Diabetes affects both sexes but for some reason men are affected more radically by the adverse effects of some of the diseases symptoms.

Though there is no direct evidence for a reason, the fact is that observation plays it out. Diabetes has negative effects on the bodies' circulation.

Therefore men with diabetes are more subject to problems of improper circulation, such as impotence.

Men are also quicker to degenerate into blindness from the effects of retinopathy, a vision disorder related to diabetes that results in blindness. Furthermore, men are two to three times more likely to need amputation arising from complications involving diabetes.

Although reason can't necessarily be put to the test as to why men are susceptible to these symptoms there are things that can be done about them. To help offset the symptom of impotence, men with diabetes need to pay special attention to controlling their blood sugar levels.

Smoking cigarettes, drinking large amounts of alcohol and worrying about getting impotence should all be avoided as much as possible.

Often impotence is a result of mental or psychological hang ups; therefore worrying about impotence will lead to a worsened condition or may very well be the cause of onset.

The other aspects of diabetes for men, such as higher rates of amputation or degenerative retinopathy, may best be controlled or reduced by seeing a physician regularly and monitoring the diabetic condition.

Staying ahead of the game will allow a professional to assist with the symptoms and control of the disease. Men, many times, are more likely than women to hold off on calling a physician for fear that something might be wrong with them or some other sense of false machismo.

Ultimately, however, impotence and amputation are much less macho than simply getting regular check ups from a professional.

Further information can be found at the American Diabetes Association site and the International Diabetes Federation site.

Men's Diet for Total Body Health

The largely overlooked and vastly under represented subject of men's health in the media is a curious phenomenon. Women's health has been publicized with increasing frequency and attention to prevention of disease and personal maintenance.

Perhaps the lack of male attention is a remnant of prehistoric machismo lingering over the ages, i.e. man must be represented as infallible lest he be weak in the eyes of others.

With no disrespect to the ladies' it seems that men's health has only more recently begun to receive the attention it deserves. More recent studies have uncovered some simple lifestyle habits for sustaining and maintaining men's' respective libidos.

Total body weight maintenance is probably the single most important factor for men over the long haul of their lives. Unfortunately, if we're not following the healthiest diet, eating habits are more difficult to change for the healthier unless we live insulated lives on a farm.

But the transition can be made if subtle changes are made over time. The body is averse to drastic changes of any kind so a more gradual changing of dietary habits is always the most advisable.

First try to reduce the amount of fats in your diet. Choosing reduced fat dairy items is a smart selection that allows for the same items to remain in our diets but with less negative impacts on the body. In addition to reducing fats, increase the amounts of raw vegetables in your diet.

Once the body learns to turn to more natural, whole food selections for meals and snacks it makes it easier to reduce ingested amounts of other harmful substances like sugary products.

Eliminating sugar from the diet is probably the most difficult dietary change to overcome but it reaps the most valuable benefits in the short and long terms for the body.

The benefits of submitting the body to the rigors of a healthy diet is an increase in total body function and maintenance over time. Significantly, circulation and metabolism will be improved which directly affects male libido and impotence problems in a positive fashion.

Potentials of contracting cancers of the bladder, prostate, spleen and colon will be reduced with a healthier diet. Needless to say, a contraction of prostate cancer is extremely damaging to the male libido.

Additionally, it's needless to put off until tomorrow a more devastating illness that could be avoided through dietary changes today.

Tips to Maintaining a Healthy Prostate

Any man over 40 should be concerned about the health of his prostate. To ignore this fact is irresponsible and downright dangerous.

Although a healthy diet that is low in fat is generally the best medicine against the looming dangers of enlarged prostate glands or even prostate cancer, there are also a wide variety of nutrients and herbs out there today that have been proven to be effective in maintaining healthy prostates.

Extracts from Saw Palmetto berries, for example, have been found to have considerable power when it comes to normalizing the functions of the prostate gland. The active ingredient in this extract is actually a plant sterol named Phytosterol, which serves to inhibit the conversion of testosterone to DHT, a hormone that is believed to play a role in enlarging prostates and disrupting urine flow.

The tree bark from the Pygeum, a large evergreen that grows in Southern Africa, has also been found to be helpful in reducing the swelling typically associated to minor prostate irritation. The traditional extract is also thought to remove excess cholesterol deposits, which many researches believe can lead to enlargement of the prostate.

There are other solutions that are somewhat closer to home. Zinc supplements have been known to reduce the symptoms of prostate enlargement in men, as have red tomatoes and other such anti-oxidants. And a wide variety of herbs ranging from Tumeric extracts to diuretics such Uva Ursi, Juniper Berries and False Unicorns have been used in more traditional societies for hundreds of years and continue to be equally effective alternatives today.

It is important to keep in mind that no single herb or extract can substitute for a lifetime of neglect and poor eating habits. But as North America's male population continues to age, these alternative therapies might become crucial to maintaining healthy prostates.