A short time ago, when a man turned sixty-five, he became officially old, retiring from work, and then having four or five years to spend as he wishes before illness set in. However, this is not the case anymore. It is becoming more and more evident that the older a man gets, the healthier he has been. By eating healthy, exercising, and quitting harmful habits, such as smoking, a man can add years to his life. Although it is better to start good clean living from early on, it is never too late for men to make changes and take better care of them selves. One of the main ways men can improve their health is by adding high quality nutritional supplements to their diet.

Although many men would like to begin taking nutritional supplements, most men feel that they are very confusing. Because there are hundreds and hundreds of nutritional supplements on health food store shelves, determining which supplements provide health benefits for a 50+ man can be extremely overwhelming. The best supplement to begin with is a good multivitamin that contains large amounts of calcium, magnesium, and potassium. The only mineral a man should avoid is iron, which he should get enough of through the food he eats. Too much iron can cause health problems. When searching for a multivitamin, one that contains lycopene is very important. Lycopene decreases a man's risk for heart disease, age-related macular degeneration, and prostate cancer. Other important components are antioxidant blends, ginseng for energy and stamina, and digestive enzymes to aid absorption.

Along with taking a quality multivitamin for general health, there are six other vital nutrients that can help prevent prostate cancer from developing and also help fight against disease. The first of these is calcium d-glucarate, which is found in fruits and vegetables. This nutrient helps men's detoxification systems get rid of harmful excess hormones that increase the risk for prostate cancer. Selenium has very powerful effects on the prostate gland. A recent study by researchers concluded that selenium can cut the risk of prostate cancer by 63 percent. The third of these nutrients is green tea, which is the second most widely consumed liquid in the world, following water. Men in China and Japan who have been drinking it for centuries have very low rates of prostate cancer. Research has concluded that a plant substance in green tea called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) can stop the growth of prostate cancer right in its tracks. Maitake Mushrooms are linked to good health in those who eat them because they contain an important compound called D-fraction, which destroys 95% of human prostate cancer cells in lab experiments. The last of the vital nutrients is lycopene, whose preliminary reports demonstrate that it can actually kill prostate cancer cells.

Similar to women, who experience significant hormonal changes as they age, men experience something called andropause. Andropause in men occurs when testosterone production, the main sex hormone in men, begins to slowly decline. Although estrogen levels in women decline faster than testosterone levels in men, testosterone decline can cause a great deal of unpleasant symptoms including abdominal weight gain, hair loss, reduced energy and sex drive, heart disease, and prostate enlargement. Whether the man believes that these are changes due to andropause, or just consequences of aging, most men will experience some or all of them as they continue to age.

Unfortunately, there is no supplement that can give a man the hormone level of a twenty year old. However, there is a nutrient that can help the testosterone in an older man ?behave? more like a younger man's testosterone. A study by the Fred Hutchinson Center in Seattle concluded that men who ate three servings of cruciferous vegetables, broccoli, cauliflower, or Brussels sprouts, each day have a 48 percent lower risk of prostate cancer. A chemical found in cruciferous plants, DIM, is responsible for this prostate cancer prevention because of its ability to metabolize estrogen. A precise ratio of testosterone to estrogen is needed for men to be able to maintain a healthy sexual response, effective sexual function, strong bones and muscles, viable sperm, and a well-functioning prostate gland. After many years of work, scientists have finally discovered a stable, all natural and absorbable form of DIM. When men take DIM, their estrogen metabolism improves, and testosterone metabolism accelerates, which results in higher testosterone levels similar to those seen in young men. This results in weight loss, reduction in prostate gland enlargement, and helping men 50+ feel stronger and leaner.

Saw palmetto, a small palm tree which is found in Florida and South Carolina, produces berries which contain many beneficial compounds. Supplements that contain saw palmetto are extremely effective in treatment of Benign Prostate Hyperplasia (BPH), one of the most common health conditions in older men, with half of all men aged 40-60 and more than 90 percent of men over 80 having BPH. BPH is caused by the conversion of estrogen to a very potent form of testosterone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Once prostate cells are exposed to DHT, they multiply in number and get much larger. Rarely improving, BPH gradually gets worse over the years, causing the man to continually need to urinate, interrupted sleep, dribbling, and loss of urine, which significantly interferes with a man's quality of life. Prescription medications that have been developed to treat BPH are only partially effective. However, saw palmetto berry extract relives the symptoms of BPH by furthering the production of DHT.

Because sexual intimacy is an important, complex, and lifelong need, there are honest nutritional supplements for men's sexual health. Sexual intimacy makes us feel better physically and mentally and adds to our sense of security, belonging, and self-esteem. Since many things can affect men's ability to engage in sexual activity, such as erectile dysfunction (ED), the development of the prescription medication Viagra has revolutionized ED treatment. Like all medicines, Viagra can cause some side effects which include headache, flushing of the face and upset stomach. However, not every man can take Viagra. Those who use nitrate drugs, which controls chest pain and those with serious liver problems should not take Viagra. However, there is a nutritional supplement formulated with vitamins, herbs, and glandular products that targets male sexual organs. It contains vitamin E, liver fractions, wheat germ, beta-sitosterol, and herbal extracts of muira puama, Mexican damiana, saw palmetto, cola nut, ginseng, and ginkgo biloba. If the use of nutritional supplements for two months does not improve your erections, you do need to see a healthcare practitioner, as sexual problems can be a sign of serious health problems. Almost all practitioners understand how difficult this problem is for men to discuss and are experienced in getting the information as quickly and painlessly as possible. Great supplements like Beta Sitosterol and Saw Palmetto along with other supplements mentioned can be found at your local or internet health food store.