In the past 25 years, one of the most significant transitions in medical research and medical care has been the separation of the general topic of health into men’s health and women’s health. As if it were not obvious before, it is now scientifically confirmed—hold onto your seats--that men and women are different! This realization has gone beyond the clear anatomical distinctions to areas of body rhythms, basic biochemistry, hormonal changes, mind-body interactions, differential drug effects, vulnerability to disease, and life span alterations. An evident sign of this shift is the increased medical specialization in treating men and women as systemically different and not simply having different sexual equipment. Further testimony to this is the emergence of numerous magazines targeted to address solely men’s or women’s health. And so it should be.

When it comes to men’s health, there are few topics that are receiving more attention and research than prostate problems. The two most common problems are BPH (Benign Prostate Hypertrophy) and prostate cancer. It is now estimated that by the age of 60 that the odds are 2 to 1 that a male will have some prostate condition. Additionally, by the age 65 the majority of males will have an enlarged prostate. The signs of enlargement have been widely publicized: difficulty initiating urination; getting up at night to go to the bathroom; and a sense of urgency about needing to urinate. By the age of 50, it is estimated that 35% of all men have cancer cells in their prostate gland. Each year over 400,000 men in the United States alone undergo prostate surgery, and over a billion dollars a year is spent on prostate treatment. As is typical for any medical malady, establishment medicine offers primarily three treatments: surgery, drugs, and radiation. Proscar, the leading pharmaceutical prescription, has been the subject of research that shows potential harmful side effects. It has also been shown in some studies to be ineffective, as researched by the US Veterans Administration. Surgery, on the other hand, often leads to incontinence, impotence, or both. Of course, sexual dysfunction is one of the predictable consequences.

As in most things in life, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. If you have a medical problem already, early detection is the next best thing. While a PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) Test has been recommended for men of middle age and beyond, the test has been under attack for several years as inadequate. The most recently published research of the last year has clearly shown that the numbers derived from a PSA Test are not reliable in predicting the presence of prostate disease or cancer. Most alarmingly, a low PSA figure may not at all indicate that one has a healthy prostate. This fact alone makes a strong argument for implementing a strategy of strong preventive measures along with periodic screening.

When it comes to prevention, lifestyle choices always emerge as primary factors. And, amongst lifestyle choices, diet and physical conditioning are perennially at the top of the agenda. We all know by now that our nutritional choices are key in the prevention of disease—and this is all the more true as we age. Fortunately, there are some foods containing constituents known to be uniquely supportive of prostate health. This is true for both the prevention of enlarged prostate and the production of cancerous cells. One naturally occurring compound that has repeatedly shown itself effective in the healthful support of the prostate is the plant sterol substance known as “beta-sitosterol”. Plant sterols, in general, are getting a lot of attention from nutritional researchers with respect to a multitude of benefits, including the reduction of inflammation. There is little doubt now that some sterols have a normalizing effect upon the prostate. Most readers interested in the subject of prostate enlargement have heard of saw palmetto, widely sold in health food stores and now even supermarkets and department stores. This herb, as well as Pygeum Africanum, pumpkinseed oil, and stinging nettles have in common a good measure of beta-sitosterol. There are now entire infomercials on the airwaves touting the benefits of this compound. It is thought also that the whole complex of phytosterols, have supportive benefits.

Another substance supportive of prostate health is the powerful antioxidant called “lycopene”. It is included in almost all general formulations designed to support the prostate gland. Most of us have heard of the research on tomatoes and watermelon with respect to lycopene. These foods have become highly recommended in the diet largely on the basis of their significant lycopene profile. Usually also included in most prostate formulations is the mineral called “zinc”, which is uniquely beneficial in good prostate health. Zinc is also found in most prostate formulations.

As we all know, nutrition can be gotten by ingesting a given nutrient as an isolated substance or consumed in a whole food matrix. The subject is a long one, but suffice it to say that nutritionally dense whole foods are well on their way to proving that they have many advantages and benefits in comparison to their separate isolated components. We are a long way from understanding the subject in its totality, but it is evident already--and acknowledged by most nutritionists--that there are compounds in whole foods that act synergistically with each other. That is to say, it is clear that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

With this in mind, it would be wise to consider a nutritional product that contains beta-sitosterol along with a complement of other phytosterols. It would be good if it also contained lycopene and zinc. It would be a further bonus if the food were a general nutritional powerhouse so as to support total health. Fortunately, there is a natural product that fits this description . . . the L.E.A.N. Phytonutrient Bars developed by Life Energy And Nutrition. These bars contain nearly100 different antioxidants, powerful tocotrienols, high quality protein, and blood sugar balancing attributes. As if that weren’t enough, they contain phytosterols including beta-sitosterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, and brassicasterol, as well as isoflavones, lycopene, and zinc.

As a human being, the addition of the L.E.A.N. Phytonutrient Bar to your diet is uniquely contributory to the overall health and maintenance of body tissue. As a man, you also receive the added benefits of compounds known to be supportive of prostate health. None of us wants to be counted in the alarming statistics about prostate dysfunction. It is never too early to begin to educate oneself on changes in diet that help make a prostate problem less likely. The L.E.A.N. Phytonutrient Bar is a worthy addition towards that goal.

Ray H. Carlson has a B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. in clinical psychology. He has been in practice for 35 years. Among his most passionate interests are nutrition and its affects on the human body and psyche. He is convinced that there is a seamless relationship between what is wrong with us spiritually, mentally, physically, and nutritionally. In his own search for the ultimate nutritionals, he has become an avid user of this product. He also highly recommends it to his patients for general health and for support in coping with the tremendous stresses of modern life.