Staying hydrated is essential for good health.
Studies suggest that 1.5 to 2 liters of fluid a day is enough.
When drinking water, remember that there is also a lot of water in food products that can help you stay hydrated.
Enlarged prostate is a problem of middle-aged and older adults, therefore one should be careful when drinking water.
Drinking sufficient water is good, but too much does not have any added benefits.
Moreover, drinking a lot of water in the evening may cause sleep disruption.
Drinking water is a pretty simple activity. However, it appears that older adults forget to drink sufficient amounts of water.
As a result, they are less likely to feel thirsty. Thus, middle-aged and older adults are more likely to live with chronic and low-grade dehydration.
Low-grade and chronic dehydration may further slowdown metabolism and accelerate aging. Thus, drinking water may have an anti-aging effect.
When drinking water, also consider other factors. For example, one needs to drink more water when living in hot climate zones or during summers.
Similarly, those who drink alcohol may need to drink water frequently. Of course, one may also drink juice for the prostate, and not just water.
Is drinking a lot of water good for your prostate? Keep reading to find out.
Symptoms of prostate health problems
Below are some common signs of prostate problems:
- Frequent urge to urinate
- Urgent urge to urinate
- Nocturia (nighttime urination)
- Painful urination
- Weak urine flow
- Painful ejaculation
- Urinary incontinence
- Dribbling of urine
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Is drinking a lot of water good for your prostate?
Yes, drinking a lot of water will help your prostate, but not significantly. However, it is one of the ways of enhancing your metabolism.
Drinking a lot of water may help your prostate both directly and indirectly. It helps keep the body hydrated, boost metabolism, and slow aging.
However, it would be better to drink not just water in many conditions. For example, for those prone to chronic lower urinary tract infections, or those prone to frequent urinary tract infections, cranberry juice may help better.
When it comes to alcohol and enlarged prostate, it is worth understanding that although data is sparse, it seems that alcohol is a dual-edged sword. Drinking alcohol in moderation may not harm the prostate (1). However, some studies suggest that abusing alcohol may increase prostate cancer risk (2).
Regarding caffeine and BPH, caffeine or coffee in moderation is good for prostate health. It provides lots of fluid.
Prostatitis and caffeine relation seems to be positive. Caffeine may help improve diuresis and also reduce the severity of urinary tract symptoms. However, do not abuse caffeine, as that would hurt your prostate health.
In short, drinking water or healthy drinks like cranberry juice is good. Coffee in moderation may also be good. One may also increase water intake by drinking more juice for prostate health. However, avoid abusing caffeine, and alcohol, as it may be counter-productive.
How much water should you drink with an enlarged prostate?
Drinking sufficient water is good for metabolism and ensures adequate urine production. How much water to drink depends on factors like environmental temperature, total body weight, and more.
Most recommendations say one should drink 1.5 to 2 liters of water daily. However, these recommendations are for an average adult. Studies show that 70% of adults in developed nations are overweight or obese, and thus, they need more fluid.
Similarly, people may need to drink more water during summer, when living in warmer regions, or when exercising regularly.
The vital thing to understand is that most middle-aged and older adults are not drinking enough water. This is one of the contributing factors to faster aging.
To understand the severe chronic and low-grade dehydration problem, consider the data from one of the studies that found that almost half of adults are not drinking enough water (4).
As people grow older, they become physically less active. Additionally, they stop feeling thirsty like they used to at a young age. It means that adults need to drink consciously. They might need to count the amount of water they are drinking.
What are the best drinks for prostate health?
There is nothing better than pure water to stay hydrated. However, for those living with prostate issues, some other drinks may help better. For example, saw palmetto tea would help stay hydrated and is also among the well-proven remedies for enlarged prostate (5).
Similarly, cranberry juice and prostate health are interrelated in the way that cranberry juice helps reduce the risk of chronic prostate infections.
Likewise, studies suggest that orange juice may also help prevent prostate cell proliferation, and thus it may have a role in reducing the risk of an enlarged prostate (6).
One may drink other herbal teas and juices like hibiscus tea for prostate, stinging nettle root tea, consume more cruciferous vegetables to stay hydrated and boost prostate health, etc
Since most Europeans consume alcohol, many ask about beer and prostate health. Here it is vital to understand that beer contains lots of fluid. Therefore, one or two beers are fine.
However, drinking too much beer may increase alcohol intake. It may also result in increased sugar intake and thus may harm prostate health. Therefore, the secret to healthy prostate health is moderation.
Enlarged prostate is mainly a senior citizen disease. Thus, lifestyle changes are equally important, along with drinking water.
One should maintain a healthy body mass index (BMI). It is good to consume more plant-based foods and drink healthy juices. However, avoid packed juices as they contain a lot of sugar.
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Drinks to avoid for prostate health
When it comes to avoiding drinks, it is worth understanding that most drinks are fine in moderation. For example, 3-4 cups of coffee a day should be safe and may even help reduce the severity of urinary symptoms. However, excessive coffee intake may cause dehydration and many other side effects.
Similarly, too much alcohol has a dehydrating effect. High alcohol consumption may influence metabolic health and increase the risk of chronic disorders and even prostate cancer.
Similarly, most fresh fruit juices are good, as they are packed with vitamins and antioxidants. However, packed juices are not as good as they have added sugars.
Soft drinks and sodas have no known health benefits and are not a good way to rehydrate your body. Thus, one should drink them sparingly.
Conclusion
To conclude, chronic dehydration is one of the under-recognized causes of various health issues in middle-aged and older adults. Studies suggest that almost half of adults are not drinking sufficient water. Therefore, for a healthy prostate, drink more water. However, avoid drinking too much water in the evening to avoid bathroom trips and sleep disruption.
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