Flossing Your Teeth and Prostate Disease-There Just Might Be A Connection

Who would have thunk that flossing would be prostate gland protecting?  It has been well-documented that inflammation in the mouth, i.e., gum disease is linked to heart disease, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and now even Alzheimer’s disease.  Now good research from Case Western Univeristy in Cleveland, Ohio has made a connection between gum disease and prostate health. The researchers from the dental school and the department of urology and the Institute of Pathology at the hospital found those with the most severe form of the prostatitis also showed signs for periodontitis, or severe gum disease.  It is theorized that reducing inflammation in the mouth-by daily flossing may also reduce prostate gland inflammation.  As my wonderful Jewish mother would say, “It may not help but it vouden’t hoit!”  So if you are looking for one more reason to start flossing, you now have one.

Excerpted from Journal of Periodontology, the official journal of the American Academy of Periodontology

Enzyte May Do More Than Enhance Your Erection – It Is Linked To Heart Problems

This drug sold as a natural enhancement for erectile dysfunction.  However, it has been shown to cause abnormal heart rates in some men using the products. Doctors are now advising their patients to stop using the product until more data is available.

Enzyte contains a blend of ginkgo, ginseng and goat weed. No one knows exactly which ingredient causes the heart problems. So far, Enzyte has not issued a statement in response to the study or addressed any concerns about the possible heart rhythm problems.

This was reported in a credible medical journal, Archives of Internal Medicine in 2010.

Be Sure Exercise Is All You Get at the Gym (from New York Times, August 2, 2010)

Beauty may be only skin deep; but don’t let nasty bacteria and fungus get under your skin. Skin infections in athletes are extremely common” and account for more than half the outbreaks of infectious diseases that occur among participants in competitive sports. Participants in organized sports are prone to fungal, viral and bacterial skin infections. Sweat, abrasion and direct or indirect contact with the lesions and secretions of others combine to make every athlete’s skin vulnerable to a host of problems.

Skin infections include athlete’s foot, jock itch, boils, impetigo, herpes infections, and ringworm. However, the most serious is MRSA or methicillin resistant staphloccus aureus.  This is a bacterial infection that is resistant to many commonly used antibiotics and can cause the loss of large amounts of skin requiring skin grafts and multiple surgical procedures.

The weekend athlete or those who go to gym or swim in a public pool are at risk for these skin infections.

What should you do?

*You need to keep yourself and your equipment clean. You never know who last used the equipment in a gym. It can be a great breeding ground for these nasty bugs that cause these skin infections.

*Wash with antibacterial soap even if you have to bring your own.

*You can avoid fungal infections by changing your athletic socks and underwear after each use.

*Also as a courtesy to others, wipe down the mat that you use after exercising and wipe down the equipment such as treadmills and stair climbers after you use them. Antibacterial wipes or spray bottles should be provided and used by everyone to clean equipment after a workout.

Bottom Line: there are numerous benefits to exercise and working out.  Take a little precaution and make certain you clean the equipment and practice good hygiene after your work out.  Your skin will thank you.

For more reading: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/03/health/03brod.html?_r=1

Take Tea and See….Your Prostate Cancer Slow Down

Green tea may lower the risk of prostate cancer and slow the progress of tumors.  Research suggests a compound in the tea causes lower levels of a protein linked to prostate cancer.

A recent American study showed that men diagnosed with prostate cancer that hadn’t spread outside of the prostate gland were given six cups of green tea a day for three to six weeks before undergoing surgical removal of the prostate gland.  The other group or the control group received only hot water before their surgery to remove the prostate gland.

The researchers then examined the tissue that had been removed for levels of a compound known as epigallocatechin-3-gallate.

This compound was only found in the tea drinkers and not in the prostate glands of men drinking only the hot water. Blood tests also indicated the tea drinkers had lower levels of proteins connected to the growth and spread of prostate cancer. It is thought the compound, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, has an antioxidant effect, mopping up damaging free radicals.

Bottom Line:  If you have prostate cancer, you might consider placing green tea on your table as your beverage of choice.

New Meaning to Going Down on an Ice Cream Cone!

Viagra ice cream is going on sale at Selfridges, the famous London department store.  This fall there will be a new flavor on the menu, The Sex Pistol – an ice cream cocktail packed with libido-boosting ingredients and served with La Fee Absinthe.  At Selfridges, you can bypass the traditional vanilla and treat yourself to a new “vice cream”  which claims to have similar effects to the libido-boosting drug Viagra. (Let the truth be told….Viagra does not elevate a man’s libido or sex drive as this is under the influence of testosterone.)  The Sex Pistol contains ginkgo, biloba, arginine and guarana and is served with a shot of the highly intoxicating La Fee Absinthe, so it’s guaranteed to get your blood pumping. Customers are limited to one serving per person.  The Sex Pistol costs £11.99 or about $16.00 U.S. and is available to customers aged 18 and over.

Bottom Line:  For $16.00 I would like to suggest a couple of glasses of champagne, romantic music, and dim the lights and light an aromatic candle!

A Little Dab Will Do Ya-Use of Testosterone Gel For Low Testosterone Levels

Most men who have symptoms of low testosterone levels such as decreased libido (sex drive), erectile dysfunction, lethargy, and loss of muscle mass who used testosterone gel every day had their testosterone levels restored to normal and experienced benefits over time. These benefits included:

• Improvement in energy, sexual desire, sexual function, and mood within 1 month
• More muscle mass and decreased body fat within 3 months
• Increased bone strength within 6 months in patients receiving 10 grams of AndroGel daily

However, once you stop using testosterone gel, it is likely your testosterone  levels will fall below normal in just 5 days and your symptoms may come back.

Your Goal with Treatment

Low testosterone is a medical condition that likely won’t go away on its own. There is typically no cure for low testosterone levels. The goal of treating low testosterone is to raise your blood  level of testosterone and to keep the level in a normal range. Once your testosterone reaches a normal level and remains there, symptom relief may follow.

Bottom Line: Male hormone deficiency or low testosterone is a common condition affecting millions of American men.  Treatment with a topical testosterone gel is very effective

Men’s Health Talk

Please join me for a talk on men’s health at St. Charles Surgical Hospital (1717 St. Charles Avenue) on 8-26-10 at 6:30 P.M. Talk is free and refreshments will be served.

Let’s Get To The “Meat” of the Matter-Red Meat and Bladder Cancer

Already linked with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and certain cancers, including cancer of the pancreas, red meat was found by a team of US researchers to be a possible cause of bladder cancer.

For the study, scientists assessed the intake of nitrates, nitrites and other components found in red meat, in some 300,00 men and women aged 50-71 year, in eight US states, and its relation to cancer.

The study participants were followed up for up to eight years. During that time, 854 were diagnosed with cancer of the bladder.

For those who can’t do without their bacon-cheeseburger, some good news: scientists found no associations between beef, bacon, hamburger, sausage or steak and bladder cancer.

But they did observe a positive association for red meat cold cuts and bladder cancer.

The culprits in the cold cuts are nitrates and nitrites which are added to meat when it is processed to preserve and enhance color and flavor.

The scientists found that people whose diets were high in nitrites had a nearly a 30 percent greater chance of developing bladder cancer than those who consumed the lowest amount of either compound.

What’s the bottom line: If you are at risk for bladder cancer or you have had bladder cancer, I suggest that you restrict your intake of red meat and cold cuts.  Your bladder will thank you!