Men's Health - Practitioner Review 1

Why, whatever your complimentary health discipline, encouraging regular exercise & a healthy diet should form part of your health advice to all your male clients.

• Men - Are they taking their health seriously enough?
• Why all men should place more emphasis on their health

• Key Facts About Men & Their Health

• Why Are Men More Vulnerable To Serious Ill Health Than Women?
• The Effects of Exercise
• Health Support

Men - Are they taking their health seriously enough?

The benefits of living a healthy lifestyle with plenty of exercise and a healthy diet are well documented - not only does it help keep weight to a healthy level, but helps keep the physique in good shape, helps to relieve stress, leads to an improved sex life, and is a major factor in prevention of serious diseases including cardiovascular problems, osteoporosis, prostate problems, some cancers and arthritis.

So given such an attractive range of benefits to health, why aren't more men exercising more, eating more healthily, and taking more supplements as our American cousins do?

Why all men should place more emphasis on their health

The evidence that men need to take their health more seriously and maintain their health through exercise, diet and a healthy lifestyle is compelling.

Key Facts About Men & Their Health

•  821 men die per 100,000 of the population, compared with 555 women - and there are more women in the population than men. This represents 48% more deaths in men than women.

•  After four decades of falling death rates, those for young adult males stopped falling in the 1980's and are now showing signs of increasing.

•  The three biggest killers of men are heart disease, stroke and lung cancer.

•  Increased stress levels convey an increased risk of heart disease in men - the same increased risk is not consistently seen in women **

•  Only a third of men take part in vigorous physical activity every four weeks

•  Only 13% of men consume the recommended 5 portions of fruit and vegetable a day, and nearly a quarter of all men have a high fat intake

•  Three quarters of men are overweight or obese

So Why Are Men More Vulnerable To Serious Ill Health Than Women?

There are never any simple answers to a question like this, merely a range of contributory factors.   Men do have a different physiology to women, and their genetic predisposition to heart disease may be higher than that of women.   However, the male psyche may also play a major part in the increased risks of ill health.

Ask any health practitioner, wife or partner and they are likely to agree on one thing when it comes to men: - they can be 'difficult' when it comes to dealing with health issues. Men do not like to go and see a health professional or voice health concerns and worries to anyone; many will not see the inside of a doctor's surgery for years at a time, if not decades. By the time help is sought, health problems are often well established and require life long treatment; therefore taking a preventative and maintenance approach to men's health from early adulthood is essential.

As no-one can afford the financial consequences of prolonged ill health, the message is clear. Encourage all your male clients, whatever their age, to take regular exercise and to re-assess their current dietary practices .   These are the two principle factors that can make dramatic differences to their long term health.

*UK National Statistics

**Whitehall II Study

The Effects of Exercise

The heart is a muscular organ, and like all muscles, can become weakened through lack of exertion.   Additionally, all blood vessels have a muscle layer in their walls, and the condition of these blood vessels plays a vital role in cardiovascular health. Improved cardiovascular fitness also leads to improved cholesterol levels, blood flow, lowered blood pressure, and strengthens the heart. Reductions in stress levels as a result of regular exercise will help to reduce the risks of heart disease in men, as well as improving metabolism and calorie expenditure, burning fat, building muscle and combating obesity. All of these factors have beneficial effects on cardiovascular health and contribute to lowered risks of other serious diseases including diabetes, osteoporosis, prostate disease and loss of normal sexual function.

Whether the choice is made to exercise at a gym, health club, or just take up a regular sporting activity, it is important to remember that exercise is only one part of the equation: - without a healthy and balanced diet that meets an individuals nutritional requirements these health gains may not all be achieved. Anyone undertaking regular or strenuous exercise will also have higher requirements than minimum recommendations for essential nutrients, which as the statistics clearly show are not currently being met in the majority of cases.   This needs to be addressed before commencing any physical activity, and dietary advice along with supplementation with a multivitamin and Omega Essential Fatty Acids should be considered.

Health Support

Any client returning to exercise after a long period of inactivity should always have a thorough physical review and blood pressure check for safety before commencing. By working synergistically with your local general practice you can strengthen your links and promote the benefits of complementary medicine as part of a holistic approach to healthcare.

As stated above, increased physical activity on the part of your clients will place increase the physiological requirements for the full range of essential nutrients - for this reason a thorough dietary review to ensure that basic dietary requirements are being met is advisable. Recommendations of the basic nutritional requirements for a healthy and balanced diet can be found in our section General Health.   Renewed exercise means that additional physical stress will also be placed on the musculo-skeletal system and active measures, including supplementation, can help men to avoid sports or activity related injuries.

Joint Health

Whilst exercise improves blood flow to cartilage and improves joint mobility, cartilage itself does not have its own blood supply. Nutrients must pass through the blood vessel walls by osmosis into the synovial space of the joints.   The synovial fluids provide a means for the nutrients to pass into the joint tissues where they are used in the formation of new cartilage, ligaments and tendons.

Cartilage, like bone is a living tissue that acts as a 'cushion' to prevent bone form grinding on bone.   It is continually worn away through motion, and the greater the level of exercise, the faster the rate of wear and tear on the cartilage. If the rate of wear and tear exceeds the rate of cartilage synthesis and tissue repair, joint problems can develop.

Two of the key building blocks of cartilage are the aminoglycans, glucosamine and chondroitin.   A limited amount of these nutrients are naturally consumed in the diet through eating meat products.   The remainder is synthesised by the body as needed, and like all metabolic systems, this process becomes less efficient as we age.   Supplementation with a source of glucosamine and chondroitin can help keep joints healthy whilst increasing levels of exercise and joint stress.   The scientific support for these supplements is growing - supplementary glucosamine has been traced to cartilage within four hours of consumption, and there are now numerous clinical studies that have clearly demonstrated the benefits of taking these supplements in people with established joint disease, including arthritis.

However, other nutrients are also very important in joint health. The mineral manganese is also an important nutrient in maintaining joint health as it is an essential co-factor in cartilage formation. Organic forms of sulphur are used in the formation of synovial fluid and cartilage as well as having a role in the control of inflammatory responses as a result of injuries.   Studies have shown that arthritic cartilage contains up to 30% less sulphur than healthy cartilage.

Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids also appear to play a role in joint health, although the mechanism by which they do so is not yet clear. For men who have an aversion to fatty fish or are unwilling to increase their consumption, taking supplements to provide additional supplies of Omega 3 EFAs is beneficial as they are also essential nutrients for cardiovascular health.  

An ideal supplement for supporting joint health will contain a combination of some or all of these nutrients

Bone Health

Exercise is good for bones.   Exercise helps build and maintain bone mass, and regular exercise can help reduce the risks of osteoporosis in later life. Osteoporosis, or 'brittle bones' affects 1 in 12 men over the age of 50 and occurs when too much bone density has been lost over the course of time. The first signs that the condition is present is when a slight knock or bump results in a serious fracture, and paying attention to diet along with exercise throughout life are two measures that can be taken to help significantly reduce the risks.

Like cartilage, bones are a living tissue and are in a continual state of turnover and repair.   Healthy bone formation requires adequate calcium intake, and Vitamin D is an essential co-factor in healthy bone formation.   Additionally, the minerals magnesium and phosphorus are a major constituent of bone and help to provide it with its tensile strength.

However, there are two factors that are often overlooked in men carrying out regular exercise, and are why supplementation or modifications to dietary advice should be considered.

Calcium Usage

Whilst calcium is a key constituent of bones, it is also used by the body in the regulation of blood pressure and other metabolic processes.   If inadequate calcium is available in the diet, the body will 'rob' the bones of the calcium it needs, whilst at the same time the calcium requirements of bones is increased during their 'normal' process of turnover.   After peak bone mass has been achieved at the age of 30, not all of the calcium stolen from the bones will be replaced even if additional supplies are made available to the body at a later time. If this situation is maintained over a prolonged period, the bones will start to weaken and some of the benefits of exercise will be lost.

Calcium Intake

In the quest to reduce fat intakes, one of the first dietary casualties can be a reduction in the intake of dairy foods, a principle source of calcium.   The RDA for Calcium is 800mg daily, and is the recommended amount to avoid deficiency.   However, the National Osteoporosis Society recommends 1000mg day for adult males, and possibly higher levels still for those undertaking regular exercise.   However, it is inadvisable for men to take very high levels of calcium as there is some evidence that excessively high calcium intakes can contribute to prostate disease.

Summary

Men's health is a serious issue that needs to be addressed by fundamental changes in male attitudes to exercise, diet and lifestyles from early adulthood. In view of the 'Male Aversion' to seek health advice, a strong health maintenance approach throughout life can bring major benefits, and the alternative health practitioner can be a vital part of helping men to achieve these goals.  

Supplementation offers a valuable means to ensure adequate intakes of essential nutrients in all men, and can help to preserve joint and bone health during exercise.