How water, beer or other alcohol affect the prostate
The prostate is part of the male reproductive tract and is a gland that plays a very important role in normal sexual function in men.
The prostate is responsible for the production of nutrients that are part of the ejaculate (male seminal fluid) that play an important role in the survival of spermatozoa until the moment of fertilization which makes it an important participant (together with the seminal vesicles) in the creation of male seminal fluid. These nutrients produced by the prostate are also important for normal erection and ejaculation. It also creates an ideal PH value in the sperm which favors the maintenance of spermatozoa in life.
In addition, the prostate is important in protecting against sexually transmitted infections.
The prostate is located in the small pelvis below the rectum (the final part of the digestive tract) and can be said to surround the urethra.
In appearance and size it resembles a chestnut which is why it is also called a chestnut tree. This of course applies to the prostate of a sexually mature man up to the age of forty. Otherwise, the shape and size of the prostate varies from birth to a man’s later years and in physiological terms it looks like this: at birth it is the size and appearance of a bean and until puberty it gradually grows, so that growth in puberty would be more pronounced and in that period it would achieve the appearance and the size of a chestnut, and men kept that shape until their forties.
Only after this period a physiological change called benign prostate enlargement occurs which is believed to be caused by the growth of new cells and the slower death of old ones as a result of which cells accumulate and enlarge the prostate. Most often, this condition does not cause any problems in men but it can happen that over time symptoms develop which indicate a problem with the prostate. An enlarged prostate is expected in men who are over 60 years old and somewhat implied in those over 80 years old.
COMPLICATIONS WITH THE PROSTATE
Complications with the prostate in men are among the most common health problems faced by men so it is assumed that every man faces a prostate problem at least once in his life.
These functions of the prostate take place without problems as long as the gland is in an anatomical state that is physiological which means that there are no physical changes in the appearance and structure of the prostate. Problems with the functioning of the prostate can cause a series of discomforts in men both in normal functioning in terms of performing basic physiological needs and discomforts that reduce the quality of men’s sexual life.
If problems with the prostate are not noticed (and above all not accepted) in time and not adequately treated, the condition worsens and over time causes a whole series of inconveniences that reduce the quality of life in many ways.
Some of those inconveniences are:
- difficult and slow urination
- frequent urination, especially at night, or an even more severe form of inability to urinate
- then pain when urinating or blood in the urine
These symptoms require medical intervention as soon as possible. You should certainly not wait for such symptoms to appear, considering that the symptoms initially appear in a milder form and the progression takes place gradually.
Men very often ignore the warning signs that the body sends them through milder symptoms, so they attribute all the changes to age which is certainly wrong and later complicates the treatment process and the success of the therapy. Any delay leads to complications that in some cases can only be slightly affected by therapy or surgical intervention.
Also, the pain that occurs in the area above and below should not be ignored and it most often occurs during urination in the form of an unpleasant burning sensation in the genital area or a sharp and intense pain in the male genital organ. Pain can occur during ejaculation which is one of the symptoms that most definitely indicate a problem with the prostate.
The most severe form of prostate disease is cancer which is the most common form of malignancy in men. The best prevention is listening to your body and preventive examinations even when there are no complaints, especially after the age of 50.
The medical examination includes a detailed medical history, ultrasound examination of the prostate, digitorectal examination, laboratory analysis of blood and urine and some other imaging such as cystoscopy and cystourethrogram. Ultrasound of the prostate is one of the important parts of the urologist’s examination.
Is drinking water good for prostate?
Natural methods are also used for prevention and treatment.
Of course, a healthy diet rich in minerals and vitamins that have a beneficial effect on the prostate, and on the whole body, is implied, as well as moderate physical activity.
One of the most frequently stated rules by both doctors and experts in the field of nutrition is that it is important to consume sufficient amounts of liquid. In the prostate and in general in the urogenital tract, regular and sufficient fluid intake is of great importance.
The human body, as well as the world around us, is mostly made of water. Lack of water in the body, which is called dehydration, implies the lack of all those substances that dissolve in water and which are necessary for the normal functioning of our body.
Often the discomfort caused by prostate problems, which include difficult or frequent urination, nocturnal urination or pain during urination, deceives the patient that the problem will be solved by reducing fluid intake in order to avoid discomfort when passing fluid. Such a decision can really cause great harm because it is the liquid that helps the urogenital tract to “purify” more precisely to avoid the accumulation of bacteria which multiply and lead to infection and then other complications. The state of dehydration of the organism, which implies both the loss of fluid and the loss of electrolytes necessary for the normal function of the organism, occurs when less fluid is taken in than is expelled from the organism.
In men, urine stays in the bladder for longer in this way which leads to infection which is one of the main causes of chronic inflammation of the prostate. Therefore, it is of great importance that instead of reducing fluid intake the amount of fluid intake should be increased (where plain water is the most recommended), as this is a way to make the urine less concentrated with bacteria and other metabolic products that can lead to infections.
The increase in water affects better emptying of the bladder, which fills better and creates stronger pressure to expel liquid. Liquid is important because good hydration of the body has a beneficial effect on better digestion which is important for the prostate precisely because of the anatomical position of the prostate. As it is located below the end of the digestive tract, constipation can create pressure and affect the normal functioning of the prostate. The chance of its complete emptying will be increased, and the force to expel urine becomes stronger.
Regular intake of water in order to prevent dehydration is especially important for inflammation and prostate cancer. A sign that the body needs water is the feeling of thirst and it is precisely water that should be drunk before this feeling appears. It is recommended that the daily intake of water be up to two liters, and that this intake of water be increased over time.
Pure water is certainly the best liquid you can take in but teas and freshly squeezed fruit juices should also not be left out. If you don’t have this habit, you will feel that just by consuming more water than usual the overall condition of your body improves.
If plain water is not “tasty” to you and it is a problem for you to drink it in large quantities, especially if you have not developed this habit since childhood, a good way of intake that has a positive effect on the prostate is the so-called infused water, also called detox water. It is water to which fruits, vegetables or aromatic herbs are added, which gives it a taste and at the same time has a beneficial effect on the prostate.
This detox water is prepared by adding selected ingredients to the water which are previously chopped and then left to sit overnight in the refrigerator. The liquid is then strained in the morning and drunk during the day. This is a really good motivation for people who say they always drink a little water and that’s enough for them but they have prostate problems.
A good combination is, for example, to combine water with half a tomato and a couple of cucumber rings or two tablespoons of pomegranate seeds and a couple of lemon rings. Both tomatoes and pomegranates are excellent antioxidants and have a beneficial effect on the prostate. Also good combination can be a couple of chopped strawberries and mint leaves which have a beneficial effect on the control of testosterone levels and have a beneficial effect on the prostate.
PROSTATE AND BEER
This is not an opportunity to talk about the general harmfulness of alcohol, especially excessive use, which necessarily leads to a series of harmful consequences for the body as a whole.
Alcohol itself has a bad effect on the prostate, but according to some research, such as the one carried out by the Office for National Statistics in 2017, only one in five adults do not consume alcohol. In addition to the negative impact that alcohol can have on the liver, heart and other organs, one of the first negative consequences of excessive alcohol use is erectile dysfunction and up to 70% of men who regularly drink beer have problems during sexual intercourse.
For men who have a problem with the prostate, increased alcohol consumption is by no means recommended because it causes many unwanted effects. In milder cases of enlarged prostate, on the other hand, moderate alcohol consumption can have a positive effect. The only problem is that the term “moderately” is often misinterpreted and it is overlooked that any excess in alcohol affects the worsening of symptoms.
Alcohol acts on already existing inflammatory processes by promoting that inflammation. It also has a negative effect on all muscles including those located in the genital region and around the bladder because the muscles are more difficult to relax and thus worsen the already difficult urination.
The bad influence of beer is e.g. in that alcohol rapidly consumes magnesium reserves which is very bad for the kidneys and muscle function. All this leads us to additional problems with urogenestal tract.
Alcohol rapidly depletes our magnesium stores and thus negatively affects kidney function, muscle function and the way our nerves communicate. All these functions affect our urinary habits, making them either easier or more difficult. If it is lighter, it can negatively affect the symptoms of an enlarged prostate and further increase the frequency of nocturnal urination.
PROSTATE AND ALCOHOL
The urge to urinate increases with alcohol. Alcohol is a diuretic, so it increases the amount of urine that reaches the bladder and therefore increases the urge to urinate. Alcohol is also an irritant to the inside of the bladder, so these symptoms can get even worse.
There are no scientific studies that can confirm some assumptions that alcohol has a positive effect on the prevention of benign prostate enlargement, although numerous studies have been done. Scientists agree that additional research is needed, but that in any case we must be aware that even if there are positive effects on a group of organs, the bad effect on others underscores the importance that if we already consume alcohol, we must do so in moderation.
It is recommended that adults should not consume more than 6 glasses of beer or 6 glasses of wine in a week, meaning that this amount should be spread out and not drunk all at once.
Although age, hormone status, physical activity and bad habits such as smoking certainly have a greater influence on the development of prostate enlargement than alcohol, we should not forget that alcohol also has negative effects.
What is certain is that plain water and green tea are the best liquids that patients with an enlarged prostate can consume, but there are few who see these liquids as an alternative, if they have the habit of regularly consuming alcohol.
It is important that there is an awareness of harm, but that if we have a problem with determining the right measure in alcohol consumption, we should seek the help of a professional and we really should not shy away from this.
Numerous studies have been conducted on the topic of the effect of alcohol on the prostate. As we mentioned earlier, in some studies, alcohol is associated with a positive effect on benign prostate enlargement (prevention), which refers to moderate alcohol consumption. On the other hand, after analyzing the results obtained in as many as 27 conducted studies, it was concluded that there is a strong connection between alcohol consumption and the risk of prostate cancer.
As Californian scientists have shown in a study conducted at the University of San Francisco, men who regularly consume more than four drinks a day, more often than five days a week, are twice as likely to get prostate cancer and that in an advanced stage. More than ten thousand men participated in this research and during the research the total amount of alcohol consumed, the type of alcoholic drink and consumption habits were analyzed. This research has shown that moderate drinking of alcohol does not represent a risk of getting cancer, but that daily and heavy alcohol consumption drastically increases men’s risk of getting prostate cancer.
Certainly, it is important to emphasize that taking care of health should start from an early age and with the awareness that the prostate has its own periods of development, as well as the time when the risk is increased, prevention should be maintained in that direction, through healthy life style, where there is little room for alcohol and similar bad habits.
In fact, specific male health, especially in the part of the urogenital tract, to the greatest extent requires moderation in everything – in eating, drinking and even in physical activity.
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