasing the size of the liver.
Sugar can increase the amount of fat in the liver.
Sugar can increase kidney size and produce pathological changes in the kidney.
Sugar can cause depression.
Sugar can increase the body's fluid retention.
Sugar can cause hormonal imbalance.
Sugar can cause hypertension.
Sugar can cause headaches, including migraines.
Sugar can cause an increase in delta, alpha and theta brain waves, which can alter the mind's ability to think clearly.
Sugar can increase blood platelet adhesiveness which increases risk of blood clots and strokes.
Sugar can increase insulin responses in those consuming high-sugar diets compared to low sugar diets.

· Sugar increases bacterial fermentation in the colon.

You can visit my blog site to read more on the subject and other related topics regarding your health , visit : http://preventable-diseases-guide.blogspot.com or email me at homebusinesstraining@gmail.com for other health related info. - you are welcome!!!

CANCER

homebusinesstraining@gmail.com (DAVID ANWANA UDO) — Fri, 01 May 2009 00:35:00 +0000

Cancer And Detoxification (7 warning signs of cancer here).

In 1996 more Americans died of cancer than died in World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam combined, with 550,000 Americans dying of cancer. In 2002 it is expected that more than 1.25 million Americans will be diagnosed with cancer. Someone dies of cancer every minute.In the early 1900's, there was very little cancer. Today there is an abundance of cancer. What has changed? Can this be reversed? It used to be that children rarely got cancer. Today cancer is striking children at ever younger ages and now cancer is the leading disease cause of death for children. Why? What can be done to prevent this from happening? Click Here for more info…

WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT CATARACTS ?

homebusinesstraining@gmail.com (DAVID ANWANA UDO) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 10:57:00 +0000

IT HAPPENS to more than a million persons each year. The problem affects twice as many women as men. It usually occurs when persons are in their sixties but can happen at any age, even before birth. What are we talking about?

Loss of vision through cataracts. You have often heard of cataracts, but do you really know what they are? What can be done to restore vision once cataracts develop? Let us begin by taking a closer look at your eyes.

The eyeball is a complex, three-dimensional, full-color motion-picture camera. It is shaped like a sphere and, for the most part, is filled with a jellylike transparent substance called vitreous humor. Encasing this semiliquid substance is a three-layered “skin.” The outer layer is known as the sclera, the middle one is the choroid and the inner layer is the retina. But none of these three layers encircle the entire eyeball. They all leave space at the front.

In the forepart of the eyeball the sclera merges into a convex transparent tissue called the cornea. It is shaped somewhat like a tiny bowl placed at the front of the eye with the bottom facing out. Behind the cornea is the iris, a thin circular curtain of muscular tissue that constitutes the colored part of the eye. The iris has a hole at its center, known as the pupil. Two sets of muscles in the iris can change the size of the pupil, controlling the amount of light that enters. Filling the space between the cornea and the iris is a clear fluid called aqueous humor.

Do you realize that actually your eyes do not ‘see’ anything? Instead, they bend and focus rays of light, which the optic nerve (attached to the rear of the eyeball) transmits to the visual center of the brain. To make that possible, the eye has another major part.

Just behind the iris is a transparent crystalline lens, which is about the size of an aspirin tablet. The lens is biconvex, that is, it is convex at both its front and back. The cornea and the lens work together to bend light rays and focus them at the back of the eyeball on the inner of its three surrounding layers, the retina. A group of muscles attached to the lens can make it change shape so as to bring things into focus. A cross-section view of the lens would reveal that, when focusing on a distant object, it is oval-shaped like a football. The lens would appear rounder when the eye views something up close.

Aging and Cataracts

It is in the lens that cataracts develop. They cause clouding of the lens and may spread until the entire lens loses its transparency. The word “cataract” comes from a Latin term meaning “waterfall.” This is because it appeared to ancient physicians that a veil of blurry water had fallen over the lenses of persons who had cataracts.

Some people think that cataracts are growths that form on the lens. However, Dr. David K. Berler points out: “A cataract is not a growth, or something new to the eye; it’s merely a change in clarity of the normal lens.” What causes this?

The reasons for cataracts are not well known. But a factor nearly always present is aging. The lens of your eye is not solid like a piece of glass, but is a living organ that continues to grow throughout your life. Like an onion it is composed of many layers of cells. As new layers form, those beneath them become compressed, dehydrated and stiff. With the passing of time proteins in the nucleus of the lens can undergo changes that cause it to become deep yellow, brown or sometimes nearly black. Or, fibers in the many layers of cells surrounding the nucleus may become swollen or distorted, resulting in formation of gaps filled with fluid and debris. All of this scatters light, blurring vision.

Other Causes

However, aging is not the only cause of cataracts. A defect in your body’s ability to utilize sugar may be implicated. According to one study, persons with diabetes proved to be four to six times more likely to develop cataracts than nondiabetics of the same age and sex. What is the reason for this? An article appearing in Scientific American of December 1975 noted that diabetes results in a raised level of glucose in the eye’s aqueous humor. This triggers a chemical reaction that produces the sugar alcohol “sorbitol” in the lens. The consequent increase of pressure within lens fibers causes them to take up water from the aqueous and vitreous humors. As a result, the lens fibers become swollen and disrupted, eventually leading to loss of transparency.

Other causes of cataracts can include a drastic change of diet leading to deficiencies of certain vitamins or other elements of good nutrition. Traumatic cataracts result from a blow to the eye or the piercing of the eye by some sharp object, which dislocates and damages the lens. According to the book Living with Your Eye Operation, cataracts can result also from the effects of “ultraviolet light, X-ray, infrared (heat), and other kinds of radiation, including microwaves from ovens, radar, and diathermy.” This publication therefore suggests that people wear goggles or sunglasses to filter out harmful rays when using sunlamps or other equipment that emit eye-damaging radiation.

Can You Avoid Prolonged Vision Defects?

While no one can assure that you will never develop cataracts, there are steps that you can take so that you will suffer only minimal impairment of vision from them. How so?

It has been noted that in many cases a diet rich in vitamins A, B (especially B2, or riboflavin) and C has been effective in retarding development of cataracts. Might such a diet help you? If you are a diabetic, be sure not to neglect the disease. Proper management of diabetes can help you to avoid serious complications that may lead to cataracts.

When approaching the age when cataracts are most likely to develop, it makes sense to have regular eye examinations. In an interview published in U.S. News & World Report, Dr. Carl Kupfer, director of the National Eye Institute, offered this advice:

“We assume that every child has an eye examination at birth to pick up congenital defects. Next would be an examination during the age of 3 1/2 to 4 1/2. Then, if there are no problems, I would wait until the child enters puberty.

“After that, if a person is not having any symptoms of trouble, I don’t think routine checks are necessary until the mid-40s period. After that time until about 60, a person should see an eye doctor at least every two years, because he or she is going to need a change of glasses as close-up vision suffers.”

Have you had an eye examination recently?

The most common treatment for cataracts is surgical removal of the clouded lenses. However, in some cases it may be possible to forestall surgery for a period of time and yet retain good vision. In rare instances, for example, the cataract is very small and near the center of the lens. Therefore the doctor can prescribe drops that will enlarge the pupil. This allows light to enter the edges of the lens, enabling one to ‘see around’ a cataract. In other cases, also very rare, cataracts may form around the edges of the lens while its center remains transparent. If this happens, special glasses or contact lenses can serve to direct more light toward the center of the lens.

But what if the only way to restore your eyesight is to resort to surgical removal of the lens? Is it a dangerous, painful operation? What would be your prospects for regaining good vision?

“Ninety-eight Percent Successful”

“Cataract removal is the most successful blindness-prevention operation,” notes the book Living With Your Eye Operation, adding: “Today cataract removal operations are about ninety-eight percent successful. Testimony to their rate of success is the staggering statistic of a quarter of a million cataract operations performed in the United States every year. . . . About eighty-five percent of all persons operated on for cataract achieve normal vision (20/30 or better).”

The operation itself is not overly painful. Usually the patient is put under mild sedation when brought to the operating room. He is awake but tranquil. Then small injections are given to anesthetize the eye muscles. After that the doctor proceeds to extract the cataractous lens. How does he accomplish that?

After spreading apart the eyelids, the doctor makes a small arc-shaped cut where the white part (sclera) of the eye meets the upper part of the iris. Then the cornea can be folded down, giving access through the pupil to the lens. Some surgeons remove a small section of the iris too. A special enzyme serves to dissolve the fine “zonules” that grip the I lens, making it easier to extract.

There are different methods of removing the lens. Some surgeons use tweezer-like forceps. Others employ a cryoprobe, which is a small probe attached to a freezing unit that keeps the tip at about 15 degrees Fahrenheit (-9.4 degrees Centigrade). This freezes the lens so that it adheres to the probe and comes out gently in one piece. When the lens is gone, the void is filled with saline solution, which helps the eye to maintain its proper shape and internal pressures.

Another method of lens removal is phacoemulsification. This involves a special probe that pierces the lens. Dr. Berler explains: “This probe vibrates about 40,000 times a second, shattering the cataract, which is then sucked out in fragments through a very fine tube. A second tube injects fluid into the eye, so that there is a constant circulation of fluid going in and debris going out.” An advantage of this procedure is that only a very small incision is necessary to admit the special vibrating probe. It can be closed up with a single stitch and the patient may be able to leave the hospital the same day or shortly thereafter.

After the Operation

An operation to remove cataracts, however, leaves the eye without a lens to focus sharp images on the retina. What compensates for this?

Special eyeglasses are the most readily available replacement for missing lenses. However, cataract glasses are very thick. Besides being heavy, they magnify everything some 25 to 30 percent, making things appear closer than they really are. And there is a great deal of distortion at the edges. When looking to the sides or up and down, a person wearing cataract glasses must learn to turn his head, rather than just his eyes.

Much of this problem disappears with contact lenses. Their magnification is much less; and since they adhere closely to the cornea, contact lenses move with the eyes, eliminating the need for exaggerated head movements.

Some researchers have developed plastic lenses that go right into the eye, replacing the normal lens. One type fits in the same location as the original lens. Another type is positioned in front of the iris. However, plastic lenses cannot change their shape to focus on objects at varying distances.

Has your vision become blurred? Could the problem be cataracts? If so, a relatively simple and painless operation along with corrective lenses is likely to restore good vision. Is it not worth a visit to your eye doctor to find out?

LEARN MORE ABOUT CATARACT

homebusinesstraining@gmail.com (DAVID ANWANA UDO) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 10:49:00 +0000

Cataracts

By Judith Lee and Gretchyn Bailey;
reviewed by Vance Thompson, MD

A cataract is a clouding of the eye's natural lens, which lies behind the iris and the pupil. The lens works much like a camera lens, focusing light onto the retina at the back of the eye. The lens also adjusts the eye's focus, letting us see things clearly both up close and far away.

The lens is mostly made of water and protein. The protein is arranged in a precise way that keeps the lens clear and lets light pass through it. But as we age, some of the protein may clump together and start to cloud a small area of the lens. This is a cataract, and over time, it may grow larger and cloud more of the lens, making it harder to see.

Researchers are gaining additional insights about what causes these specific types of proteins (crystallins) to cluster in abnormal ways to cause lens cloudiness and cataracts. One recent finding suggests that fragmented versions of these proteins bind with normal proteins, thus disrupting normal function.

Hazy or blurred vision may indicate a cataract.
Cataracts are classified as one of three types:

A nuclear cataract is most commonly seen as it forms. This cataract forms in the nucleus, the center of the lens, and is due to natural aging changes.

A cortical cataract, which forms in the lens cortex, gradually extends its spokes from the outside of the lens to the center. Many diabetics develop cortical cataracts.

A subcapsular cataract begins at the back of the lens. People with diabetes, high farsightedness, retinitis pigmentosa or those taking high doses of steroids may develop a subcapsular cataract.
Cataract Symptoms and Signs
A cataract starts out small and at first has little effect on your vision. You may notice that your vision is blurred a little, like looking through a cloudy piece of glass or viewing an impressionist painting. A cataract may make light from the sun or a lamp seem too bright or glaring. Or you may notice when you drive at night that the oncoming headlights cause more glare than before. Colors may not appear as bright as they once did.

Left: A cataract is a clouding of the eye's natural lens. See animation.

Right: Cataracts affect vision by scattering incoming light. See animation.

The type of cataract you have will affect exactly which symptoms you experience and how soon they will occur. When a nuclear cataract first develops it can bring about a temporary improvement in your near vision, called "second sight." Unfortunately, the improved vision is short-lived and will disappear as the cataract worsens. Meanwhile, a subcapsular cataract may not produce any symptoms until it's well-developed.

If you think you have a cataract, see an eye doctor for an exam to find out for sure.

What Causes Cataracts?
No one knows for sure why the eye's lens changes as we age, forming cataracts. Researchers are gradually identifying factors that may cause cataracts — and information that may help to prevent them.

Many studies suggest that exposure to ultraviolet light is associated with cataract development, so eyecare practitioners recommend wearing sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat to lessen your exposure.

Other types of radiation may also be causes. For example, a 2005 study conducted in Iceland suggests that airline pilots have a higher risk of developing nuclear cataract than non-pilots and that the cause may be exposure to cosmic radiation. A similar theory suggests that astronauts, too, are at risk from cosmic radiation.

YOUR DOCTOR CARES FOR YOU , ALWAYS LISTENTO YOUR DOCTOR...

homebusinesstraining@gmail.com (DAVID ANWANA UDO) — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 11:11:00 +0000

YOUR PROSTATE GLAND-WHERE IT IS AND WHAT IT DOES....

homebusinesstraining@gmail.com (DAVID ANWANA UDO) — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 09:03:00 +0000

Your Prostate Gland - Where It Is and What It Does...

The prostate is a small round sex gland and muscle, approximately the size of a walnut, weighing between 15-20gm. The prostate has a vital role to play in the male reproductive system.The prostate is located directly below your bladder and wraps around tubing, called the urethra.The urethra is the tube that carries urine from the bladder and the flow of semen through the penis.

The Function of Your Prostate
One of the primary functions of your prostate is to produce secretions that form part of the semen and eventually nourishes and protects your sperm.
Just before you experience an ejaculation, these prostatic secretions are squeezed into the urethra from ducts in the prostate gland, where it mixes with the sperm when your prostate is working as a muscle, it helps propel semen out of the body.

13 Possible Symptoms That May Indicate You Have Prostate Problems
You experience a burning sensation when urinating
You get interrupted sleep due to the constant need to urinate at night
You experience a weak urine flow
You find that you cannot empty your bladder completely
You experience pain, hesitancy or urgency to urinate
You see blood in your urine
You have lower back pain
You feel uncomfortable when sitting
You experience pain in the testicles groin or penis
You feel pain when ejaculating or during sex
You have a constant itchy feeling in your penis
You experience difficulties getting an erection or impotence
You notice a decrease in sexual desire

Enlarge Prostate

Normal Prostate

Inflamed Prostate

Click Here to Learn More…. About Prostate Problem , Prevention and Cure.

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or contact them via e-mail at

info@pathcarenigeria.com -

Accredited Loboratory ISO 15189.

ALL MEN AGED 45 AND ABOVE SHOULD BE SCRENED BY HAVING AN ANNUAL BLOOD TEST ( PSA - PROSTATE SPECIFIC ANTIGEN ) AND PHYSICAL EXAMINATION.

YOUR LIFE IS IN YOUR HANDS , ACT NOW!!!

IS YOUR FOOD SAFE?

homebusinesstraining@gmail.com (DAVID ANWANA UDO) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:58:00 +0000

How Safe Is Your Food?

DO YOU eat three meals a day? If so, by the time you are 70 years old, you will have consumed over 75,000 meals. For a typical European, that will mean eating—among other things—some 10,000 eggs, 5,000 loaves of bread, 100 sacks of potatoes, 6 sides of beef, and 2 sheep. Does all that eating amount to a chore? Far from it! How we relish hearing such expressions as "enjoy your meal" or "guten Appetit" or "bon appétit"! The head of a cooking school went so far as to say: "Food is the essence of life."

Most of the time, we may tend to take it for granted that the food we consume is wholesome and healthful. But if just one of those 75,000 meals were to contain something harmful, we could get seriously ill. Can we be sure that what we eat is safe? These days, more and more people seem to have doubts on that score. In some countries food safety has become a major concern.

Why?
Causes of Concern
Each year, foodborne illness affects about 15 percent of the population of Europe. In the early 1980's, for instance, toxic cooking oil in Spain killed about 1,000 people and made another 20,000 seriously ill. In 1999 the population of Belgium was aghast when it was reported that such items as eggs, poultry, cheese, and butter were possibly contaminated by a poison called dioxin. More recently, Britain's consumers were horrified—and its beef industry was shattered—when cattle became infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow disease). Then there was an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, which required the slaughter and disposal of millions of cows, sheep, pigs, and goats.

Grave though such risks are, there are other factors that worry people when it comes to food. Consumers are troubled by new techniques that are now being used in the growth and processing of foodstuffs. The European Commission wrote in 1998: "Novel technologies like food irradiation and genetic engineering of food crops have caused a lot of controversy." Do such modern scientific techniques improve our food or adulterate it? And what can we do to increase the safety of our own food?

CUTTING THE RISK OF KIDNEY STONES

homebusinesstraining@gmail.com (DAVID ANWANA UDO) — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 13:01:00 +0000

Doctors suggest limiting your consumption of RED MEAT, SALT, AND FOODS HIGH IN OXALATE, which are believed to help form stones. These foods include nuts, chocolate, black pepper, and leafy green vegetables, such as spinach. Doctors also once recommended reducing calcium intake, but recent research indicates instead that an increase of dietary calcium tends to decrease the tendency to form stones.

Strangely, an 8-ounce glass of grapefruit juice daily boost the risk of stones by 44 percent,” “No other drink had such a negative impact.”

Would you like to read more on this topic and other medical and medicine related topic on Kidney Disease, Prostate, Eye Disease, Cancer, Diabetes, Stroke etc.
Remember Reading drives away ignorance.

Just send me an e-mail at 08036124282david@gmail.com

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

homebusinesstraining@gmail.com (DAVID ANWANA UDO) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 11:41:00 +0000

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
Prevention and Control

By Awake! writer in Brazil

MARIAN was afraid! Without warning, her nose had begun to bleed profusely. "I thought I was going to die," she recalls. A doctor informed Marian that her nosebleed had been caused by high blood pressure (arterial hypertension). "But I feel fine," answered Marian. "Many people do not know that they have high blood pressure because they have no symptoms," she replied.

What about your blood pressure? Could your current life-style cause high blood pressure in the future? What can you do to keep your blood pressure under control?*

Blood pressure is the force blood exerts against blood vessel walls. It can be measured using an inflatable rubber cuff, which is wrapped around the upper arm and connected to an apparatus that records pressure. Two readings are obtained. For example: 120/80. The first number is called systolic blood pressure because it indicates blood pressure during the heartbeat (systole), and the second number is called diastolic blood pressure because it indicates blood pressure while the heart is relaxed (diastole). Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury, and physicians classify patients as hypertensive when their blood pressure is above 140/90.

What makes blood pressure increase? Imagine that you are watering your garden. By opening the faucet or by reducing the caliber, or diameter, of the jet of water, you increase the pressure of the water. The same occurs with blood pressure: Increasing the rate of flow of blood or decreasing the caliber of the blood vessel elevates the blood pressure. How does high blood pressure occur? Many factors are involved.

Factors You Cannot Control

Researchers have discovered that if a person has relatives with high blood pressure, his chances of suffering from the disease are greater. Statistics indicate a higher incidence of hypertension in identical twins than in fraternal twins. One study refers to the "mapping of the genes responsible for arterial hypertension," all of which would confirm the existence of a hereditary component responsible for high blood pressure. The risk of abnormally high blood pressure is also known to increase with age and to be greater among black males.

Factors You Can Control

Watch your diet! Salt (sodium) can boost blood pressure in some people, especially people with diabetes, those with severe hypertension, older people, and some blacks. Excess fat in the bloodstream can create deposits of cholesterol on the internal walls of blood vessels (atherosclerosis), thus reducing their caliber and increasing blood pressure. People who are more than 30 percent above their ideal body weight are liable to have high blood pressure. Studies suggest that increasing the intake of potassium and calcium may lower blood pressure.

Smoking is related to a greater risk of atherosclerosis, diabetes, heart attack, and stroke. That being so, smoking and high blood pressure are a dangerous combination that can lead to cardiovascular diseases. Although the evidence is contradictory, caffeine—contained in coffee, tea, and cola drinks—and emotional and physical stress may also aggravate high blood pressure. In addition, scientists know that intensive or chronic consumption of alcoholic drinks and lack of physical activity can increase blood pressure.

Healthful Life-Style

It would be a mistake to wait for high blood pressure to develop before taking positive steps. A healthful life-style should be a concern from an early age. Taking care now will result in a better quality of life in the future.

The Third Brazilian Consensus on Arterial Hypertension defined the life-style changes that favor a decrease in arterial blood pressure. They are a helpful guide to people with high or normal
blood pressure.

For the obese, researchers recommended a balanced low-calorie diet, avoiding fast and "miracle" diets, while maintaining a program of moderate physical exercise. With regard to salt, they suggested a consumption of no more than six grams or one teaspoon per day.^# In practice, that means cutting to a minimum the use of salt in food preparation, as well as minimizing canned foods, cold cuts (salami, ham, sausage, and others), and smoked foods. Salt intake can also be reduced by refraining from adding extra salt during the meal and by checking the packaging of processed foods to see how much salt has been added.

The Brazilian Consensus also suggested increasing the intake of potassium because it may have an "antihypertensive effect." That being so, a healthful diet should include "foods that are low in sodium and rich in potassium," such as beans, dark green vegetables, bananas, melons, carrots, beets, tomatoes, and oranges. Keeping alcohol intake at a moderate level is also important. Some researchers indicate that hypertensive males should consume no more than one ounce [30 ml] of alcohol per day; and women or those with low body weight no more than one half ounce [15 ml].^%

The Brazilian Consensus concluded that regular physical exercise decreased blood pressure and thus lowered the risk of developing arterial hypertension. Moderate aerobic exercise, such as walking, cycling, and swimming, for 30 to 45 minutes, three to five times a week is beneficial.^ Other factors that have been associated with a more healthful life-style include quitting smoking, controlling blood fats (cholesterol and triglycerides) and diabetes, getting an adequate intake of calcium and magnesium, and controlling physical and emotional stress. Some drugs may increase blood pressure, such as nasal decongestants, antacids high in sodium, appetite moderators, and caffeine-containing painkillers for migraines.

Certainly, if you have arterial hypertension, your doctor is in the best position to give you advice on your diet and habits, according to your personal needs. Regardless of your situation, however, adopting a healthful life-style from an early age is always beneficial, not only for hypertensive people but for all the members of the family. Marian, mentioned at the beginning of this article, had to make changes in her life-style. Currently she takes medication and leads a normal life despite her health problem. How about you? While awaiting the time when all people will have a healthful life and "no resident will say: 'I am sick,'" keep your blood pressure under control!—Isaiah 33:24.

* Awake! does not endorse any particular form of treatment, recognizing that this is a matter for personal decision.

^# Consult your physician about your daily sodium and potassium requirements if you suffer from arterial hypertension or heart, liver, or kidney disease and are on medication.
^% One ounce [30 ml] of alcohol is equivalent to 2 ounces [60 ml] of distilled drinks (whiskey, vodka, and others), 8 ounces [240 ml] of wine, or 24 ounces [720 ml] of beer.
^ Discuss with your doctor the need for a personal exercise program.

FIGHTING HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

1. Measures That Can Help Control High Blood Pressure

Reduce body weight
Cut salt intake
Increase intake of potassium-rich foods
Reduce consumption of alcoholic drinks
Exercise regularly

2. Other Measures That May Help Control Blood Pressure

Calcium and magnesium supplements
High-fiber vegetarian diet
Antistress therapy

3. Related Measures

Quit smoking
Control cholesterol level
Control diabetes
Avoid drugs that can boost blood pressure

Adapted from the Third Brazilian Consensus on Arterial Hypertension—Revista Brasileira de Clínica & Terapêutica.

What Is Cancer ? What Causes It ?

homebusinesstraining@gmail.com (DAVID ANWANA UDO) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 10:17:00 +0000

PERHAPS deservedly, over the years the word “cancer” has acquired a strong negative overtone. Phrases such as “spreading like a deadly, insidious cancer” have impelled many people to close their minds to the word and its true significance.

Yet, today, when brought out into the open in an objective manner, the subject assumes less fearsome proportions. Instead of always being “deadly,” it often becomes “curable.” Instead of always “spreading,” it is often terminated while still localized. So, what is cancer really? And what causes it?

British experts Sir Richard Doll and Richard Peto explain: “The various human cancers are diseases in which one of the many cells of which the human body is composed is altered in such a way that it inappropriately replicates itself again and again, producing millions of similarly affected self-replicating descendant cells, some of which may spread to other parts of the body and eventually overwhelm it.”—The Causes of Cancer.

The big question now is why? Why do some cells break out of the normal mold and proliferate abnormally?

Does Your Life-Style Make a Difference?

At the present stage of cancer research, doctors have a far-from-complete answer to the cancer scourge. The fact that it is increasing is confirmed by Drs. John C. Bailar III and Elaine M. Smith who recently stated in The New England Journal of Medicine: “From 1973 to 1981 the crude incidence rate for all neoplasms [cancers] combined rose by 13.0 percent. . . . There is no reason to think that, on the whole, cancer is becoming any less common.”

To a great extent, the cancer experts are caught between the need to find an adequate treatment for malignant tumors and the need to encourage prevention by tracing the true causes. The search for causes leads to a labyrinth of differing theories—does the cause lie in viruses, genes, immune responses, chemicals, environment, toxics in the body, in combinations of these, or in something else? And by what process does a cell become malignant and then migrate?

A cancer expert, Professor Stephan Tanneberger, stated: “It is now an established fact that this is a process involving several stages whereby a normal cell with a certain genetic make-up is transformed into a tumour cell under the influence of several factors. We know that viruses, radiation and chemical substances constitute such factors, but it is safe to say that only the interaction of several such factors produces a cancer cell in a multistage process.”—Prisma.

What does this mean for us in everyday life? According to Dr. Charles A. LeMaistre, president of the American Cancer Society, our daily living habits have a bearing on the causes of cancer. He stated: “Most scientists now believe that our daily habits—what we eat and drink, whether we smoke and how often we expose ourselves to the sun determine to a great extent our risk of getting many cancers.”—Ebony magazine.

This point of view is confirmed by the research of University of Oxford experts Doll and Peto. They state: “Observations of the vagaries of human behavior may suggest ideas that might never occur to a laboratory investigator. Historically, they provided the starting point for a large part of all cancer research by pinpointing the risks associated with exposure to the combustion products of coal, sunlight, X-rays, asbestos, and many chemical agents. They drew attention to the hazards associated with chewing various mixtures of betel, tobacco, and lime and with smoking tobacco.”

Since life-styles and environments differ from one country to another, it means that there is a tendency for some countries to have more of some types of cancer and less of others. For example, England, where tobacco use has been prevalent for decades, leads in lung cancer. Nigeria, which has not caught up in tobacco usage, has a much lower incidence of that ailment at present. Connecticut, U.S.A., leads in colon and bladder cancer, while Nigeria has the lowest levels.

Another example of how life-style can be conducive to cancer is Kaposi’s sarcoma, a normally rare cancer. Homosexuals have been stricken with it in the last few years as a consequence of AIDS, which weakens the patient’s immune system and lays him open to infections and this sarcoma.

A possible additional factor in causing cancer is indicated by Dr. Kenneth R. Pelletier of the University of California School of Medicine: “Numerous animal and human experimental studies have demonstrated that stress, psychological depression, and other psychosocial factors compromise an organism’s capacity to prevent the induction of disease such as cancer or limit its spread.”—Holistic Medicine.

Other doctors also hold this view that excessive stress can affect the immune system and thus lay a person open to cancer and other diseases. Now let us look more closely at some of the more obvious causes of cancer.

Tobacco—A Deadly Foe

For decades tobacco has been linked to cancer. Therefore it causes no great surprise to read the following press release: “The World Health Organization, citing a report that nearly one million deaths each year can be attributed to tobacco use, has issued a strong condemnation of smoking and tobacco use.” That item, published in The New York Times, went on to say that “smoking is responsible for 90 percent of all cases of lung cancer, 75 percent of all cases of chronic bronchitis and emphysema and 25 percent of ischemic heart disease as well as other types of cancer, pregnancy complications and respiratory diseases.”

Tobacco plays such an important role in cancer that Dr. Byron J. Bailey, University of Texas Medical Branch, believes that tobacco addiction should be called tobaccoism, and its consequence, cancer. He wrote in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association): “We must realize that tobaccoism is the most deadly drug addiction in the United States [in the world!] today and that it is exacting a heavier toll in lives and dollars than cocaine, heroin, the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, traffic accidents, murder, and terrorist attacks combined.”

But what about the use of what is known as “smokeless tobacco,” snuff and chewing tobacco, now popular with millions of people worldwide? The New England Journal of Medicine reports that “in India, parts of Central Asia, and Southeast Asia, oral cancer is far more frequent than in the United States. In fact, it is the most common cancer in that area.” The report continues: “Smokeless tobacco taken orally, alone or together with such ingredients as areca nut and piper betel leaf and lime, has been shown to increase the risk of mouth cancer greatly.”

Tobacco and Alcohol—Is There a Link?

What can be said about smoking and drinking in combination? Drs. Doll and Peto affirm that alcohol “‘interacts’ with smoking, each agent enhancing the other’s effects. That alcohol is involved in the production of cancer has been suspected for 60 years, since it was shown that cancers of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, and esophagus were commoner than average in men who were employed in trades that encouraged the consumption of large amounts of alcohol.”

This conclusion is confirmed by the German cancer expert Professor Tanneberger, who said: “Smoking and excessive drinking are a risk factor of the first order. . . . There’s no escaping the fact that a causal relationship exists between a person’s mode of life and the development of cancer.”

“Innocent” Killers

Millions of people every year expose themselves to a random killer that seems so enjoyable and innocent—sunrays. Yet excessive sunbathing, especially if it leads to severe sunburn in adolescence, can be conducive to melanoma, a dark pigmented cancer of the skin. As one medical source explains: “The conditions that maximize risk may be those that involve sudden exposure of untanned skin to sunlight.”—The Causes of Cancer.

This cause should not be viewed lightly, since, in the United States alone, 23,000 new cases and 5,600 deaths are expected this year. Those most easily affected are people with light complexions, blue eyes, blond or red hair, and freckles.

Excessive exposure to X rays in medical examinations may be another “innocent” cause of cancer. For example the “rapid increase in incidence . . . is greater for thyroid cancer than for any other type of tumor and may in part be explained by the epidemic of non-fatal thyroid cancers induced by medical use of X-rays.”—The Causes of Cancer.

Even the food we eat may be another unsuspected cause of cancer. “Studies suggest that certain foods and some nutrients contained in those foods may be associated with the development of cancer. Findings suggest that a high intake of dietary fat is a risk factor for cancer. . . .

“Scientists have found some relationship between a lack of certain vitamins—A and C—and cancer. For example, diets low in vitamin A have been linked to cancers of the prostate gland, cervix, skin, bladder and colon.”—U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

One curious example is that of aflatoxin, “a product of the fungus Aspergillus flavus that commonly contaminates peanuts and other staple carbohydrate foods stored in hot and humid climates.” According to Drs. Doll and Peto, it “is a major factor in the production of liver cancer in certain tropical countries.”

After Cause and Effect—What Next?

The fact of the matter is that there are at least 200 different types of cancer with many distinct or interrelated causes. In some cases, the causes are still not known for sure. Chemicals used in food, as well as industrial pollutants, have been pinpointed as possible causes. For some reason, delay in having a first child, thus delaying natural lactation, also has some bearing on the incidence of breast cancer. For further information on causes of cancer, see the box on page 6.

If scientists have established that many cancers are due to human behavior and factors in the environment, we are on the way to important solutions to the cancer problem—prevention and cure. These will be dealt with in the following article.

Definitions of Cancer Terminology

Tumor—an abnormal mass of tissue; any unhealthy swelling; also called a neoplasm, or new growth. It can be benign or malignant.

Benign—cells that do not invade or infiltrate other tissue. However, a benign tumor can cause dangerous pressure.

Malignant—cells that invade and infiltrate surrounding tissues and, unless arrested, eventually overwhelm the patient.

Cancer—a malignant tumor. Cancers are listed under two main groups: sarcomas and carcinomas.

Sarcomas—cancers of the structural and connective tissues, including bones, cartilage, fat, and muscle.

Carcinomas—cancers that affect the tissues that cover or line body organs such as the skin, intestines, lungs, and breasts.

Carcinogen—a cancer-causing substance.

Metastasis—transmission of a disease from its original source to additional sites in the body.

Lymph—a clear fluid circulating through the body. It contains white blood cells, antibodies, impurities, and nourishing substances.

Lymph glands—or nodes. These normally filter impurities from the body. The lymph system is vital in the body’s defense against infection.

(Based on Cancer and Vitamin C, by Drs. Ewan Cameron and Linus Pauling; The Facts About Cancer, by Dr. Charles F. McKhann.)

Some Established Cancer-Causing Agents in Humans

Cause Cancer site

Aflatoxin (on moldy peanuts)_________Liver

Alcoholic drinks in excess__________Mouth, throat, esophagus, liver

Asbestos____________________________Lung, pleura, peritoneum

Chewing betel, tobacco, lime________Mouth

Furniture (hardwood)________________Nasal sinuses

Leather goods_______________________Nasal sinuses

Overnutrition (causing obesity)_____Endometrium, gallbladder

Late age for first pregnancy Breast

Childless or very few children______Ovary

Parasitic infections:

Schistosoma haematobium, Africa___Bladder

Chlonorchis sinensis, China_______Liver

Sexual promiscuity__________________Cervix uteri; skin

Steroids____________________________Liver

Tobacco_____________________________Mouth, throat, lung

Virus (hepatitis B)_________________Liver

(Based on The Causes of Cancer)

KIDNEY - A FILTER FOR LIFE

homebusinesstraining@gmail.com (DAVID ANWANA UDO) — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 18:26:00 +0000

BY AWAKE! CORRESPONDENT IN IRELAND

THE earth and the human body have something in common: To sustain life, both require a filter. The earth needs protection from the constant bombardment of harmful rays from the sun. The ozone layer of our atmosphere filters these out, allowing life-sustaining light to pass through to the earth. And your body? Many of the chemical processes in your body release toxic substances and waste into your bloodstream. If allowed to remain, these would cause serious problems for you, even death. They have to be continuously filtered out and removed.

This filtering is one of the principal functions of your kidneys. But how can these little organs identify, isolate, and remove harmful substances, yet at the same time make sure that vital elements remain to feed and nourish your body? And how can you help your kidneys keep you healthy?

What’s Inside Your Kidneys?

Humans normally have two kidneys—one situated on either side of the spine in the lower part of the back. Each is about four inches [10 cm] long, two inches [5 cm] wide, and one inch [2.5 cm] thick and weighs from four to six ounces [110-170 g]. Bisecting the kidney from top to bottom reveals several well-defined features, seen in the accompanying diagrams.

To visualize how the kidney works, imagine a stadium with thousands of spectators coming in for an event. First, the crowd must divide into numerous small lines. Then, the people in each line pass one by one through security gates, where individuals without tickets are turned aside. The spectators with tickets pass through to their assigned seats.

Similarly, all the many elements making up your blood need to circulate throughout your entire body. As they do so, however, they must repeatedly pass through your kidneys by means of large blood vessels, the renal arteries, one for each kidney. After entering the kidney, the renal artery fans out into smaller vessels in the kidney’s inner and outer layers. The various elements in your blood are thus channeled into smaller and more manageable “lines.”

Finally, the blood arrives at tiny clusters, each consisting of about 40 tightly looped, minute blood vessels. Each cluster, called a glomerulus, is surrounded by a two-layer membrane known as Bowman’s capsule. Together, the glomerulus and Bowman’s capsule make up the first part of your kidney’s ‘security gate,’ a nephron—the basic filtration unit of your kidney. There are over a million nephrons in each kidney. But they are so small that you would need a microscope to examine one!—See the diagram of a nephron, greatly enlarged.

Two-Stage Filtration of Your Blood

The blood cells and proteins in your bloodstream are indispensable. They provide your body with vital services such as oxygen supply, defense, and damage repair. To prevent the loss of blood cells and proteins, the first stage of filtration separates them from all other elements. This specialized task is accomplished by Bowman’s capsules. But how?

Blood vessels entering the glomerulus split up into tiny capillaries with very thin walls. Thus, blood pressure can force some water and other small molecules through their fine membranes, out of your bloodstream, and into Bowman’s capsule and the coiled tube connected to it. This tube is called the convoluted tubule. The larger protein molecules and all the blood cells remain in the bloodstream and continue to flow through the capillaries.

Now filtration becomes more selective. Your kidneys must make absolutely sure that nothing of value to your body escapes! The fluid flowing through the tubule at this point is a watery mixture, consisting of dissolved useful molecules along with wastes and unwanted substances. Specialized cells along the tubule’s inner wall recognize useful molecules, such as water, salts, sugars, minerals, vitamins, hormones, and amino acids. These are efficiently plucked out by being reabsorbed into the tubule wall and passed back into the surrounding network of capillaries to reenter your bloodstream. The capillaries join up again as little veins that then combine to become the blood vessel called the renal vein. By it your blood, now filtered and cleansed, leaves the kidney and goes on to sustain life in your body.

Expelling Waste Products

But what about the fluid that remains in the tubule? Obviously this contains substances that your body does not want. As the fluid continues to flow along the tubule toward the larger collecting tubule, or collecting duct, other cells in the tubule wall release additional secretions into it, including ammonia, potassium, urea, uric acid, and excess water. The final product is urine.

The collecting ducts from various nephrons join together and release urine through openings in the tips of the pyramids. The urine passes into the renal pelvis and then leaves by way of the ureter, the tube connecting the kidney and the bladder. Urine is stored in your bladder before being expelled from your body.

Despite their microscopic size, the more than two million nephrons in your kidneys do a very impressive job. The New Encyclopædia Britannica states: “Nephrons . . . filter the entire five-quart water content of the blood every 45 minutes.” By the time various substances have been reabsorbed and the many processes completed, a normal, healthy body can expel about two quarts [2 L.] of waste in the form of urine every 24 hours. What a hardworking and thorough filtration system!

Take Care of Your Kidneys!

Your kidneys are self-cleaning and self-maintaining, capable of operating for a long time. However, you have a part to play in helping them do their work. A great deal of water must pass through your kidneys for your body to remain healthy. Indeed, adequate water intake is considered a primary means of preventing kidney infections and the formation of kidney stones. Drinking water also aids your digestive and cardiovascular systems, points out Dr. C. Godec, chairman of the Urology Department of Long Island College Hospital, New York.

How much water? Dr. Godec and many other doctors recommend that in addition to taking in other foods and drinks, each person should drink at least two quarts [2 L.] of water every day. “Most people are dehydrated,” Dr. Godec told Awake! He noted that as long as your kidneys or your heart are not diseased, water is good for them. “But you have to drink enough,” Dr. Godec said. “Most people don’t.”

Some find water more palatable with a little flavor added, such as lemon. Others prefer the taste of springwater or water that has been filtered through activated charcoal. In any case, plain or very lightly flavored water is better for your kidneys than any other beverage. In fact, the sugar in fruit juices and sweetened drinks increases the body’s need for water. Drinks containing alcohol or caffeine cause the body to lose water.

Getting into the habit of drinking two quarts [2 L.] of water a day can surely be a challenge. For one thing, many people find it inconvenient or embarrassing to have to relieve themselves more often than usual. But your body will thank you for making the extra effort. Besides helping to preserve your health, drinking sufficient water can even improve your appearance. Doctors point out that good nutrition and a high fluid intake are more effective at keeping your skin good-looking than any external skin preparation.

Unfortunately, our thirst mechanism is imperfect, and it becomes even less sensitive as we get older. Thus, we cannot rely on thirst alone to tell us how much water we need. How can you be sure to take in enough? Some start their day by drinking two glasses of water, and then at regular intervals they drink another glass. Others keep a transparent container of water in view and within reach—a reminder to take a sip periodically throughout the day. Whatever method you use, drinking plenty of pure, clean water is a good way to show appreciation for your kidneys—the marvelous filter that keeps you alive.

[Footnotes]

In the early 1840’s, English surgeon and histologist William Bowman described this small capsule and its function. It came to be named after him.

The Nephron—The Basic Filtration Unit

THERE are over a million nephrons in each kidney. The tubular system found within each individual nephron averages about 1.2 inches [3 cm] in length and a mere .002 inch [0.05 mm] in width. Yet, if it were possible to unravel all the tubules of a single kidney, they would extend for about 19 miles [30 km]!

Bowman’s capsule is actually the indented end of the convoluted tubule of the nephron. This tubule is surrounded by a network of very small blood vessels called capillaries. The tubule runs into a larger collecting duct, which carries away the waste and toxic substances filtered out by the nephron.

[Diagram

The renal vein takes newly filtered blood out into the body

The renal artery takes unfiltered blood to the kidney

The renal pyramids are conical structures that deliver urine to the renal pelvis

The cortex contains the glomerulus of each nephron

The renal pelvis is a funnel that collects urine and channels it to the ureter

The ureter delivers urine from the kidney to the bladder

[Diagram

The nephrons, about two million microscopic tubular filters, clean the blood

Glomerulus

Urine is collected by convoluted tubule, then goes to bladder

Bowman’s capsule

Capillaries

THE PROSTATE AND ITS PROBLEMS

homebusinesstraining@gmail.com (DAVID ANWANA UDO) — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 17:12:00 +0000

The Prostate and Its Problems

DO YOU have prostate problems? If you are a male and over 40, you could very well begin experiencing them. It is estimated that more than half of the North American male population over 60 years of age has prostate enlargement and about 95 percent of those who reach their 80’s will suffer from this trouble. But what is this gland called the prostate? Where is it, and what does it do?

Shaped like an inverted pyramid, the prostate lies in the lower abdomen under the bladder. It is peculiar to the male but related in tissue type to the female breast. At the time of birth, it is not much larger than an almond. However, with the onset of puberty, it grows to be as big as a chestnut.

The prostate is made up of a well-muscled capsule within which are found 30 to 50 saclike glands. These glands produce the prostatic fluid, without which a man would almost certainly be infertile. The tissue within the glands is folded, allowing for expansion and storage as the fluid is produced. After a male reaches puberty, the sacs begin producing a small amount of fluid each day, which is normally voided with the urine if he has no sexual relations.

Not all the prostate’s functions are known, but its primary purpose seems to be to produce the fluid that nourishes millions of sperm cells and provides them with a medium to swim in. Thus, it is vital for a man’s fertility. It can, though, also cause him problems as he gets older. What are the signs of prostate trouble, and is there anything sufferers can do?

Warning Signs

Passing through the prostate is the urethra, the tube that drains the bladder, and herein lies the problem. If the sacs within the prostate gland become infected, inflamed, irritated, or congested with fluid, they may press on the urethra and hinder the elimination of urine. The same is true if the gland itself becomes enlarged.

The early symptoms of this problem usually are almost unnoticed and are much the same regardless of the basic cause. The sufferer may have to get up once or twice during the night to visit the bathroom, something he did not have to do before. Gradually, he has to get up more frequently. Despite feeling an intense need to urinate, the stream is weak and hesitant. He has a feeling of fullness even though he has just been to the bathroom. Now the prostate is making its existence known in a painful, irritating, and sometimes embarrassing way. Understanding why will help men, as well as their wives, to handle the problem.

Prostate Problems

Several different things can cause prostate problems, and we will briefly discuss them one by one:

Prostatitis: This is an inflammation of the prostate gland and may be either infectious or congestive. Bacteria, such as from a venereal disease like gonorrhea or from an infection in another part of the body, could contribute to inflammation in the gland. Such infections occur in any age group after the prostate gland reaches its adult size.

Congestive prostatitis is more perplexing. This condition is linked by some doctors to sexual activity and erotic thought. Dr. Stanley Brosman of the University of California School of Medicine suggests two reasons for this problem: “irregularity of sexual activity” and “inability of the prostate to empty itself during ejaculation.” Why the prostate gland does not clear itself remains a mystery, however.

Enlargement: Strangely, as a man grows older, the prostate gland may start to enlarge. Although numerous studies have been made, doctors are still baffled as to why this happens. Some suggest that it is due to changes in the body’s hormones. Enlargement may pose no problem for some men. However, as the number of elderly males increases, so does the number of cases of prostate enlargement leading to urination problems.

Cancer: Prostate cancer is among the most common cancers in men. The problem here is that it is seldom detected early. The cancer usually grows slowly, and most men die of other causes before prostatic cancer proves fatal. Essential to locating prostate cancer early is a regular, annual checkup by a doctor, including a rectal examination. With a rubber-gloved finger, the doctor can feel part of the gland and determine if there are any hard, buttonlike nodules, which could mean cancer. If any spots are found, further tests will be performed, including a biopsy, to determine if cancer cells are present.

Treatment

Just as there are a number of causes of prostate problems, there are several methods of treatment.

Medicine: If prostatitis is caused by an infection, antibiotic treatment is usually used. The doctor may also recommend a restricted diet. Dr. Harvey Gordon writes: “I do believe that the irritative symptoms in posterior urethritis are indeed aggravated by the ingestion of alcohol and spicy foods. Moreover, I suspect that coffee may be similarly indicted.”

Surgery: Cutting away some of the prostate gland can take the pressure off the urethra. Different surgical procedures are used for this. As long as the nerves behind the prostate are not damaged, a man will remain potent. However, he may be infertile. Why? Surgery on the prostate may damage the sphincter muscle that normally closes at the neck of the bladder. As a result, semen will now follow the course of least resistance into the bladder, where it will be voided with the urine.

Cancer treatment: When cancer is discovered, different forms of treatment are available, depending on the state of growth. No single treatment has proved best, but among those available are hormonal treatment, radiation, and laser or conventional surgery. With surgery the gland is removed, resulting almost invariably in impotence.

Diet: Interestingly, studies have been made that show the prostate to be a major center for the concentration of zinc in the body. When a man’s diet is inadequate in zinc, the prostate gland begins to lose this trace element, and some researchers link this with a variety of prostate problems. Many men claim to have found relief for their troubles with the aid of a dietary supplement of zinc.

In discussing this form of treatment, Dr. Monroe Greenberger, a New York urologist, gives sound advice: “To the man who is reaching the age where prostatic problems are most likely to plague him, good diet is essential . . . Although much of the value of zinc, vitamins, and diet to prostatic health is still in the exploratory stage and the statistics are not conclusive, the evidence is convincing enough for me to sit up and listen carefully, and I think others should do the same. However—and this is important in all self-care—never rely only on diet, vitamins, or minerals for good health. See your doctor regularly.”—What Every Man Should Know About His Prostate.

Bible’s Moral Standard a Protection

Good prostate health seems also to relate to the Bible’s high moral standard. All males would do well to note two principles in particular:

Faithful to wife: Hebrews 13:4 admonishes: “Let marriage be honorable among all, and the marriage bed be without defilement.” Since infection of the prostate gland may be the result of venereal disease, promiscuous sexual activity may lead to prostate trouble as well as other problems.

Guarding one’s thoughts: At Matthew 5:28 Jesus Christ counsels: “But I say to you that everyone that keeps on looking at a woman so as to have a passion for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Following Jesus’ advice can contribute to good prostate health. How? When passion is aroused in a man, the prostate gland prepares for intercourse. Dr. Brosman writes that repeated episodes of arousal without accompanying ejaculation cause an accumulation of fluid in the prostate and the seminal vesicles and can lead to prostate trouble.

Today, many men seek sexual excitement by reading pornographic or sexually stimulating literature or by watching immoral movies or television programs. How much better to follow the apostle Paul’s advice: “Let fornication and uncleanness of every sort or greediness not even be mentioned among you, just as it befits holy people.”—Ephesians 5:3; see also Philippians 4:8.

Yes, the prostate is another marvel of our Creator. Without it, there would possibly be no procreation. So out of respect for his own body and God’s design, every man ought to take steps to keep his prostate gland healthy.

[Diagrams

(For fully formatted text, see publication)

Bladder

Prostate

Urethra

Lower intestine