The urological health of men

A 2019 Cleveland Clinic survey of more than 1,100 men found that 72% would rather do household chores like cleaning the bathroom (and they really don’t like doing that) than go to the doctor. Even guys who try to take care of themselves say they are frequently, well, less than honest with their doc when they do see him or her. More than a third of those men say that’s because they didn’t want to hear that they needed to change their diet or lifestyle.

So we’re pleading with you to listen up, because recent studies reveal a great shortcut that reduces your risk for three serious health problems with one easy-to-do, enjoyable lifestyle upgrade. Really, it could even be fun — at least a lot more fun than cleaning the bathroom!

Prospects for a healthy prostate. Two studies were recently presented at the American Urological Association virtual meeting that looked at PSA levels (a marker for prostate cancer) and full-blown prostate cancer.

The first, done by researchers from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, looked at data on almost 1,400 men and found that those who had a higher intake of a healthy plant-based diet that included whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes and tea and coffee, were almost half as likely to have an elevated PSA level.

The second study tracked more than 27,000 men for up to 28 years. The researchers found that among men who were diagnosed with prostate cancer before age 66 those who ate the most fruits and vegetables had a lower risk of advanced prostate cancer, and it was less likely the disease would be fatal.

Protection from erectile dysfunction. Another UMiamibased study presented at AUA looked at info on 2,549 men, around 57 % of whom contended with erectile dysfunction. Turned out the more vegetables and fruits men ate, the less likely they were to have erectile problems.