Dr. Prabhakar

The prostate gland, an essential part of the male reproductive system grows throughout your life. As you grow older, it becomes imperative to keep this organ healthy.

Here's what you can do to maintain a healthy prostate:

1. Workout to stay fit: Exercising regularly and maintaining an optimum weight can help to keep your prostate gland at an optimal health. Several types of research have revealed the beneficial aspects of exercising. It's said that physically active men are less likely to suffer from enlarged prostate if they performed a physical activity of low to moderate intensity. Likewise, physically active men who ran for 90 to 108 minutes are 20% less likely to develop erectile dysfunction.

2. Eat fruits and vegetables: Including fruits and vegetables in your diet can help to maintain a healthy prostate. Guava, papaya, tomato and watermelon are some of the options that spell good for your prostate. Vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and Brussels sprouts should also be included to boost the health of the gland. Ideally, you should have about 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily.

3. Have more soy products: Eating more soy products like tofu, soy flour, soy nuts can help to keep cancer of the prostate at bay. A study published in the British Journal of Urology International revealed that men who had soy products saw a 40% decrease in their risk of developing an enlarged prostate.

4. Have selenium-rich foods: Having foods rich in selenium (a powerful trace mineral) like tuna, eggs, cashews, onions, garlic, etc can reduce your risk of developing prostate cancer.

5. Say yes to healthy fats and no to trans and saturated fats: Choosing healthy fats like avocados, nuts, and olive oil can aid in boosting prostate health. At the same time, limiting saturated fats and trans fat intake are vital for keeping the prostate gland healthy. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult an urologist.