Dr. Parveen Yadav

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.

A healthy sex life is very important for mental as well as physical health. However, due to many factors couples may face problems in their sex life, among which the primary concern is a lack of libido. This affects not only men but women as well. Let's look at some of the common factors which can cause low libido.

Usual causes of low libido:

• Mental stress, anxiety or depression
• Lack of understanding or love in a relationship
• Lack of sex drive in women after childbirth
• Erectile Dysfunction in men and reduced blood supply to the vagina for women making sex painful.
• Diabetes and hypertension in both men and women
• Hyperthyroid or hypothyroid
• Obesity and many others

Homeopathy and the treatment of low libido: Homeopathy usually treats the underlying conditions first to increase libido, but there are many other treatments to increase sex drive for men and women directly as well. Let's have a look at some of the treatments that are commonly used to treat these problems.

Lycopodium: This is one of the most common medications that are prescribed by doctors for treating low sexual libido in men. This is equally potent for young as well as old men who have problems getting or maintaining erections and thus have difficulty performing.

Natrum muriaticum: This is a commonly prescribed medication that is usually prescribed to women who have a low sexual desire owing to dryness in the vagina. This may be caused due to underlying factors as well but the usage of natrum muraticum helps in promoting wetness helping in sexual acts.

Nux vomica: This is a widely used homeopathic medicine which is very good for men who have erectile dysfunctions owing to bad lifestyle habits such as excess consumption of alcohol, other stimulants, rich food or suffer from immense work stress.

Arnica: It is a great remedy for men who suffer from erectile dysfunction due to exhaustion. Arnica is also useful even if a person has no erection problems and has regular morning erections but has a general aversion to sex.

Gelsemium: This is a great remedy for people who have desire but aren't able to perform due to the muscles in the penis being relaxed. Some people even tend to suffer from performance anxiety and may even suffer from diarrhea and thus Gelsemium tends to be a very potent medication in these cases. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a homeopath and ask a free question.

Testosterone is often the subject of jokes but an insufficiency of this hormone is no laughing matter. Along with affecting your sex drive, low levels of testosterone can also affect your ability to concentrate on tasks, lead to high blood pressure and cholesterol. Additionally, it can increase your risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Here are a few signs that could indicate low levels of testosterone-

1. Decreased Libido: With age, you may experience a lowered libido but a sudden decline in your sex drive could be caused by a lack of testosterone.

2. Erectile Dysfunction: Lowered levels of testosterone in the body can affect the release of nitric oxide necessary for an erection. Men suffering from lowered testosterone levels often find themselves either not able to have an erection or have erections that are not firm enough for intercourse.

3. Fatigue: Feeling tired at the end of a day is normal but men who have lowered testosterone levels may find themselves feeling extremely tired by lunchtime. You may also notice a loss of drive and enthusiasm.

4. Moodiness: Men with low levels of testosterone often become depressed and dejected. They feel less optimistic than normal and become more irritable.

5. Reduced Muscles: Testosterone is linked to muscle building and hence a lowered level of testosterone can be indicated by a reduction in the arm, chest or leg muscles. Men with low testosterone also find it difficult to build muscle mass.

6. Lowered Attention Span: Testosterone is responsible for focus and attention. Hence, trouble concentrating on work and memory problems can be seen as signs of lowered testosterone levels.

7. Development of Breasts: The lack of testosterone can cause an imbalance of oestrogen to testosterone ratio in the body. As the oestrogen levels get higher, men may find themselves growing breast tissue. This condition is also known as gynecomastia.

8. Bone Problems: A lack of testosterone can affect bone density. This may lead to osteoporosis like conditions and joint pains. Men with low testosterone levels are also more prone to injuries.

9. Lowered Semen Production: Testosterone is directly linked to semen production. The lower a man’s testosterone levels, the lesser the amount of semen produced.

10. Hair Loss: Many men experiencing lowered testosterone levels suffer from hair loss on their head and other parts of the body as well.

The good news is that this disorder can be treated. Hence, if you find yourself experiencing any of these symptoms, consult a doctor at the earliest.