Published January 28, 2009 in the North Island Weekender 
 

Men often don’t complain to doctors until it is too late to deal with their health in a preventive way. Here are some guidelines for men to follow as they go through life.

In your teens: Often the first complaint of teenage males is acne frequently due to hormone irregularities. However looking at food sensitivities, common deficiencies including vitamin A and digestive health can help decrease the severity of acne.

In your 20’s: Clinically men of this age present with digestive problems or anxiety. In this generation these men were not breast fed, they had terrible diets growing up on fast food essentially so by the time they are in their 20’s they experience terrible gas, bloating or digestive pain and they are gaining weight. By recommending blood type diets, avoiding food sensitivities, optimizing food combining and re-colonizing the gut with proper gut flora the digestion improves greatly. Taking a good quality probiotic life long will help to keep their digestion healthy. Anxiety is seen more and more in the younger male population and this is often blamed on nutritional deficiencies. This population has not grown up on fish oils so are lacking in DHA the essential fat critical for brain health and optimal learning skills. The common food that is hard on the brain is wheat. So when specific causes are addressed then the brain function improves and with a good maintenance balance is restored.

In your 30’s: These men are starting to plan and have families so this is the optimal time for both men and women to under go pre-conception care to create healthy babies. This occurs 4 months before the couple decides to start trying to get pregnant, giving them both time to follow detoxification and restorative programs. Babies of these couples suffer from fewer allergies, asthma, learning disabilities and diabetes. In this age range men might also start thinking about cutting down on their drinking and smoking habits and maintaining a regular exercise program including stretching. How men live their 30’s plays a significant role in determining how healthy they will be in their 40’s and beyond.

In your 40’s: This is when men start to notice their “pot belly”. The truth is that muscle was changing into fat in their 30’s if they were not physically fit and it is just beginning to show now. Along with excess weight comes increasing blood pressure and increasing risk of diabetes. It is time for men at this age to get regular health check ups including cholesterol, blood pressure, DRE (digital rectal exam) and PSA blood test for prostate health. This will establish baselines for future reference. African-Americans need to get a head start on this because they are at in increased risk of prostate and colon cancer. This may be due to lack of vitamin D in this population so measuring 25(OH) vitamin D blood tests should be done. If joint injuries are resurfacing then beginning glucosamine type remedies may help to rebuild joint tissues to prevent the use of anti-inflammatories. All men should be taking selenium daily to prevent prostate cancer, cod liver oil and B complex to prevent heart disease, prostate cancer and stroke, and calcium, magnesium and probiotics to prevent colon cancer.

In your 50’s: At this age colon cancer and heart disease are the two biggest health risks. Heart attack risk increases with each passing year after the age of 55. Colon cancer is the third most common type of cancer (excluding skin) to both men and women. If it is caught early it can be essentially cured. During a colonoscopy if a precursor polyp is found and excised it reduces the recurrence risk by upwards of 100%. Getting a stool for occult blood yearly may detect a bleeding polyp early. Evaluating risk factors in the blood for heart disease include cholesterol, triglycerides, CRP, homocysteine, and fasting blood sugars. Yearly physicals should also include DRE and PSA readings for prostate health. Prostate cancer in this age range is often more aggressive. During this age yearly cleansing programs may reduce the risk of various cancers including colon cancer.

In your 60’s: Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer in males with 2 out of 3 cases found in men over the age of 65. Prostate cancer usually grows slowly and many older men with prostate cancer often die of something else other than prostate cancer. However certain types of prostate cancer do grow quickly. The yearly DRE and PSA is critical. Maintaining joint, heart and bowel health will slow the aging process.

In your 70’s: At this age, stroke, heart disease and diabetes is more common. Maintaining fitness levels reduces the incidence of all of these diseases. If men have been taking some of the preventive measures outlined above since their 40’s they may prevent these common diseases of aging.