Zinc and Prostate Health
The normal human prostate accumulates the highest level of zinc of any soft tissue in the body.
Zinc is vital for prostate functions and male hormone activity.
Hence, zinc is often referred to as "The Male Mineral".
Prostate health functions on the adequate availability of zinc.
Zinc is required for the production of sperm and seminal fluid.
A deficiency can cause impotence and infertility.
Excessive sexual activity may lead to depletion of zinc stores.
Prostatitis and BPH Low levels of zinc, particularly in the prostate, can be caused when the body is fighting an infection or due to high levels of anxiety/tension.
During prostatitis, zinc levels in the prostate are reduced to one-tenth the normal levels.
Aging is another factor that can lead to lower zinc levels.
Zinc levels gradually reduce as men age.
Testosterone levels decrease after the age of fifty creating an increase in the amount of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) within the prostate.
DHT is a powerful hormone which is responsible for the overproduction of prostate cells, leading to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
The growth of the prostate gland, common in older men, may be related to low zinc levels causing alterations in hormone balance.
Zinc is believed to inhibit the activity of the enzyme (5-alpha-reductase) that converts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone.
"Stimulation of the prostate gland by dihydrotestosterone contributes to its growth, so reducing levels of this hormone should lead to a reduction in prostate size," says Fouad Habib, Ph.
D.
, a cell biologist at the University of Edinburgh Medical School, Scotland.
Dr.
Irving Bush, M.
D.
, who serves as a Urology professor, University of Health Sciences/Chicago Medical School, as a senior consultant, Center for Study of Genitourinary Diseases in Illinois, and was a former chairman of the Food and Drug Administration panels on gastroenterology, urology and dialysis, conducted a study using zinc supplementation on patients with BPH.
Out of the 19 men who participated in this study, Dr.
Bush discovered a significant decrease in the size of the prostate in 14 men strongly suggesting a link between zinc and prostate health.
Adequate zinc levels are essential for maintaining healthy prostate cells.
Since zinc deficiency may result in prostate enlargement, zinc is as helpful with enlarged prostates as inflamed ones caused by prostatitis.
Prostate Cancer Statistics show that one of the leading causes of cancer in American men is prostate cancer.
It is quite common for elderly men to have some degree of abnormal prostate cell growth.
Research indicates that a cancerous prostate gland has lower levels of zinc, as compared to a normal prostate gland.
Many studies suggest that low levels of zinc may be a causative factor for the growth and development of prostate cancer.
In some cases, research has connected an increase in the dietary supplementation of zinc with a decreased risk of prostate cancer.
Research conducted at the Linus Pauling Institute at the Oregon State University suggests that zinc supplementation may be more helpful in the early stages of cancer development rather than as a cancer treatment.
Diet Very few men are taking in the US RDA of 15 milligrams of zinc a day.
Zinc-rich foods include nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, wheat bran, wheat germ, brewer's yeast, onions, molasses, peas, beans, lentils, and gelatin.
If the soil is low in zinc, fruits and vegetables grown on it will also be deficient.
Zinc content in refined, processed foods is almost negligible.
Super Beta Prostate contains the RDA of zinc along with other herbs and essential minerals and vitamins for supporting prostate health and a healthy sex life.