Looking sexy is all about feeling sexy inside and out. One sexy male gland of anatomy that doesn’t get enough attention is the all-important prostate.

What is the prostate? The prostate is spongy gland about the size of a walnut that surrounds the neck of the male bladder and urethra.

During the male orgasm, the prostate gets your “boys” or sperm ready by secreting a slightly alkaline fluid, which decreases the acidity of the seminal fluid and secretes PSA or Prostate Specific Antigen that helps loosen up semen to allow the sperm to reach the female egg in intercourse.

The muscular portion of the prostate gland then helps propel the semen into the urethra during ejaculation. What a gland!

Why pay attention to the prostate?

Due to its location surrounding the bladder and urethra, any changes or growth to the prostate can have very noticeable symptoms. Three common conditions affect the prostate gland: Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), prostatitis and prostate cancer.

BPH may develop as the prostate tissue enlarges over time. A small amount of prostate enlargement is present in men older than 40 and more than 90% of men older than 80. This is a non-cancerous condition but can cause many unpleasant urinary symptoms.

Prostatitis is an infection of the prostate, the most common urinary tract infection in men. There are a variety of causes of prostatitis including a bacterial infection, a sexually transmitted infection or autoimmune conditions.

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men affecting 1 in 6 men. Risk factors for developing prostate cancer include increasing age, having a family history of prostate or breast cancer, and African-American decent.

Symptoms of prostatic changes or growth

• Dribbling at the end of urinating
• Weak or split urine stream
• Inability to urinate (urinary retention)
• Incomplete emptying of your bladder
• Delayed start of urination or straining to urinate
• Incontinence
• Needing to urinate two or more times per night
• Pain with urination
• Blood seen in the urine or semen
• Frequent urination
• Fever or chills
• Nausea and vomiting
• Pain in the groin, pelvis or low back
• Elevated PSA lab results

The exact mechanism for why the prostate grows is unknown; however the prostate is thought to grow under the influence of testosterone and its metabolite dihydrotestosterone (DHT).

Recent studies show estrogen metabolites in combination with androgens (testosterone and DHT) may play a role in BPH as well as prostate cancer. This is why if you're using testosterone supplementation, or you're at increased risk for prostate cancer, it's important to be working with a doctor who knows how to balance the levels of all the hormones together.

How can my prostate stay sexy and healthy?

Visit your doctor if you are experiencing any symptoms listed above and ask for prostate screening exams such as PSA and a digital rectal exam beginning at age 50 or earlier if you are at higher risk for prostate cancer.

Keep your prostate sexy and healthy with great lifestyle additions such as a diet rich in colorful organic vegetables, limited alcohol and caffeine consumption, and frequent exercise. And yes, frequent ejaculation is good for the prostate as well!

Here are a few key nutrients and botanicals that may help support prostate health:

Zinc – The human prostate accumulates the highest level of zinc of any soft tissue in the body. As an antioxidant and a component of many DNA repair proteins, zinc plays an important role in protecting DNA from damage. Zinc also functions as an anti-inflammatory agent and can promote programmed cell death, or apoptosis. Thus, zinc supplementation has the potential to target multiple points of the carcinogenesis cascade. Zinc rich foods include oysters, toasted wheat germ, veal liver, sesame seeds, tahini, roast beef, pumpkin/squash/watermelon seeds, dark chocolate, lamb and peanuts. Recommended dose: 30 mg/d

Selenium – This trace mineral is incorporated into proteins to make selenoproteins, which are important antioxidant enzymes. These antioxidant enzymes prevent cell damage from free radicals. Observational studies show men with higher selenium values had a decreased incidence of prostate cancer as well as a lower risk of death from prostate cancer.1 Selenium may protect the body from damaging free radicals as well as slow tumor growth. Certain breakdown products of selenium are believed to prevent tumor growth by enhancing immune cell activity and suppressing development of blood vessels to the tumor. Selenium rich foods include Brazil nuts, tuna, beef, cod, turkey, beef chuck roast, chicken breast. Recommended dose: 100 mcg/d

Pygeum africanum – This botanical extract made from the bark of the African prune tree has been shown to aid in the prevention and treatment of prostate cancer and decreasing the symptoms of BPH. It does this by inhibiting the growth of tumor cell lines, inducing apoptosis and binding to estrogen and androgen receptors. Recommended Dose – 100-200 mg/d

For many more ways to support a sexy and healthy prostate, contact Dr. Farnesi and Dr. O’Connell at Medical Age Management at (619) 795-6700, their website, Facebook and Twitter.