By age 80, about 90% of men have an enlarged prostate, also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH. It’s now considered inevitable in most men. While BPH can be asymptomatic, when symptoms occur, they range from bothersome to life-threatening. LUTS (lower urinary tract symptoms) are produced when the prostate, which encircles the urethra, begins squeezing it, interfering with urinary function. Symptoms can include a weak, interrupted urine stream; a sense of incomplete bladder emptying; dribbling; difficulty starting or stopping urination; frequent urination, especially at night; a painful, burning sensation during urination; and sudden urgent needs to urinate. Damage to the urethral lining encourages urinary tract infections. BPH sometimes gets progressively worse, causing bladder stones, incontinence, pain during intercourse, impotence and even life-threatening conditions such as complete blockage of urine flow or irreversible bladder or kidney damage…

Life is hard enough without making losing weight more difficult than it needs to be.  Some helpful scientists at the University of Massachusetts Medical School proved that you don’t need to restrict calories or saturated fat to lose weight as long as you’re getting adequate dietary fiber! These scientists found 240 pre-diabetic patients and assigned them to one of two groups. The first group followed a weight-loss diet that restricted calories and saturated fat. The second group was simply asked to get at least 30 grams of fiber daily from a high-fiber diet, including plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Neither group was asked to change their exercise habits. At the end of one year, both groups had lost the same amount of weight.  In addition, both groups had had similar drops in cholesterol, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and inflammation.  In other words, both groups reduced their risk factors similarly for diabetes…

A large proportion of our society (36.9% at last estimate) now suffers from “metabolic syndrome.” Metabolic syndrome, which greatly increases the risk of developing heart disease, diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), is defined as having at least three of the five following conditions:abdominal obesity (waist circumference greater than 102 cm in men or 88 cm in women)high blood pressure (systolic blood pressure at least 130 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure at least 85 mm Hg or taking hypertension medications)high blood sugar(fasting plasma glucose level at least 100 mg/dL or taking diabetes medications)high triglycerides (greater than 150 mg/dL)low levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL), the “good” cholesterol (less than 40 mg/dL in men or less than 50 mg/dL in women)Epidemiological studies link fructose found in table sugar (a combination of fructose and glucose) and high fructose corn syrup with metabolic syndrome, but it’s been hard to prove causality. Obesity…