Approximately 32,000 men in the U.K. are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year. It differs from most other cancers in the body, in that small areas of cancer within the prostate are very common and may not grow or cause any problems for many years. About one in three men over the age of 50 have some cancer cells within their prostate and nearly all men over the age of 80 have a small area of prostate cancer. Most of these cancers grow extremely slowly and so, particularly in elderly men, will never cause any problems.
However in a small proportion of men, the prostate cancer can grow quickly and in some cases may spread to other parts of the body, particularly the bones. Many nutrients and dietary supplements are helpful in ensuring the prostate remains healthy and anyone who has any family history of prostate problems should ensure against this happening to them. This is preventative medicine and is essential for minimizing the risk of disease. Medically, prostate cancer is also screened for and therefore can be detected early.
Heart Disease
Diseases of the heart and circulatory system are a main cause of death in the UK accounting for almost 198,000 deaths per year. Almost half those deaths are from coronary heart disease and more than a quarter from strokes. A high percentage of these deaths can be regarded as premature i.e. deaths before the age of 75yrs.
Risk factors include smoking, high alcohol consumption, high blood pressure, having diabetes and being overweight or obese. Partaking in very little physical activity is also a huge factor in determining the risk of coronary heart disease.
It is obvious that dietary changes along with lifestyle changes play a huge part in reducing the risk of cardiovascular problems. Deficiencies of particular nutrients such as calcium, magnesium and vitamin C make us far more susceptible to health problems such as high blood pressure. Magnesium is an essential mineral for correct working of the muscles surrounding the heart and a lack of this mineral (along with others) can be a causal factor for high blood pressure.
A very good indicator of the risk of heart disease is to get your Homocysteine level checked. Homocysteine is an amino acid found in the blood. There is now considerable evidence that homocysteine may prove to be a useful marker for risk of heart attacks, since elevated levels have been detected in people with coronary artery disease. By using particular nutrients one can also reduce this level, greatly improving health. A high reading will also predispose one to other degenerative diseases such as dementia and cancer. It has been proven to be a better indicator of potential heart problems than a cholesterol reading.
Making sure one reaches the minimum health target of 5 a day portions of fruit and vegetables is an absolute must and a higher amount would be even better. Finding interesting, innovative ways of increasing their intake can be a challenge for some. A nutritional advisor can come up with lots of different ideas for making vegetables more appealing.
Fatigue
There is an expression for unexplained fatigue called TAT (tired all the time).
There are a multitude of health reasons for unexplained tiredness that is not corrected by ample sleep. Various nutrient levels can become low and can lead to one feeling exhausted. These nutrient shortages can be detected with nutritional help and corrected quickly by supplementation whilst making changes to the diet to ensure a good dietary intake of these vitamins and minerals.
Long term stress can also be a causal factor and our adrenal glands are overworked in prolonged periods of stress. These glands need optimum amounts of certain nutrients in order to work as efficiently as possible. Many people get a thrill from producing the extra adrenaline and may work to tight deadlines, rushing around from place to place. This is possible now and again but if this is a daily practice then the adrenal glands will cease to be able to cope. The whole of the endocrine system will be affected by long term stress e.g. blood sugar control, thyroid function, hormone levels etc.
A nutritionist can work with you to maximise the diet when one is stressed and bringing back some energy to the affected person.