While most men may think of the prostate as nothing but trouble, the truth is that this chestnut-size gland does serve a useful

Male Prostate

purpose. Located just below the bladder, the prostate encircles the urethra, the tube that passes urine from the bladder to outside the body. The prostate produces semen and secretes it into the urethra, providing the liquid medium that sperm cells need for nourishment as well as to exit the body.

Vitamin C, the scurvy-fighting nutrient that’s abundant in citrus fruits and broccoli, is needed to form collagen, the “glue” within

Vitamin C Food Source

connective tissues that give shape and elasticity to skin and blood vessels. As the body ages and those connective tissues lose strength, skin becomes thinner and blood ves­sels are more fragile. Sun exposure accelerates the breakdown of connective tissues, making older people who’ve spent years in the sun more susceptible to bleeding and bruising. The sun’s rays also deplete stores of vitamin C, the very vitamin that the body needs to protect cells and tissue from free radical damage.

Some doctors recommend multivitamin/mineral supplements for most people who are at risk for developing pressure

Bedsore Skin

ulcers, because it ensures that they get the appropriate nutrient intake every day.

A multivitamin/mineral supplement is especially important for older people who are confined to bed or to wheelchairs. They are frequently defi­cient in a wide array of vitamins.

You would think that a couple of thousand years would be enough time to find a way to beat an ailment as common as bedsores. Evidence of these painful lessons has been found in ancient Egyptian mummies, but today we’re still struggling to prevent bedsores from forming on people who are confined to bed.

Clearly, the quality of mattresses has improved since the rule of King Tut. Bedsores, also known as pressure ulcers, have less to do with beds and lots to do with nutrition, say the experts. And that, sadly, is something that can still be pretty poor even in this day and age, especially among the elderly.

Researchers who say vitamin C is helpful for asthma point out that other nutrient with similar antioxidant properties could be beneficial. These nutri­ents include vitamin E, selenium, and beta-carotene, a yellow pigment found in carrots, cantaloupe, and other fruits and vegetables. Laboratory work indi­cates that all three help reduce inflammation-producing biochemicals.

“So far, however, all we have are primarily case-control studies,” said doctor. Those studies that looked at actual supplementation with micronu­trients or vitamins did not show significant improvement of lung function, with the exception of one study, according to professional nutritionist. In that study, people with asthma who took 100 micrograms of sele­nium daily for 14 weeks had improved lung function and were less sensitive to airway-constricting inhalants than when they were taking placebos (inac­tive pills).