By Bob Livingston
Most urologists in conventional medicine place high emphasis on the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test to determine prostate health. Even though researchers have placed substantial doubts on the validity and reliability of the PSA test, conventional doctors continue to use the test and rely on it to determine male prostate health.
Here is the point: The literature says a low PSA number of about four indicates a normal or healthy prostate, whereas higher numbers put prostate health in doubt and even suggests malignancy. A higher number, of course, calls for biopsy and may lead to prostate surgery.
Yet some men may have prostate malignancy with very low PSA numbers or no malignancy with very high PSA numbers.
This makes the whole test doubtful. I personally would not rely on the PSA test and would certainly refuse prostate surgery based on it — not even a biopsy at my octogenarian age.
Many men have been ruined because of prostate surgery. At the very least, all considerations of prostate surgery should be preceded by a detailed understanding of the pros and cons of relying on the PSA test.
There is not as much objection to the digital rectal exam (DRE) because no harm can result and a trained doctor can get a reasonable appraisal of prostate health by conducting a rectal prostate exam. Swelling and inflammation may be detected in most men particularly as they age.
Swell remedies
Usually, a man can tell if he begins to have prostate swelling or benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) because of a noticeable restriction in his urine flow. Swelling of the prostate causes restriction of the urethra, which reduces urine flow. This becomes chronic in many men; and they may opt for a laser procedure to burn out that part of the prostate that is squeezing the urethra, restricting urine flow and creating urinary urgency, which disturbs sleep.
Laser prostate reduction is done as an outpatient surgery, but the patient is put to sleep for the procedure. There are several different types of prostate laser surgery, and the Mayo Clinic describes them as:
- Photoselective vaporization of the prostate (PVP). A laser is used to melt away (vaporize) excess prostate tissue and enlarge the urinary channel.
- Holmium laser ablation of the prostate (HoLAP). This procedure is similar to PVP but uses a different type of laser.
- Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP). A laser is used to cut and remove the excess tissue that is blocking the urethra. Another instrument is then used to cut the prostate tissue into small pieces that are easily removed.
These are less risky than other procedures, but be sure to select a urologist who has done several procedures.
Prostate cancer is very risky for men before about age 65. After that, the risk of death is reduced as age increases. The literature suggests that many men who die have prostate cancer, but it doesn’t kill them. They die of other causes. So older men should be very careful in selecting prostate surgery over doing nothing. Even younger men should not be unduly alarmed at a high PSA test because of the unreliability of the test.
Be careful of overaggressive treatments for early prostate cancer, including surgery and radiation therapy. Some side effects include urinary incontinence (inability to control urine flow), problems with bowel function, erectile dysfunction (loss of erections or erections that are inadequate for sexual intercourse) and infection.
Please remember that in the U.S., cancer is a multibillion-dollar industry; and establishment medicine will move quickly to capture potential cancer patients and involve them in the cancer-profit system. Fear is their major ruse.
For a perfect prostate
I believe that prostate health is based on diet plus whether one is a smoker or heavy drinker. It’s obvious that unhealthy lifestyles will lead to unhealthy outcomes.
Fatty acids and stinging nettle are fundamental, in my view, to aid prostate health. Is it a coincidence that the more we have cut fats and eliminated healthy omega-3s from our diet the more prostate problems we face?
However, if you are under 65, DHEA is the most powerful prostate protector. It’s so safe and so effective that it could potentially eliminate the need for several of Big Pharma’s symptom-control drugs. What’s more, DHEA is a natural hormone produced by the body. In fact, it is the most abundant hormone found in the body.
God intended for it to be good. Its job is to regulate the production and regulation of other hormones. And it is a vital part of increasing lean muscle mass (very important in avoiding broken bones as we age), burning fat and prostate protection.
There are those who claim DHEA might cause prostate cancer, but all the evidence is to the contrary. Human studies show that there is no correlation between DHEA or testosterone and prostate cancer. In fact, in-vitro studies show that DHEA inhibits prostate cancer. A study published in the journal Cancer Research states: “No effect on the development of prostate cancer precursor lesions was observed when mice were treated with DHEA.”
Another study I found through Life Extension Magazine, and published in the European Journal of Urology concludes: “DHEA inhibits prostate cancer induction both when chronic administration is begun before carcinogen exposure, and when administration [after] prostate lesions are present.”
Start with 5 mg of DHEA daily, in the morning, which is around the time your body starts producing it as well, and work up to 10 or even 20 mg, but not more. You don’t need too much. If you do not want to take DHEA directly, the herb extract called Ashwagandha, an Indian herb also known as withania somnifera. has been shown to increase DHEA by 32.5 percent.
