Image by: MDGovpics
By Kurt Garrity

A properly functioning prostate gland is not only important to a man’s health, it is also important to a man’s sexual health and general well-being, no to mention his ability to father children.

The all-important prostate is responsible for 50%-75% of the contents of semen. The milky white fluid it manufactures mixes with other fluids and protects the sperm from damage as it heads into the vagina.

As they get older, men suffer from an enlarged prostate, which can make urination difficult or painful, not to mention trips to the bathroom more frequent. Prostate cancer is also a big concern as it is one of the more common cancers found in men, responsible for approximately 3% of male deaths each year.

You are probably convinced that prostate health is important, right? Good. Here are four easy steps to better prostate health:

1 – Stop Smoking

Yeah, I went for the kill right out of the gate. The bottom line is drop that bad habit before it causes you to spend a great deal of your retirement years running to the bathroom or worse, battling cancer. And you thought you had to just worry about emphysema and lung cancer.

2 – Say Hello To Selenium

A trace mineral found in selenoproteins, selenium has been shown to reduce cancer risks. According to the National Institutes of Health, Brazil nuts are by far the best source, with 6-8 nuts delivering a whopping 777% of the daily recommended value, meaning busting one nut a day should pretty much do it.  Other foods rich in selenium: tuna, cod, turkey, bagel, lean chuck roast.

They do sell selenium supplements, but research shows that those usually contain inorganic varieties which are not as effective in against cancer and other illnesses.

3 – Stop Masturbating

Yeah, really. A recent study showed that men who masturbated frequently while in their twenties and thirties had an increased risk of prostate cancer later in life. Damn. The same study also suggested that men who had a lot of sex during that same time period in their lives also had a greater risk of getting prostate cancer. Double damn.

Not as much as self-pleasuring, however.

4 – Learn Your Family health History

If prostate cancer runs in your family, there is a strong chance that you may develop it also. Do yourself a favor, look into it. It will give you something to talk about during holiday meals.