Comprehensive dietary therapy for benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer, and an analysis of male menopause physical and mental health.

Black Sesame and Honey Paste Ingredients: 56g black sesame seeds, appropriate amount of honey. Preparation: Clean the black sesame seeds, roast them until fragrant, let them cool, crush them, and store them in a porcelain jar for later use. Dosage: Take two tablespoons of sesame seeds each time, put them in a bowl, add an appropriate amount of honey, and mix with boiling water. Drink 3 times a day, regularly. Efficacy: Suitable for benign prostatic hyperplasia of the yin deficiency and fire excess type.

Walnut, Yam, and Plantain Seed Paste Ingredients: 30g walnut kernels, 100g yam, 15g plantain seeds. Preparation: Crush the walnut kernels; grind the yam into a fine powder. Mix the two powders with water to form a thin paste, then add the plantain seeds and cook until done. Dosage: Take twice daily. Efficacy: Tonifies the kidneys and spleen, promotes urination. Suitable for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

Walnut Candy Ingredients: 500g walnut kernels, 500g white sugar. Preparation: Place the white sugar in a pot, add a little water, and simmer over low heat until it forms threads that don't stick to your hands when lifted with a spatula. Remove from heat, and while still hot, add the fried walnut kernels (fried until crispy in sesame oil). Mix well, pour into a plate, and let cool slightly. Press flat and cut into pieces. Dosage: Consume as desired. Efficacy: Promotes blood circulation, disperses stagnation, and facilitates urination. Suitable for urinary tract obstruction, dribbling, intermittent urination, lower abdominal distension and pain, etc.

Scallion, Tangerine Peel, and Sunflower Seed Candy Ingredients: 20g scallion white paste, 50g tangerine peel powder, 500g roasted sunflower seeds, 500g white sugar. Preparation: Place the white sugar in a pot, add a little water, and simmer over low heat until thickened. Add the sunflower seeds, tangerine peel powder, and scallion white paste, mix well, and continue simmering until the candy forms threads when lifted with a spatula but is not sticky. Remove from heat and pour into a porcelain dish while hot. Let cool, press flat, and cut into pieces. It can also be steamed with glutinous rice flour to make a cake. Dosage: Consume as desired. Effects: Soothes the liver and regulates qi, promotes urination, and eliminates dampness. Suitable for liver qi stagnation and urinary retention, with symptoms such as abdominal distension, irritability, thin or yellow tongue coating, red tongue, and wiry pulse.

Cinnamon Powder Porridge Ingredients: 5 grams of cinnamon powder, 60 grams of white rice. Preparation: Cook the white rice into porridge, add the cinnamon powder when it is half-cooked and cook until done. Dosage: Eat in one sitting, one dose per day, for one week. Efficacy: Suitable for kidney yang deficiency and benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Double Kernel and Achyranthes Porridge Ingredients: 10g each of peach kernel and apricot kernel, 15g of achyranthes root, and 100g of japonica rice. Preparation: Decoction of the above three ingredients in water, remove the dregs, add the japonica rice and cook until the porridge is done. Dosage: Divide into 1-2 servings daily. Efficacy: Promotes blood circulation, removes blood stasis, and facilitates urination. Suitable for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

Lotus Seed, Poria, and Cuscuta Porridge Ingredients: 20g Poria, 100g chestnuts, 15g each of Cuscuta seeds and lotus seeds. Preparation: Grind the Poria into a fine powder and cook it with the other three ingredients into a porridge. Dosage: Take 1-2 times daily. Efficacy: Tonifies the kidneys and spleen, promotes urination. Suitable for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

Fennel and Scallion Decoction Ingredients: 5 grams of fennel seeds, 4 scallions (white part only). Preparation: Crush together, decoct in water, and strain. Dosage: 1 dose daily, divided into 3 servings, for 1 week. Efficacy: Suitable for kidney yin deficiency with benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Astragalus and Carp Drink Ingredients: 60g raw astragalus, 1 live carp. Preparation: Kill the live carp, remove scales, gills and internal organs, cut into pieces, and cook with astragalus until done. Dosage: Drink the soup and eat the fish. Efficacy: Tonifies qi and promotes urination. Suitable for urinary retention caused by insufficient qi, with symptoms such as difficulty urinating, fatigue, shortness of breath, reduced appetite, abdominal distension, lower abdominal distension, and loose stools. This formula is especially suitable for elderly people with qi deficiency and urinary retention. Contraindications: Not suitable for those with unresolved external pathogenic factors or internal heat.

Prostate cancer is also a disease that occurs in middle-aged and elderly men. It is one of the most common malignant tumors in Europe and the United States, second only to lung cancer in incidence. Although the incidence and mortality rates of prostate cancer in my country are lower than in Europe and the United States, it is worth noting that, like benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), the incidence of prostate cancer is also showing a significant upward trend. The reasons for the increased incidence of prostate cancer in my country are twofold: firstly, it is related to the significant increase in average life expectancy; secondly, similar to BPH, improved nutritional status, especially increased fat intake, may also be an important factor. Early symptoms of prostate cancer include progressive difficulty urinating, frequent urination with a feeling of incomplete bladder emptying, hematuria, painful ejaculation, and persistent distending pain in the lower back. Some people believe that after surgery for BPH, they will not develop prostate cancer again, but this is not the case. For BPH, surgery only removes the enlarged portion; the peripheral zone is generally left untouched. Therefore, prostate cancer can still occur after surgery. Prostate cancer surgery is much more complex than BPH surgery, requiring the removal of the entire prostate, including the seminal vesicles and local lymph nodes. Unfortunately, currently, when prostate cancer is clinically diagnosed, in about 60% of patients, the cancer has already extended beyond the prostate, making radical surgery impossible. It is evident that early detection is extremely important. In order to detect prostate cancer early, men over the age of 50 should have a physical examination every six months to one year if possible. Each examination should include a digital rectal examination or ultrasound. If nodular lesions are found in the prostate, a biopsy should be performed immediately to determine their nature.

Dietary Principles for Prostate Cancer: Recently, American scientists published a study. This survey of 100 soldiers confirmed the role of sex hormones in sexual function and also found that men with strong libidos are more likely to develop prostate cancer in their later years than men with less strong libidos. This report indicates that men with strong libidos are more prone to prostate cancer in their later years. The study found that the frequency of orgasms depends on a hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and excessive secretion of this hormone may be the real cause of prostate cancer. Researchers believe that if this view can be further confirmed, DHT secretion can be reduced by improving diet. It is currently known that consuming large amounts of animal fat and animal protein increases DHT secretion. The above research results suggest that men with strong libidos should pay attention to preventing prostate cancer as they enter middle and old age. A diet primarily consisting of plant-based proteins and fats, with plenty of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and grains, and limited animal fats and proteins, such as lard, sausages, roasted ribs, organ meats, butter, ice cream, whole milk, and chicken, duck, beef, and lamb, can help lower blood dihydrotestosterone levels and reduce the risk of prostate cancer. This dietary principle also offers significant benefits in preventing cardiovascular diseases in middle-aged and elderly individuals.

Dietary Therapy: Eucommia Bark Stewed Lamb Kidney Ingredients: 1 pair of lamb kidneys, 20g stir-fried Eucommia bark, 20g Achyranthes bidentata, 20g Morinda officinalis. Preparation: Stew the last three ingredients with the lamb kidneys until cooked. Season with salt, ginger, etc. Dosage: Eat the meat and drink the soup. Serve as a side dish. Efficacy: Tonifies the kidneys and strengthens yang. Suitable for prostate cancer patients with symptoms such as frequent urination, increased nocturia, weak urine stream, or even dribbling, lower back and knee weakness and coldness, pale tongue, thin white coating, and deep, thready pulse.

Astragalus and Goji Berry Stewed Pigeon Ingredients: 1 pigeon, 30g astragalus, 30g goji berries. Preparation: Clean the pigeon, removing the internal organs. Stuff the pigeon with astragalus and goji berries, add appropriate seasonings, and cook until tender. Serving: Eat the meat and drink the soup. Serve as a side dish. Efficacy: Nourishes qi and blood, benefits the kidneys and promotes urination. Suitable for prostate cancer patients with symptoms such as lower abdominal distension, frequent urge to urinate but difficulty urinating, or scanty and difficult urination, fatigue, pale complexion, pale red tongue without coating, and weak, thready pulse.

Hedyotis diffusa and Job's tears porridge ingredients: 100g Hedyotis diffusa, 60g water chestnut flour, 60g Job's tears. Preparation: Wash the Hedyotis diffusa, add 1500ml water, bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the dregs and keep the liquid. Add the Job's tears and cook until the seeds split open. Add the water chestnut flour and cook until done. Dosage: Take warm in several divided doses. Efficacy: Clears heat and detoxifies, strengthens the spleen and promotes diuresis. Suitable for prostate cancer patients with symptoms such as severe pain in the lower back or limbs, even insomnia, difficulty urinating or dribbling urination, red or crimson tongue, and wiry pulse.

Sunflower Pith Tea Ingredients: 30 grams of the inner pith of sunflower stalks. Preparation: Simmer the sunflower pith in water to extract the juice. Dosage: Drink as tea. Efficacy: Promotes urination and relieves strangury, and has anti-cancer effects. Suitable for prostate cancer patients with symptoms such as difficulty urinating and dribbling.

Both men and women experience a transition from middle age to old age. As men age, their endocrine functions, especially sexual function, also undergo decline. These physiological changes often lead to various uncomfortable symptoms, medically termed male menopause syndrome. Male menopause syndrome typically occurs after age 50. Some men experience autonomic nervous system dysfunction, manifesting as neurological and psychiatric symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, insomnia, forgetfulness, fatigue, loss of appetite, and general malaise, as well as mood swings, irritability, anger, or depression, memory loss, decreased libido, and reduced sexual function. Others may experience cardiovascular dysfunction, such as paroxysmal tachycardia or bradycardia, palpitations, and discomfort in the precordial region. Some may experience paroxysmal facial flushing, fever, and shortness of breath. Still others may experience digestive system dysfunction, such as loss of appetite, indigestion, constipation, diarrhea, or bloating. Generally speaking, male menopause has a slow onset, and the decline in testicular function is gradual. Many men can gradually adapt to this slow process of change. Therefore, the physiological changes are not as obvious or severe as the symptoms of female menopause. In addition, the severity of symptoms varies, and there are individual differences. Some people have no obvious symptoms, so male menopause is often easily overlooked, or even mistakenly believed that men do not have menopause.

Dietary health is crucial for men entering menopause. They should focus on consuming foods that nourish the kidneys, enhance virility, and improve gonadal function. Improved gonadal function can fundamentally alleviate various symptoms of male menopause. Foods with these benefits include shrimp, mussels, mutton, sheep kidneys, sparrow, leeks, walnuts, sesame seeds, animal organs, black beans, mulberries, honey, turtle meat, soft-shelled turtle meat, white duck meat, pigeon meat, toad oil, black-boned chicken, pig brain, goat milk, eel, loach, sparrow eggs, quail, dog meat, pig kidneys, chestnuts, and venison. Traditional Chinese medicine dietary therapy often uses dishes such as Cistanche deserticola porridge, Cistanche deserticola stewed mutton, Eucommia ulmoides stir-fried sheep kidneys, Cordyceps sinensis stewed duck, shrimp stir-fried with leeks, walnuts stir-fried with leeks, sparrow stir-fried with leeks, and yam to improve gonadal function and strengthen the body, achieving good results. It is also advisable to choose foods that nourish the heart and calm the mind, which can help improve the function of the nervous and cardiovascular systems, and alleviate and improve neurological and cardiovascular symptoms. Foods with these effects include: sheep heart, pork heart, beef heart, yam, walnuts, red dates, longan, mulberry, poria cocos, sunflower seeds, venison, lotus seeds, eggs, wheat, goat milk, honey, lily bulbs, pork liver, beef liver, as well as ginseng, codonopsis, American ginseng, licorice, schisandra chinensis, angelica sinensis, donkey-hide gelatin, ganoderma lucidum, cypress seed, astragalus, deer antler, and placenta.