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The Man in the Iron Mask:
The Holistic Treatment of Men's Diseases
By Thomas Cowan, MD
Holistic medicine begins with the premise that we can
achieve an understanding of human illness by studying a corresponding
process in nature. For example, insights into the treatment of women's
diseases come to us from the mythology of the moon and the metal silver.
So too, we can look to nature for enlightenment on the subject of men's
diseases. Not surprisingly, the challenges to the health of the male
anatomy are bound up in the metal iron, the characteristic metal of
Mars or Ares.
The correspondence of iron to the biochemistry of the male organism
shows up at puberty, which usually occurs around the age of 13 or 14.
Puberty marks the entrance into the third phase of a boy's life and
the beginning of a third major physical transformation. The first physical
transformation in any life is, of course, the birth of the physical
body. After an average of seven years, most individuals begin the next
major physical transformation, marked by the loss of baby teeth and
the development of adult or permanent teeth.
The eruption of permanent teeth heralds an important step in the development
of the child. The whole face undergoes a dramatic restructuring. The
child begins school and embarks on a more independent life, often preferring
the company of friends of his own choosing to that of parents and siblings.
According to Steiner, the age of seven marks the birth of the etheric
body, in which the force of pure growth becomes at least partially freed
from the demands of physical growth and available for the development
of other faculties. For example, academic learning is possible for the
first time during this second seven-year period.
THE THIRD PHASE
We then come to the start of the third seven-year stage, the stage
that affects the underlying dynamics of men's health. Many traditional
cultures mark the transformation called puberty with a ceremony, such
as the Jewish bar mitzvah, the Christian confirmation and the traditional
African rites of passage. All these traditions mark the boy's passage
into manhood, both in his physical body and in that portion we call
the soul. We must therefore look at what actually happens both physically
and in the soul of the boy at this time.
Physically, we see a number of changes. Pubic hair begins to develop
under the arms, followed by the gradual growth of hair all over the
body. The musculature of the boy's body starts to develop, growing heavier,
thicker and stronger. The voice deepens, the penis enlarges and the
production of sperm and semen begins.
Another change that takes place, one that is not visible, is a slight
rise in the iron content of the blood. This change is especially striking
because it contrasts with the blood changes of adolescent girls, who
experience a slight lowering of their blood iron levels at this time.
This phenomenon has perplexed the medical profession for many years.
No one knows just why this happens, but the fact that it occurs is unmistakable.
Researchers have devised many experiments to help them understand how
or why these changes come about and in the process have discarded many
theories. One explanation was that the decline in blood iron levels
in girls was due to loss of blood in the menses. However, studies of
girls who never menstruate have shown that this drop still occurs. Other
explanations, such as lower activity levels and differences in the diet,
also fail to provide a conclusive answer.
The answer can be found in the relationship between the human being
and iron, and to the soul changes we undergo during puberty. For it
is during this period that the characteristics of the inner life manifest
in the physical world. During this phase, boys generally become more
inward, more withdrawn and less communicative. Those who have been parents
of teenage boys count themselves lucky to get one sentence a week. Girls,
on the other hand, often turn outward. They can become very social,
very chatty and, in more extreme cases, even coquettish. The manifestation
of these inner changes--highly "feminine" for girls and "masculine"
or "macho" for boys--usually lasts throughout this seven-year phase,
after which a more balanced personality emerges.
How, then, does this essential male process shed light on the illnesses
men experience later in their lives? One conclusion is that the challenge
of the male lies in balancing the heaviness or inwardness to which he
is first subjected at puberty with more buoyant and outward tendencies.
According to Steiner, it is during puberty that the emotional body or
soul force is born. Consequently, for the first time, the developing
man can work with the world of emotions. However, this newborn emotional
life finds itself trapped in a world characterized by the qualities
of iron--martial, somber and heavy.
Iron is an interesting substance. It is the only metal found in significant
quantities in the human body, and therefore the only metal not called
a trace metal. Instead, it is a substantial metal, substantial not only
in quantity but also in its effect. It is the component of red blood
cells that carries oxygen throughout the body. Iron is also a component
of certain enzyme systems where its ability to change easily from a
2+ to a 3+ valence allows for the transference of oxygen in the cellular
respiratory cycle.
Thus, the metal associated with clanking armor and impassible barriers
(the iron mask, the iron curtain) is the very metal that allows oxygen
to be transported in the body and used by the cells. And because iron
can exist as a 2+ or 3+ valence with equal ease, this weighty metal
can transform itself according to the amount of oxygen available. We
are all familiar with the phenomenon of iron oxidation because when
iron becomes saturated or filled with oxygen, rust forms. The more oxygen
it takes on, the heavier and more weighed down it gets.
Metaphorically speaking, iron is the perfect substance to modulate
the process of puberty, and even to physically distinguish man from
woman. Increased iron brings more robust life to the youthful frame
while its heaviness presages the weightier matters of adult life.
As we have seen, illness often results from a normal process taken
too far. For example, mineralization is the normal way we form our bones.
However, mineralization in the gall bladder can lead to gall stones
and excessive mineralization in the joints can lead to osteoarthritis.
Likewise, the process of oxidation as mediated by the iron in our blood
is normal, but oxidation is akin to burning and brings about tissue
destruction when it becomes excessive. Heaviness is also not an illness
in and of itself, for heaviness also confers strength and power to our
muscles. However, when we are too subject to the forces of gravity,
we can become stiff, even leaden.
Heaviness in the soul is not a pathology either, for emotional heaviness
leads to depth of ideas and feelings. However, when taken too far, the
result can be the uncommunicative, somber, middle-aged man so common
in our culture. It is a sign of the biochemical dominance of the traits
conferred by iron.
Thus, the intriguing phenomenon of elevated serum iron levels in men
tells us that being male is intimately connected to the properties of
iron. Just as iron assumes its unique place in our physiology because
of its ability to change valences and become heavier, so, too, is the
male physiology largely dependent upon the mediation of this tendency
to become heavy. If the attribute becomes extreme and stiffness and
inflexibility prevail, the stage is set for the appearance of the illnesses
to which men are subject later in life.
Many traditional forms of medicine associate the metal iron with the
planet Mars. Mars was the patron and protector of Rome, a culture that
epitomized the masculine or macho tendencies of the human spirit. The
Martian properties thought to rule the male character include aggression,
passion, dominance and fire, in contrast to the more feminine or Venusian
attributes of passivity, receptivity and openness.
An interesting confirmation of the thesis that excess iron causes
disease, especially in men, comes in the form of reports that men who
donate blood regularly live longer, healthier lives than those who don't.
Besides the positive feedback from the altruism involved, regularly
losing some blood helps keep the iron stores low and prevents the kinds
of oxidative and inflammatory diseases to which men are prone. The ancient
practice of bloodletting may indeed have some basis in fact.
It is clear, then, that iron serves as one of the body's primary modulators
of the oxidative processes. We know that excessive iron in the blood
has a toxic effect on the heart and liver and can be a primary cause
of early coronary artery disease. We can also say that, in general,
the higher level of iron in men predisposes them to a greater tendency
for oxidative damage. Chronic inflammation follows, with scarring and
sclerosis (hardening). This conclusion is supported by epidemiological
data which suggests that coronary artery disease is highest in the same
geographical areas where other diseases of oxidative stress are high--diseases
like cancer, diabetes and macular degeneration. All of these diseases
are thought to be caused by oxidative damage to the tissue.
In addition, oxidative damage in the blood vessels leads to other
developments characteristic of male tendencies, causing the arteries
to become stiffer, harder, heavier and constricted. It is as though
the blood vessels themselves show the physical corollary to the physiological
and soul tendencies of men. The situation is aggravated when a man demonstrates
all the typical or exaggerated male characteristics. Repeatedly, studies
have shown that dominant, aggressive, uncommunicative men--men
with the "Type A" personality--have a greater tendency to coronary
artery disease. We might say that the working of iron is too strong
in their physiology. As a result, they become subject to the oxidative
damage characterized by iron excess.
Unbeknownst to many patients and even some physicians, the understanding
of the underlying dynamics of coronary artery disease has undergone
a major change in the past decade or so. The old theory was that plaque
in one of the coronary blood vessels blocks the blood flow through that
vessel downstream to the heart muscle. According to the old theory,
when sufficient blockage occurs, ischemia or lack of blood supply in
the heart muscle causes that part of the heart muscle to die. However,
a recent study, reported in a major cardiology journal, found that only
10 percent of heart attack victims have greater than 70 percent occlusion
or blockage in one of the major coronary blood vessels. (An occlusion
level of 70 percent is considered necessary for a heart attack to occur.)
The authors commented that heart attacks seemed to occur not so much
because of the amount of occlusion but because of what goes on within
the arteries. They found that arteries that had friable plaque, that
is plaque that is easily broken apart, were much more likely to lead
to heart attacks than arteries with stable plaque. It only remains to
find the source of friability of this plaque. Although excess iron has
not yet been studied as a cause, it is tempting to compare friable plaque
to rusted iron, which easily flakes off. Interestingly, new data indicates
that adequate levels of copper protect against the breaking off of plaque.
When copper, the feminine element, is adequate, the plaque in the blood
vessels is stable, and heart attacks do not occur.
THE ROLE OF ZINC
Another substance that plays an important role in reproductive and
prostate health is the trace mineral zinc. While the connection between
zinc and iron is not immediately obvious, a deeper examination of the
characteristics of zinc reveals important similarities to iron, as well
as interesting distinctions. In nature zinc is mostly found in carbonate
deposits, always in conjunction with iron. Zinc has the same relation
to the process of oxidation as does iron, in that it forms different
oxidative states known respectively as carbonates, hydrates and oxides.
Like iron, zinc is necessary for mammalian life, and also like iron,
it is needed in substantial, not minute, amounts. The mammalian organs
richest in zinc, besides the prostate gland, are the muscles and bones,
exactly the organs that outwardly differentiate the male from the female
physiognomy. As shown by the sites in which it localizes, zinc participates
with iron in the process of heaviness or earthiness of the male muscle
and bone structure. Brittle bones and weak muscles are a defining sign
of zinc deficiency.
Zinc's opposition to iron most clearly reveals itself in the fact
that while iron may be called the central element of the red blood cells,
zinc has an analogous role in the white blood cells, the cells that
mediate our immune function. Zinc functions as a kind of inner armor,
protecting us from invasion and occupation by invaders of many sorts.
Like the physical outer armor made of iron, we also have an inner armor
in the form of white blood cells, which contain large amounts of zinc.
Semen, the secretion product of the prostate gland, contains large
amounts of zinc and the prostate gland concentrates this nutrient. In
animal studies, zinc deficiency results in complete sterility. In addition,
zinc is a cofactor in many reactions involving our immune system. Zinc
deficiency is often associated with immune dysfunction, resulting in
a number of disease conditions, from chronic viral infections to cancer.
Zinc deficiency is also related to prostate enlargement. Many researchers
believe that chronic zinc deficiency results in gradual enlargement
of the prostate in much the same way that chronic iodine deficiency
results in enlargement of the thyroid gland.
MALE REPRODUCTIVE DISORDERS
As recently as 20 years ago, when I was in medical school, doctors
avoided discussion of male reproductive disorders. Male impotence, now
called "erectile dysfunction," was relegated to the domain of sex clinics.
Doctors considered benign prostatic hypertrophy a normal part of aging,
and prostate cancer occurred much less often than it does today.
Other issues affecting the health of the American male have yet to
receive the same national attention. For example, the average sperm
count of today's adult male is about 50 percent lower than it was 50
years ago. Infertility rates among American couples now approach 25
percent, a heartbreaking situation that can be partially explained by
lower sperm counts and decreased viability of the sperm. These changes
parallel the findings seen in other mammalian species, including lowered
fertility rates, decreased sperm counts and anatomical changes in the
male reproductive organs.
Clearly, environmental changes that have accelerated during the past
40 to 50 years affect the reproductive health of males of different
species. Exogenous estrogens in our environment undoubtedly contribute
to the feminization of males in many mammalian species, as well as the
lowered sperm counts of the American male.
DIETARY FACTORS
Another cause, one far less recognized or discussed in scientific
circles, involves the huge change in the American diet during the past
80 years. The decline in soil fertility translates into lower mineral
content in our food, and the substitution of vegetables oils for animal
fats has robbed the developing male of the fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins
A and D) that he needs to make testosterone out of cholesterol. In addition,
the vegetable oils are invariably rancid, causing irritations and inflammation
in the arteries. The trans fats in margarines and shortenings used in
processed foods also interfere with the production of testosterone.
Another nutrient that has declined in the modern diet is vitamin E,
normally found in whole grains, cold pressed vegetable oils, egg yolks,
butterfat and dark green vegetables. Modern processing destroys vitamin
E in grains and oils, and consumption of vegetable oils actually increases
the body's need for vitamin E. The scientific name for vitamin E is
"tocopherol," which in Greek means "to beget or carry offspring." Numerous
experiments with animals have shown that vitamin E, originally used
in the form of wheat germ oil, is absolutely necessary for an animal
to achieve and maintain fertility. Studies have also shown that the
purified products, such as alpha-tocopherol, are not nearly as effective
in maintaining fertility as feeding whole wheat germ oil or an ample
supply of whole grains. In addition, vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant
and can protect us from overly exuberant oxidation of substances like
iron.
SOURCES OF ZINC
The best dietary sources of zinc are red meat and seafood, especially
oysters. Any man suffering from problems with the reproductive tract
should eat oysters once or twice a week. Other animal foods include
wild, ocean-going fish, butter from pastured cows and eggs (particularly
the yolks) from pastured chickens.
An important source of zinc is unrefined sea salt, another commodity
that has disappeared from the American diet during the past 50 years.
When salt is refined, most of its minerals, including zinc, are removed.
Today, the typical American male will never eat any salt in his whole
life that contains even a trace of this valuable mineral. Nutritionists
have been relatively successful in spreading the word about the dangers
of refined sugar, but few voices warn us about an equally severe problem
of mineral deficiencies caused by the consumption of refined salt. This
is why I strongly encourage all my patients to use Celtic sea salt exclusively
for all their cooking, as this is one of the few commercially available
salts that still has its full complement of minerals, including valuable
zinc.
OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS
Another dietary component vital for men's health is sufficient fatty
acids of the omega-3 type, including the forms with two double bonds
found in flax oil, organic whole grains and leafy green vegetables.
The longer and more unsaturated forms occur in cod liver oil, seafood
(especially wild salmon, fish eggs and shell fish), organ meats and
eggs from pastured chickens. These foods also provide many of the nutrients
mentioned earlier--vitamins A, D, E, iron and zinc. Fish eggs,
in particular, provide a complete packet of minerals, fat-soluble vitamins
and elongated omega-3 fatty acids--many traditional cultures value
fish eggs as an aphrodisiac.
FOODS TO AVOID
In addition to incorporating certain nutrient-dense foods in the diet,
men should also avoid consumption of foods fortified with iron. Most
men have no need for any more iron than that which occurs naturally
in food. Consumption of iron-fortified foods, or of supplements containing
iron, can cause a toxic overload and contribute to heart disease, liver
disease and perhaps even cancer--numerous studies have shown a
relationship between high iron levels and increased cancer incidence.
Plentiful fat-soluble vitamins in the diet help the body absorb the
iron it needs without accumulating an excess.
My caveat against iron-fortified foods does not include liver. Although
liver is rich in iron, it is also our best dietary source of copper,
so vital for healthy arteries. I recommend including liver in the diet
at least once a week.
Any therapy for reproductive disorders and prostate problems must
include avoidance of all processed foods, vegetables oils, white flour
products ("fortified" with inorganic iron) and extruded grain products.
Cold whole-grain breakfast cereals made by the extrusion process not
only contain rancid vegetables oils, they are also high in phytic acid,
an organic acid that blocks zinc. All grain products must be properly
soaked to neutralize phytic acid. Soy foods not only block zinc, but
they contain plant-based estrogens that can have feminizing effects.
Caffeine, found in coffee, tea, soft drinks and chocolate, is best
avoided as it stresses the adrenal glands, ultimately affecting male
potency.
SUPPLEMENTS
Supplements for men's health include cod liver oil for vitamins A
and D (providing at least 10,000 IU vitamin A per day) and wheat germ
oil for vitamin E. I recommend Standard Process wheat germ oil, 4 capsules
per day. For those who don't like oysters, I recommend zinc-liver chelate
from Standard Process, 1-2 tablets 3 times per day. Avoid supplements
of vitamin C as the synthetic form increases iron absorption and blocks
copper.
ACUTE PROSTATITIS
The prostate gland is a walnut-sized muscular organ responsible for
making and secreting semen. As with any muscular structure, it is susceptible
to contractions, spasms and overuse. Many cases of acute prostatitis
result from overworking the gland, as in a burst of abnormally high
sexual activity (when previously there was no sexual activity). The
prostate becomes enlarged, painful and swollen, often felt as an uncomfortable
lump in the rectal area, occasionally accompanied by difficulty or pain
in urination. Often the patient has a fever and occasionally a pus-like
discharge from the penis. On examination of the prostate through the
rectum, the gland will be very painful to touch. It often feels swollen
and even warm or hot.
One of the controversies surrounding the etiology and treatment of
prostatitis is whether or not this condition is an infection or an inflammation
of the gland. As a result, it is unclear whether the conventional treatment
with oral antibiotics really addresses the problem. In my experience,
only the most extreme cases require antibiotics.
Taking our cue from the fact that the prostate is a muscular gland,
one can treat acute prostatitis in the same way one treats other strained
and inflamed muscles, with rest and Epsom salts. Ejaculation should
be avoided for at least two weeks. I recommend regular soaking in a
warm or hot bath, to which is added 1 cup of Epsom salts. If possible,
soak in the bath 20 minutes, 2 times per day for 10 days. This bath
treatment will relax the muscle as the Epsom salts help cleanse the
gland by promoting secretion of its contents. Many patients experience
immediate relief with this intensive bath therapy.
I also suggest oral medicines that work in an anti-inflammatory way
on the prostate including Echinacea Premium (by Mediherb), 2 tablets
every 2-3 hours until better, saw palmetto extract (by Mediherb), 1
teaspoon 2 times per day, prostate PMG (the Standard Process protomorphogen
extract) 1-2 tablets 3 times per day, and Erysidoron 1, an anthroposophical
anti-inflammatory medicine, at a dose of 10-15 drops 4 times per day.
This regimen should resolve the problem in less than one week. If not,
antibiotics may be prescribed.
BENIGN PROSTATIC HYPERTROPHY (BPH)
BPH is relatively easy to control with the proper intervention and
the cooperation of the patient. The major symptom is difficulty in urination,
which happens as the gland swells and puts pressure on the urethra,
directly adjacent to the prostate gland. As a result of this pressure,
the caliber of the urethra gets smaller and the urine has a more difficult
time passing through. The patient experiences this as a weakening of
the urine stream, a need to urinate more often while passing only small
amounts at any one time, and finally, nocturia, or the need to make
frequent trips to the bathroom during the night. This is the symptom
that usually brings the male patient to the doctor, as the disturbed
sleep begins to interfere with his ability to function optimally during
the day.
I should stress that as far as we know there is no relationship between
BPH and prostate cancer. The current understanding is that large, swollen
glands are no more likely to be prone to cancer than glands of normal
size.
As BPH is a chronic rather than an acute condition, its treatment
must be based first and foremost on the dietary protocols given above.
The medicine that many practitioners, including myself, have found effective
is a lipid extract of the saw palmetto plant. Saw palmetto is a small
woody shrub that produces berries with high concentrations of a medicinal
oil rich in a cholesterol-like substance that has a direct influence
on testosterone metabolism. It may seem surprising that a kind of plant
cholesterol would be the therapy for BPH, but a closer examination makes
sense of this phenomenon. Research shows that chronic overstimulation
of certain types of the hormone testosterone is one of the reasons for
enlargement of the prostate gland. As mentioned earlier, testosterone,
like the other sex hormones, is a derivative of cholesterol. Men who
take medicines that block the action of testosterone, or men who have
been castrated, do not suffer from prostate disease. This is why doctors
consider prolonged exposure to excessive testosterone as one of the
causes of BPH. The active ingredient in saw palmetto seems to act as
a kind of testosterone mimic that binds to the testosterone receptors
in the prostate and thereby prevents the testosterone from having its
influence. As we have seen, a common way for plants to exert their effect
is to mimic the normal action of an endogenous hormone or neurotransmitter.
Thus it is with saw palmetto, which mimics the body's own testosterone,
thereby blocking its exuberant and injurious effects on the prostate
gland. I use the saw palmetto extract from Mediherb, 1-2 teaspoons per
day, sometimes along with nettle root extract by Mediherb, another plant
with a therapeutic effect on BPH, also at the dose of 1-2 teaspoons
per day.
PROSTATE CANCER
Just a few decades ago, prostate cancer was uncommon and considered
nonvirulent. Today it is the second most common form of cancer leading
to death in men. In addition, a study of autopsies suggests that more
than 70 percent of men older than 70 who die from other causes have
some prostate cancer which may not have been detected. Thus, prostate
cancer truly qualifies as an epidemic in our time.
In many ways the epidemiology of this disease is like that of breast
cancer; it has had the same recent dramatic rise in incidence, it has
the same pattern of growth, and even shares in the medical controversies
on the best type of treatment. This controversy centers on a fundamental
issue with cancer in general and these two cancers in particular, which
is whether cancer is a localized phenomenon or a general, systemic illness.
In conventional medicine, cancer is believed to start in one location,
then spread to many sites in the body. This view holds that while the
cancer is still encapsulated, one can effectively remove all traces
of it by removing the tumor.
Both breast and prostate cancer, with their often confounding histories,
frequently contradict this rule. In both these types of cancer, removal
of the encapsulated tumor does not necessarily render the patient cancer-free,
although in some cases the cancer will not return until almost 20 years
later. This phenomenon has led some prominent breast and prostate cancer
doctors to claim that the only true way to say that someone has been
cured of these cancers is for them die of some unrelated disease after
a long period during which they were cancer-free. What this means is
that removal of the gland or the breast does not eliminate the disease,
for it doesn't change the underlying dynamics that led to its emergence.
The practical consequence of this conclusion is that the physician
has difficulty in counseling the many men who have newly diagnosed prostate
cancer. Usually their cancer is discovered by a Prostate Specific Antigen
(PSA) screening test and then confirmed by biopsy. At this point the
patient often goes through an agonizing decision process. On the one
hand, removal of the prostate results in the best chances for five-year
survival, according to current statistics; on the other hand, we all
know that removal cannot be considered a cure. In addition, a high percentage
of men have symptoms of incontinence or impotency following prostate
removal. We also know that because removing the prostate cannot be considered
a complete solution, the patient still has many other issues to address.
My advice at this point is to go ahead with the prostatectomy only
if there is a very high chance that the disease is still totally confined
to the prostate gland. This is usually the case when the PSA is relatively
low, the biopsy shows encapsulation, and all the other tests (liver
enzymes, CT scan of pelvis, and bone scan) are normal. I then encourage
the patient to follow the advice given about diet and mistletoe therapy
for cancer in my book The Fourfold Path to Healing. Even in those patients
who choose prostatectomy, I still urge them to follow the cancer diet,
and to do mistletoe therapy for at least three years.
Like breast cancer, prostate cancer has a profound effect on the body
and soul of the patient. It provides a kind of life-training in living
with uncertainty in that the patient can never be sure the disease has
truly been eliminated. As a result, many prostate cancer patients find
they have to reorient how they think and feel about their life. There
can be no more waiting another five years to reconcile with an estranged
loved one, no more putting off beginning the type of work one has always
longed to do. One of the clarion calls of this disease is that the time
to act--the time to change, the time to make of one's life what
one wants, the time to fulfill one's goals--can only be in the
present. For many, life becomes clearer, as though the camera lens of
perception is brought into a sharper focus through the very uncertainty
that this illness presents. The epidemic of prostate cancer is a message
to all of us that it is time to clean up our environment, improve our
diet, enjoy relationships and apply ourselves to meaningful work in
the present, before we are forced to do so under the threat of cancer.
Cancer is the modern voice that reminds us of the uncertainty and transitory
nature of all of our lives and urges us to live as though we really
knew this truth.
IMPOTENCE
Surprisingly, the treatment of impotency has a long history. Over
two thousand years ago, traditional Chinese physicians theorized about
the causes and treatments of this common dilemma. In fact, almost without
exception, all traditional medical schemes have included the treatment
of male impotency as one of their central concerns. Curiously, when
one looks behind the disparate terminology, one finds a general uniformity
of opinion as to the cause and treatment of this situation. In many
ways, the traditional views on impotency and its treatment are in agreement
with current scientific information about this condition.
Impotency is not an isolated event, but is closely related to aging
and loss of vitality. The Chinese held that this vitality was closely
aligned with overall physical vigor and was also organ-specific. They
associated male potency with Kidney Yang energy, which refers to the
ability of the kidney area, particularly the adrenal glands, to generate
warmth or fire. Many other traditional medical schemes relate loss of
"fire" to the problem of impotency and conclude that the kidney/adrenal
system is the generative organ for this fire. According to the principles
of anthroposophical medicine, the kidney/adrenal system is the house
of the Emotional or Soul body. It is not a huge stretch to conclude
that the Emotional body has some role to play in our ability to engage
in healthy sex, one of the most important manifestations of our emotional
life.
The interconnection between the kidney/adrenal system and male sexuality
contains further mysteries. If asked which organ is most related to
impotence, most modern physiologists would choose the testicles or,
if they were more emotionally inclined, the brain. Why the adrenal gland?
The adrenal gland is the master organ of the endocrine system. Through
their adaptation to stress mechanisms, the adrenal glands direct the
synthesis and flow of virtually all the other hormones. The adrenals
also have the ability to produce hormones that are normally made by
other glands. A particularly striking example of this is the hormone
estrogen. After menopause, when the ovaries reduce the production of
estrogen and progesterone, healthy adrenal glands can make up the difference
and set the basis for a long healthy life with little or no repercussions
from the loss of ovarian function.
In a similar way, while science has clearly demonstrated that sexual
drive and performance in both men and women relates to testosterone
levels, the traditional medicines for treating impotency have had their
main field of action on the production of adrenal hormones. Thus, there
is no sense in speaking of a therapy for impotence that does not address
the patient's overall health. You cannot separate sexual function and
treat it as though it were unrelated to the whole.
Moreover, the level of potency is intimately related to the emotional,
or soul health, of the man, as well as his overall physical vigor. When
a boy or man suffers undue pressures on his emotional life, either through
childhood traumas, repressed feelings or the everyday strains of life
in modern America, his emotional balance and sexual ability may suffer.
Impotency is not primarily a problem of testicular dysfunction or
testosterone deficiency. Rather, it involves an imbalance of the entire
hormonal axis--pituitary gland, adrenal glands, testicles and even
the thyroid gland. All of these glands are governed by the same feedback
loops between the brain and the body. They function as a group and have
much to do with determining our overall health. Impotency is not simply
due to deficiency of testosterone--or Viagra; the treatment of
impotency must involve the restoration of health. Science actually corroborates
the practices of ancient physicians, who treated impotency by restoring
male vigor. This is best accomplished by relieving emotional blocks,
often old lingering impediments that still stand in our way, and by
taking steps to restore the health of the adrenal gland.
In addition to the diet and the work on soul connections and our relationships,
I recommend several interventions that have proven useful in treating
impotency. The first is the herbal extract of Tribulus terrestris, from
Mediherb. Tribulus is adaptogenic, meaning that it helps our bodies
adapt to stress by improving adrenal hormonal production. A number of
studies involving both animals and people indicate that the herb improves
erectile function, decreases the latency period (that is the time between
ejaculations), and increases the length of time that an erection can
be sustained. It does not provide any testosterone, nor is it clear
that it improves the ability of the testicles to produce testosterone.
Rather, the herb seems to directly stimulate the adrenal glands to produce
their hormonal products and therefore adapt to stress, even the stress
of aging. Studies also indicate that tribulus improves cardiovascular
endurance and slightly dilates the coronary arteries, thereby allowing
improved oxygenation of the heart. The recommended dose is 1 tablet
3 times per day, for at least 6 months. Many men report an improvement
in their potency during the third to fourth month of treatment.
In more severe cases, or with men who have lost overall vitality in
addition to sexual potency, I recommend Bacopa complex, a Mediherb preparation
that combines schisandra (a liver herb) and Siberian ginseng (a well-known
adaptogenic herb) with bacopa (an adaptogenic herb that has a specific
effect on improving memory). Together these herbs help strengthen the
nervous system, liver and adrenal glands. The dose is 1 tablet 3-4 times
per day for at least 6 months.
Finally, to help restore the glandular health of the entire pituitary-adrenal-testicular-thyroid
axis, I use the Standard Process preparation Symplex M, which contains
the proto-morphogen extracts from each of these glands. In fact, it
was the genius of Royal Lee who recognized, well before it was appreciated
by normal science, that effective treatment of any of these glands requires
treatment of the whole group or axis, rather than treatment of each
in its own fiefdom. The dose is 1-2 tablets 3 times per day for 6 months.
FROM SWORDS TO PLOWSHARES
The mystic and philosopher Rudolf Steiner made an interesting remark
when speaking about the nature of the genders. He stated that the soul
of the human being has the opposite gender to that of the physical body.
Thus, those living in male bodies have feminine souls. Many other religious
traditions have hinted at the dual nature of the human being. In Hinduism,
for example, the road to salvation is depicted as the merging of opposite
genders in one person. In contemporary thought, Carl Jung's psychological
philosophy includes the notion that each of us harbors the opposite
gender within our souls. According to Jung, one of the main tasks of
self-actualization involves the reconciliation of these opposites. For
men this means blending one's feminine side into the overall personality--a
notion that has taken on a certain triteness these days with frequent
repetition. Nevertheless, it is a profound insight, one that has reemerged
after centuries of darkness. In fact, it is the most important challenge
any man faces in working with his soul life.
The soul that dwells in a masculine body can automatically express
the typical masculine attributes of aggression, action and decisiveness.
However, to achieve optimal health, these need to be balanced with the
more feminine, intuitive nature that most males struggle so mightily
to comprehend. As predicted from our earlier discussion, iron and the
male attributes may lead to action but they also lead to disease, particularly
to the sclerotic diseases that afflict so many in our culture. The feminine,
on the other hand, is the healer. Most traditional cultures clearly
recognized this fact and consigned the healing arts to the hands of
women. In our time we need both, and each person needs to make space
within to accommodate both genders. Living in a culture that struggles
to value the feminine side of life only makes this reconciliation harder
for today's males as they find themselves caught between the outer demands
of their culture and their own, often weak inner voice.
There is no magic formula for finding one's inner feminine aspects.
But the most important step is simply to understand that this is necessary
and then to try to open oneself to what life brings, paying particular
attention to the feelings and intuitions that arise. As you contemplate
the events of your life, focus on those actions that integrated feeling
and intuition with action. Those who carry out this process in earnest
will find themselves on the path that transforms the sword of iron and
destruction into the plowshare of peace and good health.
About the Author
Thomas Cowan, MD, is a physician in private practice in San
Francisco, California, a board member of the Weston A. Price Foundation,
and a regular contributor to our "Ask
the Doctor" column. This article was excerpted from his book
The Fourfold Path to Healing, now available from NewTrends
Publishing, http://www.newtrendspublishing.com/.
Visit Dr. Cowan's website at http://www.fourfoldhealing.com.
Sidebar Article
Summary for Men's Health
Acute Prostatitis
Hot sitz baths with 1 cup of Epsom salts, 20 minutes, 2 times per
day for 10 days.
Echinacea Premium by Mediherb, 2 tablets every 2-3 hours.
Saw palmetto extract by Mediherb, 1 teaspoon 2 times per day.
Prostate PMG by Standard Process, 1-2 tablets 3 times per day.
Erysidoron 1, 10-15 drops 4 times per day.
In cases unresolved by the above, antibiotics are usually needed.
Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy (BPH)
Saw palmetto extract by Mediherb, 1-2 teaspoons per day.
Nettle root extract by Mediherb, 1-2 teaspoons per day.
Prostate Cancer
Use the cancer therapeutics described in Chapter 2 of The Fourfold
Path to Healing.
Impotence
Tribulus herbal extract by Mediherb, 1 tablet 3 times per day, for
at least 6 months.
Bacopa complex, 1 tablet 3-4 times per day for at least 6 months.
Simplex M by Standard Process, 1-2 tablets 3 times per day for 6 months.
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