Salutations!

As the cost of "Sick"care skyrockets so to do the cost associated with every aspect of the sick care industry (insurance premiums, co-pays, pharmaceutical drugs, sick leave, etc.). The time to act and take care of ourselves while jealously guarding our health has come. We can no longer afford to hand over our health or our wealth to others and hope to live happy, productive lives. The goal of this blog is to wade through some of the more mundane as well as a few sensational health issues that affect us today and how to get over them.







Showing posts with label Erectile Dysfunction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Erectile Dysfunction. Show all posts

Thursday, February 19, 2015

DIM May Be Nature's Viagra



Prostate health is a major concern these days for quite a few men as it should be. The prostate's importance is generally over looked until in the latter years of life for most men. It is during this time we begin to understand the important role the prostate plays in the overall health and well-being of the body in general and its importance in sexual matters specifically.

In general, the prostate helps to control and regulate the actions of certain hormones like testosterone. Many aspects about what typically makes a man a man, like muscle mass or chivalrous aggression, are affected by the prostate.

Specifically, the prostate helps to control just how much estrogen and testosterone there will be at any given time in a man's body if it is in proper working order.

One way to keep the prostate in proper working order is to supplement with diindolymethane (DIM).

Prostate Health

Inflammation of the prostate is becoming more and more common in men especially those who are in their mid to late 40’s and beyond. A lifetime of red meat consumption coupled with stress and other adverse lifestyle habits will usually take its toll on the prostate. Significant inflammatory issues can arise and can eventually lead to cancer. As previously mentioned DIM could step in and help correct some prostate conditions because it is a very powerful anti-inflammatory. DIM’s ability to reduce inflammation in the prostate specifically has been demonstrated in scientific testing. In research documented in the January 2008 Journal of Nutrition DIM proved effective in reducing the release of pro-inflammatory mediators in macrophages in addition to reducing the release of nitric acid and other inflammatory substances.

Erectile Dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction (ED) has garnered much mainstream attention for two reasons. First, it has become an unfortunate reality for many men. Second, because pharmaceutical companies have flooded the airwaves with commercial after commercial touting little pills that are very expensive and sales very well. But what if there was a natural and safe way to overcome erectile dysfunction?

 ED could be a sign of testosterone conversion gone wrong. As men age we tend to convert testosterone into estrogen more readily. If too much testosterone is converted sexual dysfunction is sure to follow. Even so, a man with a healthy prostate would not produce nearly enough estrogen necessary to induce ED. A man with a failing or poorly functioning prostate will, however. DIM may be the right supplement needed as it has demonstrated the ability to slow down or bring into correct balance the conversion of testosterone to estrogen. In short, the more testosterone a man is able to hang on to the less chance he has of developing or maintaining ED.

Conclusion

The health of the prostate is important for many reasons but let's be honest. Erectile dysfunction is a driving force in some men's lives and the pharmaceutical sales reports are available to prove it. Here is just one way that could potentially put a man back in the sexual driver’s seat naturally and with little to no side effects at all.

*Be sure to consult with your medical professional before beginning any supplemental regimen

Monday, December 23, 2013

The Story of Cholesterol: The Statin Drug Nightmare Part II

Before we delve further into the nightmare that is statin drugs I think a good dose of fairness is in order. One benefit of statin drugs is that they do tend to show antioxidative abilities, decreases blood viscosity and inflammation. These are good things indeed but the trade-offs are often stupendous and some times fatal. Also, there are better, natural ways to get anti-oxidants that will not disrupt your life.

Often people who take statin drugs to lower their cholesterol experience mild to severe forms of muscle pain, fatigue, memory loss, sexual dysfunction, weakness, and cognitive dysfunction. Why is this so? It turns out that cholesterol serves many vital functions in the body and turning off production of it can lead to many serious problems as we will discuss below.

The Heart and Energy Production

Let's get to the heart of the matter. I hope you can pardon the pun but it seems to be the best place to start when discussing just how bad statin drugs tend to be. A very significant nutrient produced by the body is an enzyme called CoQ10. The highest concentrations of CoQ10 can be found in the heart because, as the most active muscle in the body, it requires much energy and CoQ10 helps to provide it. Without it the heart would cease to function properly in a relatively short amount of time. The (cruel) irony is the very drug that is meant to protect the heart can cause it the most damage.

When discussing fatigue, which can be chronic in some statin drug users, we are really discussing energy. Once again this is where CoQ10 comes in to play. Not only is the heart served by this important enzyme but all muscles in the body. It helps the metabolic processes of every cell which in turn produces energy. Limiting or eliminating production of CoQ10 can create states of fatigue that are misery inducing and life altering while at the same time weakening the heart.

The Brain

Memory loss and the inability to think clearly (cognitive dysfunction) is one of the most frightening side effects of statin drug use. Unfortunately, it is also the most frequently reported side effect. Sometimes the dysfunction is so intense it can mimic Alzheimer disease.  How does this happen? As it turns out the brain is composed of approximately 60% cholesterol. At night, as we sleep and slumber, our bodies help to repair and restore brain function with cholesterol being one of the primary ingredients. As cholesterol levels decrease so does brain function. In addition to repairs, cholesterol is a chief component in helping neurotransmitters function properly. This was conclusively demonstrated in 2009 by a Iowa State University professor by the name of Dr. Yeon-Kyun Shin. It turns out that cholesterol influences the shape and function of certain proteins in the brain that help stimulate thinking and memory.

Sexual Dysfunction

Depending upon who you ask proper brain and heart function are neck-in-neck when it comes to everyday quality of life while sexual function has its place somewhere in there. Regardless of how important sex is to you most would agree that proper sexual function is at least a close third in the three way race with the brain and heart. Cholesterol lowering medications have wrecked many sex lives with the most pronounced (and most noticeable) effect on men. All the major sex hormones are derived from cholesterol. The very hormones that causes sex lives to thrive are reduced in number and potency when cholesterol is indiscriminately cut and slashed. The hormone that is most affected is testosterone. Testosterone is a key component for proper erectile function in men and libido support for men and women (women produce small amounts of testosterone and is vitally important to all). Not to put too fine a point on the subject but mood and performance for both men and women can be adversely affected when cholesterol levels decrease. A 2009 study titled "Statins and Erectile Dysfunction: Results of a Case/Non-case Study using the French Pharmacovigilance System Database" found that men taking Crestor were two to seven times more likely to suffer from erectile dysfunction! Low testosterone levels have also been associated with decreased life expectancy and increased risk of death from cardiovascular diseases.

A bad heart, fatigue, cloudy thinking and judgement and a sex life that is left weak and uninviting is what many people have to suffer with while on statin drugs. Unfortunately, this is not all of the side effects. The others may be less troubling than what has already been mentioned here but there is one more that rarely makes the news and it has to do with our immune systems which will be addressed in the next article.

Sources include:

The Great Cholesterol Myth (Bowden and Sinatra)