Anyway, that was the conclusion of a recent study conducted at the University of California, Los Angeles. Scientists found that when fish oil supplements are combined with a low-fat diet, the result appears to be improvements in prostate cellular health.

Prostate problems are widespread among American men, so it's little wonder that so much attention is being paid to the effects that multivitamins and herbal supplements may have on the well-being of this little gland.

In the study, researchers noted that men who ate low-fat fare, took fish oil and consumed far more omega-3s than omega-6s often saw improvements in their prostatic well-being.

"You truly are what you eat," said lead author William Aronson. "We are extremely pleased about our findings, which suggest that by altering the diet, we may favorably affect the biology of [the] prostate."

Besides taking nutritional health supplements containing omega-3s, men may consider trying saw palmetto extract, which has been shown to enhance prostate health and support normal urinary function.

For optimal prostate health, research shows that the berries from the saw palmetto plant can help maintain healthy urine flow and maintain prostate structure. In fact, this herb might reduce your chances of age-related male pattern baldness or even mild acne. So how does it work? Saw palmetto helps prevent testosterone from changing to a harmful form called dihydrotestosterone (DHT). It also blocks the effects of certain hormone receptors—which can promote normal cell growth.

Other helpful nutrients that have been shown to promote prostate health include red clover, pumpkin seed, lycopene, zinc and selenium.

A team of scientists from Australia and Hong Kong published a report stating that a polysaccharopeptide, a molecule found in turkey tail mushrooms, appears to be 100 percent effective in supporting normal prostate cell growth and turnover in mice.

The study, which appeared in the journal PLoS ONE, noted that unlike more traditional remedies, this one apparently targets progenitor cells, which give rise to new cells. Notably, researchers found that the polysaccharopeptide did not have any discernible side effects in laboratory rodents.

The team concluded that further investigation into natural treatments for prostate health may turn up more substances that benefit the gland without causing unpleasant physical consequences.

For men interested in saw palmetto for peak prostate health and function, the extract is available over the counter in many grocery stores and pharmacies.

Research appearing in the Journal of Sexual Medicine indicates that 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors—a group of pharmaceuticals prescribed for BPH and hair loss—resulted in low libido among more than 4 percent of men taking them.

Some patients taking the prescription also reported experiencing some of the symptoms of depression.

The study's authors concluded that trading sexual function for prostate function is not a swap that many men are willing to make. They noted that increased prescription of this class of medications may cause libido problems in thousands of American men.

In addition to using traditional medicine to overcome prostate enlargement, men may consider taking herbal supplements like saw palmetto extract to naturally reduce age-related swelling of the gland.

Scientific investigation conducted at the Children's Hospital and Research Center Oakland in California found that teens whose body mass indexes (BMI) qualify them as obese tend to have high levels of inflammation, insulin resistance and homocysteine.

The latter is an amino acid whose presence in the bloodstream can indicate deficiencies of folate or vitamin B12, as well as an excessively fatty diet.

Researchers compared the blood levels of homocysteine among 52 youths between the ages of 11 and 19. Those who were obese had an average of 62 percent more of the amino acid in their bodies.

The team concluded that the beginnings of heart disease may extend as far back as adolescence in obese Americans.

Besides eating a healthy regimen based on fruits, vegetables and lean proteins, individuals who want to avoid deficiency-related homocysteine buildup may consider taking a daily dietary supplement or multivitamin.

Digoxin, which is extracted from the foxglove plant, appears to lower the risk of the prostate disease among men who take it as preventive medicine, according to a study in the journal Cancer Discovery.

The report's authors came to this conclusion after monitoring the prostate health of 47,000 men. All told, more than 5,000 participants were diagnosed with prostate cancer. Those who took digoxin had a 24 percent lower relative risk of the disease.

Researchers are still trying to determine the mechanism by which the compound inhibits prostate tumor formation.

Similar substances, like saw palmetto extract, have been found to protect prostate health and reduce inflammation.

Men who have prostate problems or who anticipate having them because of their family history may benefit from taking a daily herbal supplement.

A study conducted at the Duke University Medical Center found that obese men with the disease have three times the risk of seeing prostate cancer progress to more serious stages.

Also, scientists determined that excess body weight boosts the chances that prostate cancer will spread. Among more than 280 men analyzed over the course of the study, those who were overweight or obese were at thrice the risk of the cancer's migrating to the bones, and five times the risk of distant metastasis.

This effect appeared regardless of whether or not patients were taking hormone therapy. The research group concluded that maintaining a healthy weight may improve a man's chances of surviving prostate cancer.

For men who suffer from less serious afflictions of the gland, like benign prostatic hyperplasia, taking a daily dose of saw palmetto extract may naturally reduce swelling and inflammation. 

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), or inflammation of the prostate gland, occurs quite often in maturing American men. An estimated 4.4 million men in the United States experience doctor's visits in which BPH is the primary diagnosis, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

The symptoms of BPH include lower back pain, aches in the prostate region and urinary troubles, including frequent trips to the bathroom during the night.

What can men do to reduce the risk or extent of BPH? Among other natural supplements, they may take saw palmetto extract, according to a Fox News report.

The news provider estimates that 30 previous studies have associated the extract, which comes from the saw palmetto tree, with improved prostate health and function.

After reviewing the market and medical information available on the substance, Consumer Reports concluded that saw palmetto extract effectively helps relieve symptoms of BPH.

Researchers at the Georgetown University Medical Center recently announced that vitamin D supplementation lowered the risk of estrogen-positive breast cancer among both normal weight and obese laboratory rodents.

Their results, which they delivered at the annual conference of the American Association for Cancer Research, fall in line with a number of studies indicating that vitamin D may have anti-carcinogenic properties under certain conditions.

For instance, one study found that taking vitamin D reduced the risk of being diagnosed with colon cancer, though it did not reduce the severity of pre-existing cases of the illness.

Vitamin D is essential for cell processes throughout the human body. It helps regulate cell growth and calcium absorption, among other functions. The study's authors say further research is merited into the nutrients effect on breast cancer.

Many dietary supplements provide the full daily dose of vitamin D in one pill.

Omega-3 fatty acids, the kind found in abundance in fish oil supplements, appear to help the body process the breast cancer medication tamoxifen, according to research done at the Fox Chase Cancer Center.

The team based this conclusion on data collected from women with breast cancer who were put on diets that contained high levels of fish or corn oils. All participants were taking tamoxifen during the study.

Those taking fish oil displayed more gene expression of processes related to immune response to tumors, suggesting that such a regimen may help the drug interfere with the estrogen activity of breast tumors.

An eating schedule that contains healthy amounts of fish can keep an individual's levels of omega-3s relatively high. For those who have little or no access to seafood, herbal supplements and multivitamins may contribute plenty of the nutrient to one's daily diet.