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What is the prostate, what happens to it and how we can help support it?
For more info on your prostate, check out our ‘Prostate 101’ article on the Health Hub.
What is the prostate?
The prostate is a gland found only in males. It has three main functions:
It adds fluid to semen, thinning it out and boosting the sperm’s swimming powers
It stops urine and semen getting mixed up
It helps metabolise testosterone into a form that the body can use more easily
Where is the prostate?
The prostate can be found wrapped around the urethra, the tube through which urine flows from the bladder to the penis.
In younger men, the prostate is about the size and shape as a walnut. However, as men age, the prostate grows to reach the size of a lemon by the age of 60.
This becomes symptomatic in about half of men.
Encouraging good prostate health
There are many simple lifestyle changes you can do at home to support prostate health.
These include:
drinking less caffeine, fizzy drinks and alcohol
drinking less fluid in the evenings
emptying your bladder regularly and double voiding
eating more fibre to avoid constipation
There are also various prostate tablets you might like to try, including the natural and herbal remedies, which may help to support good prostate health.
Just make sure to run them past your doctor first, in case they affect any other medications or conditions you may already have.
Prostate supplements
There are several vitamins for prostate health available on the market.