Once you learn about these 10 amazing functions, you’ll understand that it is no wonder the prostate is so vital to men's health, sex and the propagation of the species. The following chapter is from my book, Prostate Health: Learn the 10 Amazing Functions of Your Prostate.
The primary job of the prostate is to produce and secrete about 30–35% of the seminal fluids during ejaculation. Being alkaline, the prostate fluid, which is milky whitish in color, helps the sperm survive in the acidic vaginal environment. The prostate is considered to be a gland since glands secrete something.
By the way, your penis is not a gland as it doesn’t secrete anything. It is just a superb delivery vehicle — and a fun one at that! (At least when it is working properly!)
The prostate mixes its fluids with those from the seminal vesicles to transport the sperm made in the testicles. Together these fluids surge through the prostate into the urethra during ejaculation. The urethra doubles as the semen tube during ejaculation and as the urine tube from the bladder, both fluids exiting the tip of the penis. The section of the urethra that runs through the prostate gland is called the prostatic urethra and is about 3cm (1½”) long.
Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a fluid produced in the prostate and plays a key role in enabling the sperm to swim into the uterus by keeping the semen in liquid form. PSA counteracts the clotting enzyme in the seminal vesicle fluid, which essentially glues the semen to the woman’s cervix, next to the uterus entrance inside the vagina. PSA dissolves this glue with its own enzyme so that the sperm can dash into the uterus and impregnate an egg if it is there.
It is this same PSA that is tested during the PSA blood test, a very controversial test because of the many factors that can cause the results to vary widely.
The prostate is also a muscle that pumps the semen out through the penis with enough force to enter into the vagina to help the sperm succeed in reaching the cervix and to help ensure procreation of the species.
An added bonus for males — the pumping action of the prostate sure feels good, making sex desirable and thus helping procreation.
That’s the prostate under the bladder…
The 2 little sacks on the right of the bladder are the seminal vesicles that produce about 60% of the seminal fluid that is
pushed into and through the prostate when you ejaculate. The prostate adds another 30-35% of the total ejaculate. Those gonads or testicles (testes) produce the sperm.
The prostate is the male G-spot. Prostate stimulation can produce an exceptionally strong sexual response and intense orgasm in men that are receptive to this sexual technique.
The ability to control ejaculation with the prostate can also lead to prolonged orgasms and “injaculations” when no semen is expelled. This is done in advanced Taoist and Tantric sexual practices to contain the sexual energy internally. If you want to learn more about this see the Resources section at the end of the book.
Strengthening the prostate gland’s muscles by doing prostate exercises helps with sexual function, erection control and ejaculation mastery.
The prostate also filters and removes toxins for protection of the sperm. Healthy sperm enhances the chance of impregnation and ensures that men seed with robust sperm.
This is perhaps the prostate’s most important function and, at the same time, can be one of the main reasons for the growing epidemic of prostate disease and cancer as men deal with more and more toxins in food and the environment.
If you can’t remove those same toxins from your prostate gland, they accumulate and can begin to create prostate disease. Yes, your lifestyle choices have something to do with waking up multiple times every night to pee!
These days, we ingest and absorb more and more toxins than ever before. Toxins are in our food, water and body care products. Don’t let them take up residence in your precious prostate. Please read more about how to improve your diet in my other book, The Prostate Health Diet.
One of the main reasons I’ve written this book is to help you learn how to flush these toxins from the prostate.
The prostate erection nerves are responsible for erections. These nerves trigger the penis to swell and harden with extra blood flow into it, producing an erection.
If these nerves, which attach to the sides of the prostate, get damaged then erectile difficulties are guaranteed. That is why many medical prostate procedures — surgery or radiation — have an unwanted side effect of erectile difficulties or impotence.
One relevant benefit of prostate massage is that it can stimulate these nerves thereby helping erectile function.
Prostatic secretions also play a valuable role by protecting the urethra from urinary tract infections, which as a result seem to be much rarer in men than in women.
Just below the bladder, the prostate surrounds the upper part of the urethra tube, also known as the prostatic urethra. At this location, the prostate prevents urine from leaving the bladder, except when released by urination. It also prevents urine from damaging ejaculate during orgasm by being shut tight! It thus controls the flow of urine.
The prostate does this with two small muscles called sphincters. They act as gatekeepers with shut-off valves to control and regulate the dual-purpose urethra tube. These gatekeepers ensure the right fluids flow at the right time — urination or ejaculation. Not a bad design!
One sphincter is located where the bladder lower-neck and the upper part of the prostate meet (the internal upper sphincter). When functioning properly, this sphincter prevents urination until it's time to go and stops seminal fluid from shooting backwards into the bladder during ejaculation. When damaged, semen is forced back into the bladder and eventually exits with normal urination. This is known as retrograde ejaculation and is another possible side effect of prostate surgery — no chance of getting a woman pregnant then.
The second, external lower sphincter is at the base of the prostate and is subject to our control. This sphincter prevents dribbling after peeing and is how we can voluntarily delay urination when inconvenient to go.
Incontinence occurs when control of either sphincter is damaged and urine leaks or flows uncontrollably, thus forcing many men with prostate problems to wear adult diapers.
It’s easy enough to voluntarily control the lower sphincter and to stop urine or semen from exiting if you have enough Kegel muscle control, the ability to squeeze the flow shut. Either one of these sphincter muscles will block the urine until the urge to pee happens and the timing is right to release and let the urine flow.
Prostate exercises and massage can really benefit weaker sphincter control and thereby benefit your prostate health and sexual prowess, too.
An enlarged prostate or BPH can squeeze the prostatic urethra tube and the upper or lower sphincter, making urination difficult with a host of unpleasant, uncontrollable symptoms. BPH surgeries that remove part of the prostate can easily have side effects of incontinence or retrograde ejaculation.
The prostate gland contains a crucial enzyme, 5-alpha-reductase.
This enzyme converts the hormone testosterone in the body to DHT (dihydrotestosterone), which is at least ten times more powerful than simple testosterone. This potent hormone DHT has several purposes including male sexual drive and function. Over time, a build-up of toxins in the prostate may negatively affect the production of this enzyme, which is then responsible for the declining sex drive in men as they age.
DHT and testosterone have mistakenly been targeted as guilty hormones in prostate problems rather than the excessive rise in modern male estrogen levels, which often leads to medical interventions with serious side effects including lack of libido.
Estrogen levels rise because of the prevalence of estrogens in factory foods, commercial meats and dairy, and estrogenmimicking chemicals present in body care and household products. It's even found in municipal water and some plastic food packaging and store-printed receipts.
With such a complex gland having so many functions, prostate disease can wreak havoc on a man's health. Men would be wise to do all they can to enhance the health of their prostate — an unhealthy prostate can have an enormous impact on sexual function and simple daily urination.
The prostate is a powerhouse: a remarkable gland with huge repercussions on a man's quality of life!