Maintaining a Healthy Prostate

Prostate health is one of the leading concerns for American men. An estimated one out of six will encounter some type of challenge to the health of their prostate. However, there is some new hope on the horizon. A new national study researching the health benefits of Selenium and Vitamin E will join research which supports using the herbal supplement Saw Palmetto in helping to maintain a healthy prostate.

The prostate is a gland located between the bladder and the rectum. Present from birth, the prostate grows from about the size of a pea to the size of a chestnut when a man reaches young adulthood, and helps regulate sexual function and testosterone in the body. Problems can occur when tissue builds up on the prostate, causing blockage of flow to the urethra or other physical problems.

Researchers at the National Cancer Institute are now set to launch a 12 year trial of 32,400 men, age 50 and over, to see if two supplements—Vitamin E and Selenium—can reduce the incidence of challenges to prostate health. The idea is that Vitamin E and Selenium, both powerful antioxidants, are capable of neutralizing cells that cause damage to the body. The study is based on two previous trials, in 1996 and 1998, which found that Selenium contributed to a 60% benefit in helping to maintain prostate health, and Vitamin E provided a 32% benefit. The study will follow the long-term progress of the men and measure the effectiveness of the vitamins both separately and together.

Another supplement that has been found to be beneficial to the prostate is Saw Palmetto. Saw Palmetto, a naturally occurring berry, grows on dwarf palm trees native to the West Indies and the coastal regions of the southeastern United States. Most of the fruit is harvested wild in Florida. Saw Palmetto has a long history of use and Native Americans valued it for urinary health.