Men have a higher mortality rate than women in 9 of the 10 leading causes of death. They have a shorter lifespan than women and are generally more unaware of their health.
June is National Men’s Health Month, and an opportunity to shed a light on some of these key issues surrounding men’s health and wellbeing.
For instance, many men don’t know what their prostate is or does. Yet more than 30 million men suffer from prostate conditions that negatively impact their quality of life. Below are just a few statistics that illustrate how the issues that men face with prostate health.
- Half of all men in their 60s and as many as 90 percent in their 70s show symptoms of an enlarged prostate.
- About 1 in 9 men will suffer from prostate cancer within their lifetime.
- Every year, about 220,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer and 30,000 die.
- Prostatitis is an issue for men of all ages and it is the most common prostate problem for men under 50.
In other words, prostate health is extremely important. There are some basic steps that you can take in your daily life to improve prostate health.
- Eat a healthy, diet with healthy fats, such as Omega 3 from salmon.
- Increase your daily amounts of fruits and vegetables. You can eat them for snacks when you are hungry, and increase the servings that you provide with each meal.
- Reduce or eliminate dairy from your diet.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Exercise regularly.
- Talk with a doctor and get regular screenings.
These steps for better prostate health are easily doable, and most will help to improve your overall health and well-being as well. When you take care of your overall health, you are better able to be there for your family and loved ones.
