They say that as we age, our noses lengthen and our ears get bigger. Fact or fiction? Who knows? But one thing is for sure: If you’re a man, you prostate gland will probably enlarge. Since the prostate surrounds part of the urethra, the tubes that carries urine from your bladder to your penis, this growth could lead to annoying symptoms like having difficulty urinating or “going” too often. Overgrowth of prostate tissue spurred by hormones like estrogen and testosterone. Age is the most common risk factor; 40 percent of men 60 percent and older have it and 90 percent of men 80 and older do. While nearly 80 percent of men have benign prodtatic hyperplasia (BPH) by the time they turn 80, only about a third develop symptoms. Follow our advise, and you could be one of those who don’t. Men with fast-growing BPH may be more likely to develop prostate cancer, particularly if they have metabolic syndrome.

Eat More Vegetables
When researches compared the diets of 6,000 men with BPH to 18,000 men without it, they found those who get about 10 vegetable servings a day were 21 percent less likely to have BPH. Ten servings may sound like a lot, but if you start with a veggie omelet for breakfast, snack on a dozen baby carrots with low-fat dip, and order up a large spinach salad for lunch, you’re halfway there. Your best bet, the study found, is peppers and spinach. Also pay special attention to onions. Men who eat several portions of onions a week are far less likely to develop BPH than those who had barely shed a tear over this root vegetable. Onions are high in phytoestrogens, which you’ll read about next.