You can help support healthy urination and prostate function by using natural solutions. For example, for more than 28 years, the Swiss have used flower pollen to help men with less-than-optimal urinary and prostate health.

Flower pollen is rich in health-boosting vitamins, minerals, nucleic acids, enzymes and peptides. It helps support relaxed muscles in your urinary tract, as well as helping relax the smooth muscle tone of your urethra which enhances urine flow… supports optimal bladder muscle contraction to push urine out… and promotes relaxation of the sphincter muscles, which helps hold urine in your bladder. Flower pollen also promotes a healthy normal inflammatory response to help support a healthy urinary tract and enhance urine flow, and helps promote healthy hormone levels within the body.

However, there are other natural ways to support your prostate and urinary tract. In his book on ways to support prostate health, , Larry Clapp indicates that your prostate needs a steady supply of vitamins, mineral amino acids, carbohydrates, essential fatty acids and enzymes. And these can be found in fresh fruit and vegetables, fresh fish, whole grains, unsalted pumpkin seeds, kelp, flaxseed oil and green tea.

The fact is, many men will have some sort of prostate or urinary concern in their lives, and most men over 40 worry about the possibility. But with some natural precautions, you can support your prostate and urinary health for years to come.

It took scientists and researchers decades to discover why a certain food could make one person feel good, yet that same food could trigger numerous health problems in another person. Little-known sticky proteins called lectins—which make up part of a plant’s natural immune system—have been found to be the root cause of your distress.

Although lectins are beneficial for plants, they can cause problems in your body’s digestive tract. When you ingest foods containing lectins—such as wheat, barley, oats, rye, beer, grain-based alcohols, mayonnaise, tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, legumes, eggs and all milk products—your body can’t digest or destroy those lectin proteins. Those proteins travel through your digestive tract, attaching themselves to healthy sugar molecules needed for effective digestion. Those sugars are now viewed as defective and your immune system tries to destroy them. Now you have an inflammatory battle in your digestive tract which can lead to…

• Upset stomach, excessive belching and flatulence
• Occasional Headaches, poor concentration and brain fog
• Weight gain, bloating and puffy eyes
• Annoying fatigue
• Joint discomfort

If you believe you have a sensitivity to lectins, you should ask your doctor to check you for “anti-gliadin antibodies and endomysium antibodies.” If either test comes back positive you should request a “celiac panel” to rule out other serious digestive problems. And in the meantime, you should try taking beneficial lectin-fighting supplements such as N-acetyl glucosamine (NAG), bladderwrack, okra powder, D-mannose, mucins, pepsin and sodium alginate.

This commonly used spice comes from pepper vines of the Piperaceae family native to tropical areas with stifling climates such as found in the southern part of India. These vines produce small white flowers that turn into berries called peppercorns, and are collected as berries or ground into black pepper.

Its spiciness comes from the chemical piperine, and not only does it add flavor to your favorite foods, but it also provides your body with a multitude of benefits such as helping improve digestion by supporting secretion of hydrochloric acid (HCl). HCl promotes good digestion which helps prevent intestinal gas and bloating, diarrhea and occasional constipation. But that’s only the beginning because black pepper is also said to help…

• Enhance joint comfort, flexibility, relieve muscle aches and sprains from exercise
• Support respiratory function
• Keep your teeth and gums healthy
• Promote weight control by supporting a healthy turnover of fat cells
• Provide manganese, iron, potassium, fiber and vitamins C and K
• Provide immune-supportive compounds

Plus, black pepper has antioxidant properties that help buffer the effects of oxidative free radicals which in turn, promotes optimal liver and cardiovascular health.

According to a recent study published in the journal Circulation: Heart Failure, women who consume five or more servings of baked or broiled fish per week have  enhanced heart function, compared to women who eat little or none of the seafood.
One reason for this may be that omega-3 fatty acids have been associated with improved heart health, since they decrease inflammation precursors and oxidative stress, and support healthy blood pressure and overall blood vessel function, the researchers explained.

"Baking or broiling fish and eating it frequently seem to be part of a dietary pattern that is very beneficial for a number of things. This suggests that fish is a very good source of lean protein that we ought to be increasing as a proportion of our diet and decreasing foods that contain less healthy saturated and trans fats," said lead researcher Donald Lloyd-Jones, M.D.

Unfortunately, a deficiency of this all-important nutrient can stem from many different causes such as stress, pollution and the so-called cholesterol alternatives. Plus, your natural CoQ10 levels automatically start to drop as you advance in age.

This lack of healthy CoQ10 levels can open the door to less-than-optimal immune function, occasional fatigue and imbalanced blood pressure. But appropriate amounts not only provide much-needed energy for your body, but also help stimulate your immune system, support balanced blood pressure, maintain proper blood sugar levels and boost your vision.

And most importantly, CoQ10 helps if you…

• Promote heart pumping strength and healthy cardiovascular function. Your heart is the most responsive of all organs to CoQ10, and it contains and requires more CoQ10 than any other organ in your body.
• Supply antioxidant protection for your brain’s cells to help defend against free radicals. The nutrient may also support optimal brain function even during the course of normal healthy aging and the [slowdown] of mitochondrial function, according to Lester Packer, Ph.D., in The Antioxidant Miracle.

To protect your overall health, you must ensure that your body has adequate levels of CoQ10. Finding a high-quality, crystal-free nutritional supplement that includes healthy fats for maximum absorption is the best way to fulfill your body’s requirements for this essential nutrient.

However, a recent article published by the Huffington Post highlighted several natural ways that individuals can consider using to help promote good digestive health.

The news provider explained that the same chemicals and hormones that affect the brain also have an impact on the gut. Therefore, using methods of stress reductions such as yoga or meditation may help promote a balance of these compounds that could potentially relieve digestive symptoms.

Peppermint oil may have a soothing effect on a person’s digestive system. The news source cited a study that appeared in the journal Nutrition in Clinical Practice, which found that peppermint oil capsules were more effective for promoting good digestive health than some other conventional choices.

According to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse, as many as 70 million Americans are affected by digestive health problems.

While other regions in Japan grew rice, the hilly terrain of this village proved better suited for harvesting healthier carbohydrates like satsumaimo (a type of sweet potato), satoimo (a sticky white potato), imoji (a potato root), and konyaku (a gelatinous root vegetable). And the common ingredient in these foods is a joint-supportive nutrient called hyaluronic acid (HA).

HA is a water-gelling molecule contained in the synovial fluid surrounding your joints, cartilage and skin tissues. Synovial fluid functions as a lubricant, nutrient carrier and shock absorber for your bones and joints.

To perform its duties, the synovial fluid must contain ample amounts of HA. However, as you get older your natural production of HA starts to decrease. This can lead to…

• Intermittently stiff joints
• Creaking knees
• Less flexible finger joints
• Knotted shoulders
• Sore elbows

But eating foods with HA can help maintain joint flexibility. You can further benefit your joints by adding quality supplements to your diet that contain not only HA, but also collagen and chondroitin sulfate—two more nutrients that help maintain your joints and your synovial fluid. By taking these precautions to support your body’s production of the fluid, you are taking all-important steps to promote the health of your body’s joints.

Blood pressure measurements below 120/80 have previously been the standard for optimal blood pressure rankings.

However, the researchers found that data from more than 13,000 survey respondents showed no increased risk of death among young adults who had diastolic readings (DBP) 20 points higher than what was considered to be normal, and older adults whose systolic pressures (SBP) were elevated by 20 additional increments.

Significantly higher rates of premature death were only found in participants who were over the age of 50 and had SBPs more than 140 and younger subjects who had DBPs greater than 100.

"We believe considering this kind of approach represents a critical step in ensuring that diagnoses are given only to those with a meaningful elevation in risk, and targeted towards individuals most likely to benefit," lead study author Brent Taylor said.

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is the cause of more than 56,000 deaths in the United States per year.

However, when your immune system is in proper balance, it naturally protects your body and suppresses an overly vigilant immune response. And an overly vigilant immune system might mistake an innocuous particle like pollen for an unwelcome irritant and can result in annoying seasonal and environmental sensitivities. Or an unbalanced immune system may trigger an unnecessary reaction like inflammation which could lead to downstream effects on your heart, blood sugar, joints and weight.

But you can promote healthy immune function through natural nutrients such as…

• Immunel—Derived from colostrum, the “first milk” most babies receive from their mothers, this nutrient is rich in antibodies and promotes phagocyte activity, which monitor and protect your system in order to keep you healthy.
• SCF brewer’s yeast—A fermented, all-natural yeast that can help regulate immune balance to reduce the effects of seasonal and environmental sensitivities, support respiratory health and shorten the duration of unpleasant symptoms.
• Immune Assist Micron—An organic compound derived from six “super” mushrooms, this nutrient can boost and balance your immune system with much greater potency than any immune-boosting mushroom on earth.

So if you’re tired of sneezing your way through every spring and feeling the need for an immune health pick-me-up in the winter, remember that both boosting and balancing your immune system, and helping your immune system to be “at rest” and ready to respond quickly to health problems are all keys to supporting good health and a more active and effective lifestyle.

A recent study published in the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis indicates that saving fish livers for the dinner table, as opposed to disposing of them before the fish are sold, may be a win-win solution for individuals’ health and the environment.

The researchers explained that some fish livers, especially those found in anchovies, contain polyunsaturated fatty acids, which have previously been used to help support overall health.
"The livers of edible fish are a good source of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA), especially those in the omega-3 family, such as eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid," said the study’s lead author José Luis Guil-Guerrero.

The scientists found that LCPUFA may account for more than half of the total fatty acid liver content in some species of fish, including anchovies and great weevers. They also noted that saving these livers for human consumption may help address the problem of ocean pollution due to fish innards being thrown overboard by seamen.