It seems like a world away when you're eight years old and peeing four metres. But chances are that like most men you'll have prostate trouble in your future. It needn't be, though.

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Boys do it, effortlessly sending an exuberant stream arc of urine away into the flower beds. Six decades later the same guy stands like a forlorn, pyjama-clad garden gnome as a puny trickle falls listlessly into the loo. He goes back to bed and 40 minutes later he's up again.

It's not just peeing over a distance that's an issue. Your prostate is a good indication of your general health and while many men regard prostate trouble as an unavoidable rite of passage in growing older, you can minimise your discomfort.

No mystery about the prostate
Despite the mystique conjured up by having to deal with a doctor brandishing a surgical glove, there's very little that doctors don't know about the prostate. It's a small, roughly doughnut-shaped gland. The urethra – the pipe that leads urine from the bladder to the penis, runs through the space in the middle of the prostate. It doesn't make sperm (which is made in the testes), but it produces a fluid that makes up the bulk of your semen.

In many men aged 45 and older, the prostate begins to enlarge, something you might not be aware of unless your doctor does the digital exam we mentioned. It's called Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH). In other cases the prostate enlarges enough to literally put the squeeze on the urethra. That's when you find difficulty in passing urine.

In some cases an enlarged prostate requires a surgery. Surgeons may "peel" it to reduce its size. And when it does become cancerous, there's a variety of treatment options too.

Here are a few ways to prevent difficulties with urinating as you grow older.

• Eat fibre. Cereals, fresh fruit and vegetables, pasta and wholegrain bread all contain fibre to reduce your cancer risk.
• Don't sow your oats. Studies have found that if you've had gonorrhoea you have a greater chance of developing prostate trouble.
• But do have sex. Ejaculation gives your prostate a workout, which is good for it.
• Go Mediterranean. The so-called Mediterranean diet helps prevent heart disease, and a number of its elements are good for prostate health too. They include restricting your intake of saturated fats, especially red meat, eating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, munching the odd handful of raw nuts and drinking moderate amounts of red wine.
• Supplement. Take omega-3 oil, flaxseed oil, vitamin C and E, selenium and zinc will all reduce your overall cancer risk. Extracts of goldenseal root, juniper (Taken as a capsule, not as gin), saw palmetto and parsley are also reputed to benefit prostate health.
• Hydrate. Carrying a bottle of water around isn't just for supermodels. A steady intake of water will help your body to do its own maintenance.
• Go red and green. Red tomatoes and green tea, that it. Both have been found to help lower the risk of prostate cancer. New research suggests that legumes like soy may also play a role.
• Stay active. Regular aerobic exercise seems to reduce the chances of an enlarged prostate.
• Keep your finger on its pulse. Make that your doctor's finger in this case. Once you hit your mid-30s you should be having regular digital exams of your prostate and once you hit your mid-40s, blood tests as well.

(William Smook)
 

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