It may appear that the prostate is somehow connected to the urinary system.  What’s actually happening is that fluid waste is collected in your kidneys.  A tube from your kidneys carries that fluid to your bladder where it is stored until you’re ready to expel it.  Imagine your bladder as an elastic sack covered with a layer of muscle.  It’s roughly the size of a baseball and sits directly on top of your prostate, which is usually no bigger than a chestnut.  There’s a tube at the bottom of the bladder that goes directly through your prostate to the penis.  It’s called the urethra.

When you decide to expel urine, a valve at the bottom of your bladder opens up and the bladder muscles squeeze the urine into the urethra, through the prostate, into the penis and out of the body.  The prostate ideally should have nothing to do with the urinary system even though it’s wrapped around the urethra. 

Your sperm start their journey from the testicles through a tube called the vas deferens that leads to the prostate.  During orgasm, the fluids of the prostate and the sperm fluids are expelled through the urethra by the powerful muscular contractions of the prostate, the base of the penis, vas deferens, and other related muscle groups.   

So you can see the urethra serves a double function.  It’s a “pipeline” for urine and semen.  And since the prostate is wrapped around the urethra, a problem with your prostate can result in trouble for your urinary system and your sex life.

There are primarily three ways our prostate can run into trouble:

We’re going to go over each one of these starting with the most common problem, which is BPH, an enlarged prostate. 

When Bigger Is Not Better!

Men like to joke about the size of genitalia, but believe me, when it comes to your prostate, size is no joking matter.  An enlarged prostate, left untreated, can result in major infections and even death, as happened to millionaire recluse Howard Hughes who adamantly refused all medical attention. 

But don’t worry.  Fortunately, prostate enlargement happens gradually.  With the knowledge gained in this report you’ll be able to recognize even the early symptoms of prostate problems and be able to take action to alleviate the condition.

Around the age of 40, the prostate gland mysteriously starts growing larger in some men.  Between the ages of 50 and 60, roughly half of all men have enlarged prostate glands.  Scientists are basically at a loss to explain the reason for this phenomenon.  I believe the human body will function perfectly given the nutrient building blocks it needs, and a safe non-toxic environment.  Unfortunately, these two basic requirements are rarely met today.

The name benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) simply means a non-cancerous (benign) over (hyper-) growth (-plasia) of the prostate.  It’s a fancy name to describe a plumbing problem!  As you recall, the urethra, a pipe of sorts, goes from the bottom of the bladder, right through the middle of the prostate, and into the penis.  When the prostate starts growing again, around middle age, it starts to choke off the urethra so there’s less and less space in the “pipe” for urine and semen to travel.  The larger the prostate grows, the more it constricts the urethra.

The Warning Signs Of BPH

Here is a list of warning signs of BPH.  If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, it is definitely time to take action.

The sooner you confront your situation and take responsibility for it, the easier it will be for you.  Putting it off usually results in deeper trouble. 

Your Prostate’s Version Of “Trick Or Treat”

Well, I hope I’ve motivated you enough to take some action if you’re experiencing any of the eleven warning signs.  Even if you’re only over 40 with no symptoms at all, you should still get checked out.  There’s a cute little trick your prostate is capable of, called acute urinary retention.  Everything is moving along just fine, you have no apparent symptoms of BPH, and suddenly you are totally unable to urinate at all, and you have to go in the worst way!  That’s acute urinary retention.  It’s brought on by an existing undetected BPH condition and triggered in many cases by over-the-counter allergy or cold medications.  (You shouldn’t be taking that stuff anyhow.  Echinacea is far safer and more effective—but that’s another story.)  Just sitting in one place for too long, alcohol, or cold temperatures can also trigger it.   

Why Should You Get A Checkup?

If you’re thinking that you can self-diagnose and do without a check-up, you are making a big mistake.  Here’s why:  the 11 warning signs are not just indicators of BPH,  they could also apply to prostatitis or cancer.  Each of those require a specific treatment protocol.  If you have prostatitis, for example, and are treating it as you would BPH, you could be in trouble.  Your prostatitis likely will only get worse.  So get your check-up to find out exactly what is going on with your prostate.

It’s Showtime—The Digital Rectal Exam

I know the infamous digital rectal exam, or DRE, (the “butt” of many jokes) is a primary reason why some of you put off going to get your check-up for so long.  Probably an even bigger reason is horrific stories you’ve heard about “bizarre medieval tortures” inflicted on BPH patients in the name of treatment.  Well, I don’t want you to go to unenlightened physicians that practice that type of medicine.  If you must see a conventional physician only accept a diagnosis—not treatment.

Please find and consult with your local nutritionally oriented physician.  They have knowledge of surgery and drugs in the extreme event that they become necessary, but they also comprehend a body of knowledge of the healing arts about which conventional doctors don’t even have a clue. 

Your body has incredible recuperative powers when given the building blocks it needs.  Don’t you want to see a physician who knows what those building blocks are?  Or do you want as your healer someone whose knowledge is strictly limited to drugs and surgery?

If you need to locate a nutritionally oriented physician in your area you can do so at the Website www.acam.org or call The American College for Advancement in Medicine at 800-532-3688.  I would also recommend Dr. Julian Whitaker’s Health & Healing Resource Directory.  This is a 160-page national directory of nutritionally oriented physicians, and other resources.  Call the toll-free number at 800-705-5559, Extension #011.

At any rate, even though I will be teaching you some very splendid natural ways to heal and protect your prostate, your greatest success will come working together with your enlightened physician. 

Back to the matter at hand, so to speak, the DRE is a quick, inexpensive, low tech, diagnostic procedure.  If it’s done on an annual basis, it can keep track of your progress. Your doctor is checking for size, shape, texture, lumps, nodules, and abnormalities.  If he feels anything suspicious, further testing needs to be done.  Any cancer uncovered at this early stage has excellent prospects for recovery, particularly with the breakthrough natural methods that I’ll talk about later in the cancer section. 

What Is PSA?

Prostate specific antigen (PSA) is a protein produced by some of your prostate cells.  The PSA test is a blood test that measures the amount of prostate specific antigen circulating in your blood stream.  This is an excellent diagnostic tool to check up on your prostate gland to see how it’s doing.  It’s a test that should be done when there’s any sign of trouble or just occasionally for a check-up. After the age of 50, an annual PSA test is wise.

The PSA test can uncover abnormalities of the prostate.  Most PSA test scores above normal are not an indication of cancer.  Some of the other reasons for an elevated score are:  BPH, inflammation, or infection.

It is crucial that you work with your nutritionally oriented physician as opposed to an “unenlightened” physician if your PSA score is abnormally high for your age.  The wrong physician can be far more dangerous than your prostate problem.  In the wrong hands you could find yourself in store for unnecessary and debilitating surgery and drugs.  The result could destroy the quality of your life; render you impotent, incontinent (necessitating the wearing of diapers), ill; and possibly worse.

There has been some controversy surrounding the use of PSA testing because many times it leads to unnecessary “slicing and dicing” types of surgical treatment.  Often the patient is better off with no treatment at all. 

In the hands of a competent physician, an abnormal PSA score can be diagnosed and treated with non-invasive (you won’t get cut up) methods and without the use of toxic drugs.  He or she will already know much of what you will learn in this report and be familiar with other blood tests and ultrasound tests that can be used in place of a biopsy, for example. 

A biopsy is the insertion of several needles directly into your prostate to get tiny samples for testing.  In addition to being painful and traumatic, this procedure could possibly spread any cancer that may be present or result in chronic infection.

The Uroflow Test

Another very helpful test to gauge the degree of obstruction of the urethra is a urinary flow test called the Uroflow test.  It’s non-invasive and painless.  You simply urinate into a funnel that leads to a computerized scale, which calculates the flow rate.  Your doctor can interpret your flow rate information to see if your prostate is enlarged and needs help.

Slice ‘Em And Dice ‘Em—TURP

I thought I would give you a glimpse of the so-called conventional “treatment” for BPH:

Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) , now that’s a mouthful.  Transurethral comes from  “trans” meaning across, and “urethral” is naturally referring to the urethra.  Resection means “surgical removal of part of an organ or structure.”  So, TURP is going across the urethra to “slice and dice” your prostate.  Are you sure you want to hear this?  Skip the next paragraph if you don’t.

The surgeon has a gadget called a “resectescope” (slicer and dicer, in plain English) that has a tube about 12 inches long and half an inch in diameter.  I’m not sure how they manage, but they push this tube up into your penis until it reaches your prostate.  (Are you still with me?)  Then the surgeon uses a wire hook to cut away your prostate tissue in an attempt to clear a path for the urethra.

Does it work?  Don’t ask one out of every 56 patients who die from the procedure.  Don’t ask another 8 out of 100 who need to be hospitalized again within 3 months of the procedure.  Don’t ask the 5 out of 100 who are now impotent, and definitely don’t ask the 4 out of 100 who are now incontinent requiring the use of adult diapers.  And you probably better not ask the 70 out of 100 who now experience retrograde ejaculation.  “Retrograde” means to move back, that’s right, they ejaculate backwards into their bladders instead of outside their bodies.  It happens because the valve that normally seals off the bladder during ejaculation has been cut away by the surgeon.  By the way, once done, this painful process may have to be repeated in a few years.  Well, I guess it’s easy to see why this is the second most popular surgical procedure in the country!

They have other tricks up their sleeve including complete removal of the prostate, called prostatectomy.  There are also metal mesh tubes they like to surgically implant in the prostate.  There are balloons they stick up your urethra and then blow them up to try to widen it.  Any of these approaches may in some rare cases be possibly appropriate, but not to the tune of about 500,000 TURPs every year—at a cost of over $5 billion!

Breasts, Hair, And Impotence

Another common conventional treatment for BPH is use of a drug called Proscar. Read the warning label to see what’s in store for you. The warning label states that a pregnant woman may put her unborn child at risk of genital deformities simply by touching a broken tablet or by coming into contact with the semen of a man taking the drug!  And that’s not all.  Other listed side effects are impotence, loss of sex drive, decreased amount of semen, and breast enlargement.  This same drug (finasteride is the generic name) is now also sold under a different name (Propecia) as a hair growth product.  I suppose the hair will go well with the newly enhanced breasts and the impotence.  About the only good thing I can say about finasteride is that it’s probably less harmful than TURP.

Another BPH drug you’ll want to avoid is terazosin hydrochloride, better known as Hytrin.  Originally it was a high blood pressure drug.  Side effects include impotence, low blood pressure, palpitations, fatigue, and nasal congestion.

The Natural Way To A Healthy Prostate

Now that you know about some of the traps and pitfalls to be avoided, let’s look at some of the ways to safely and effectively restore optimal prostate function.  Here are the keys to alleviating your BPH:

• Saw palmetto berry  (Serenoa repens)
• African wild cherry bark (Pygeum africanum)

What Do The Studies Say?

Many scientific double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical studies conducted on saw palmeto show it to be far superior to the most commonly used drug for BPH, Proscar.  (This is a study where half of the subjects are given a placebo (a dummy pill), and the other half are given the active substance being tested.  Both subject and scientist are “blind”—they don’t know who is getting the dummy pill (placebo) or the active substance being tested—in this case saw palmetto.)  The extract has been shown to be effective in nearly 90 percent of patients in a four to six week period.  Proscar doesn’t even come close with only 50 percent effectiveness after a period of one year.  And don’t forget that Proscar users suffer from dreaded side effects like impotence and other ejaculatory disorders.  Saw palmetto, in contrast, has many nutritious fatty acids that enhance the function of the sex organs.

We really have an unbelievable situation here.  Saw palmetto is more effective, safer, and less expensive than Proscar, yet the FDA will not allow manufacturers to tell people about the benefits of their product! American men have the right to know about this crucial aspect of their health.

How Does Saw Palmetto Work?

As men get older, a higher percentage of testosterone is converted into an unwanted type of the hormone called dihydrotestosterone.  Excess dihydrotestosterone causes three things to happen in your body:  hair loss, acne, and last but definitely not least, it causes your prostate to grow— just what we need, right?  In order for testosterone to be converted to dihydrotestosterone, an enzyme called 5-alpha-reductase needs to be present. 

Saw palmetto is able to neutralize 5-alpha-reductase so that dihydrotestosterone cannot be formed.  The extract is also able to prevent dihydrotestosterone from attaching itself to your prostate cells and causing them to multiply. 

Some scientists also think that excess estrogen (the female sex hormone) causes the prostate to enlarge.  Saw palmetto has been shown to help block estrogen from interacting with prostate cells.

One interesting side note to some of you at least, Proscar (generically finasteride) is now also being marketed for male pattern baldness under the name Propecia.  Remember, excess 5-alpha-reductase causes hair loss.  By inhibiting it, perhaps bald heads can grow hair again.  Since saw palmetto also inhibits 5-alpha-reductase, we can only speculate what it might do for hair growth. Who knows, you might end up looking like Don King!

How To Use Saw Palmetto

Most of the studies were done with 320 mg daily that are standardized to contain 85 to 95 percent fatty acids and sterols (a type of fat).  This is best taken in 160 mg doses twice per day with meals.  For maximum effectiveness take it in combination with some of the other ingredients like pygeum, nettle, zinc, soy, and beta sitosterol.

Pygeum Africanum—Another Gift From Nature

Although not quite as effective as saw palmetto, pygeum has been clinically proven in reducing the major symptoms of BPH with no toxic side effects.  It’s made from the bark of an evergreen tree found in Africa, where it is used by the natives for urinary difficulties.  Scientists have not come to an agreement as to how pygeum produces these beneficial effects.

Other clinical studies show pygeum to effectively intensify the capacity to have erections and enhance fertility. One study showed it helped to increase the amount and quality of the semen.  Another study demonstrated increased erections during sleep.

Pygeum should be standardized to 13 percent sterols with a dosage of 50-100 mg daily. Take it in combination with other supplements as I mentioned above.

Stinging Nettle (Urtica Dioica)

Stinging nettle (urtica dioica) is the herb with stinging hairs found in woodsy areas.  One study, done in hundreds of German urologists’ offices with 2,080 BPH patients, showed significant improvements in prostate symptoms and quality of life.  Other studies have shown equally impressive results in the area of decreased urinary frequency and residual urine levels, with an increase in urinary flow rate.  This herb has also been popular in Europe for a wide range of therapeutic benefits including allergies, bladder infections, baldness, arthritis, kidney stones, premenstrual syndrome, and multiple sclerosis.  Recommended dose is 50-150 mg twice daily.

For best results take these three herbs together.  In herbal medicine there is often a synergy where a combination of herbs has greater therapeutic benefit than any of the individual ones.  BPH could have a number of causes.  We want to cover all the bases to ensure you have a very happy, healthy, “Olympic-gold-medal-caliber” prostate gland!

Zinc: The Most Important Mineral For Your Prostate

The prostate accumulates more zinc than any other organ in the body.  It is also a major component of ejaculate and sperm.  Essential for the entire reproductive and immune system, zinc supplementation can help reduce the size of the prostate by inhibiting the production of 5-alpha-reductase.  In one study of 37 men who were infertile for at least five years and had low testosterone and sperm counts, the addition of 60 mg of zinc increased the sperm count in 22 men from eight to 20 million.  Additionally, nine of the 22 wives became pregnant during the seven-week study!

The trap has not fully sprung yet!  Most of you don’t even know when you’re eating sugar!  Here’s the point:  All carbohydrates are converted to sugar in your body!  Carbohydrates are foods like bread, pasta, rolls, potatoes, corn, cookies, potato chips, corn chips, pretzels, cereals, rice, crackers, noodles, French fries, fruits, vegetables, and on and on—just walk down any aisle in any supermarket.  They are all converted to sugar in your body and eaten in excess, as most Americans do, they will make you sick. 

The excess sugar stimulates the excess production of the very powerful hormone, insulin.  Chronic excess insulin causes your body to get totally unbalanced, resulting in disease.

How Does Sugar Damage Your Prostate?

We know that high insulin levels stimulate excessive estrogen in the male body.  Although no one knows for certain what causes BPH, excess estrogen is high on the list of possible reasons.  Excess insulin is also implicated in high cholesterol and fat levels in the body, which also correlate to BPH.  And lastly, insulin is a known growth stimulator.  It’s not too far fetched to assume it could play a role in an overgrown prostate.

OK.  So What Do I Do Now—Stop Eating All Carbohydrates?

No!  You’re in luck.  You just need to know which carbohydrates to stay away from and which to eat.  I’ve prepared a complete report for you telling you exactly what the simple and easy-to-follow steps are.  It’s called No Willpower Fat Loss Program.  In that report you’ll also learn about the importance of eating the right type of fats called omega-3s.  Read the report and apply it—it will have a huge impact on your life.

Life-Saving Nutrients

Another report available to you is one titled The Life-Saving Nutrients You Need Every Single Day To Live A Long, Healthy, Energetic Life. It will provide you with the details about the therapeutic benefits of a comprehensive multivitamin/mineral supplement containing a broad spectrum of antioxidants and super foods.  My old grandpappy used to say, “No prostate is an island.”  (All right, I’m only kidding, but if he had said it, he would’ve been right.)  Your whole body is totally inter-related—each part has an effect on every other part.  So to heal the prostate we need to address your entire body. This is commonly called a holistic approach to healing.  Additionally, many of the nutrients will be used directly by your prostate too.

Your Prostate And Exercise

It has been more than adequately demonstrated that exercise helps the body balance its hormone levels.  Dr. Ralph Paffenbarger demonstrated in a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology that men over 70 who exercised consistently had 50 percent less prostate cancer than those who didn’t.  To help incorporate an exercise program into your life plus other amazing health boosting insights be sure to read my report titled The Mindell Six Steps to Optimal Health.

What Is Prostatitis?

The suffix “itis” means inflammation, so prostatitis is an inflamed prostate.  Prostatitis can be incredibly painful.  It can be caused by a bacteria or virus, or the inflammation can be from unknown causes. 

Symptoms Of Prostatitis

Many of the symptoms of prostatitis overlap with symptoms of BPH.  That’s why it’s important to get a check-up from your doctor.  A recent survey showed that four out of five men believed prostatitis to be somehow related to cancer, which apparently made it more difficult for them to confront seeing their physician.  Allow me to dispel that myth for you now.  There is no known correlation between prostatitis (or BPH for that matter) and prostate cancer.  Here is a list of the symptoms:

• Pain during urination
• Pain in the penis
• Pain in the rectal area
• Pain between the testicles and the anus
• Pain during ejaculation
• Pain in the testicles
• Pus or blood in the urine
• Blood in the semen
• Lower back pain
• Unusually urgent need to urinate
• Frequent urination
• Fever and chills
• Difficulty urinating

Prostatitis can be a one-time occurrence or it can become chronic.  Chronic conditions can be very frustrating.  Typically, once prostatitis has been diagnosed, antibiotics are administered.  This usually alleviates the condition in a few days if it was caused by a bacterial infection.  Sometimes, more than one antibiotic needs to be tried.  After the round of antibiotics, it’s important to re-establish friendly bacteria in your intestinal tract by taking lactobacillus supplements.

Supplements To Help With Prostatitis

Here is a list of supplements that will be helpful to you if you’re experiencing symptoms of prostatitis:

• Vitamin C is always helpful with any kind of infection.  Throughout the day one could take 5,000 milligrams or more.
• Echinacea extract is a powerful infection fighter.
• Drink plenty of pure water. Ten glasses or more per day.
• Saw palmetto (pygeum) and stinging nettle are beneficial.
• Extra zinc, about sixty milligrams to stimulate the immune system.
• Organic grapefruit seed extract is a powerful bacteria fighter.  Take ten drops in water three times daily.
• Cranberry juice is a time-honored remedy for urinary tract infections.  Try to get the unsweetened variety.  Sugar lowers your immune response.
• Garlic has powerful antibiotic properties. Eat three or more cloves daily.

Prostatitis not caused by bacterial infection is somewhat mysterious.  The pain is real enough but the causes are not known.  We know that eating excess carbohydrates can cause inflammation.  So perhaps following the guidelines in my No-Will-Power Fat Loss Program report would help.

Prostate Cancer Defense Strategy

No one knows for sure what causes prostate cancer.  Yet, consider this statistic:  Men in Japan have 90 percent less prostate cancer than Americans!  When these Asians move to America, their risk of getting prostate cancer increases, particularly for subsequent generations.  This might give us a clue about the nature of the disease.  Many researchers believe there is a strong dietary connection to prostate cancer.

Most prostate cancer has no symptoms for a decade or more.  When symptoms do appear they could include:

• More frequent urination, especially at night

• Urgency of urination, a feeling that you “have to go right now”

• Slow, weak, hesitant,  or interrupted urine stream

• Trouble starting the urine stream, or straining to start

• Incomplete emptying of the bladder

• Pain and burning during urination

• Pain during intercourse or orgasm

• Blood in urine or semen

• Frequent pain or stiffness in the lower back, hips, or upper thighs

As you can see, many of these symptoms overlap with symptoms of BPH and prostatitis.  Your nutritionally oriented physician can help you sort it out with your PSA test scores, the DRE (digital rectal exam), and possibly an ultrasound test if necessary. 

Another excellent diagnostic tool that even many enlightened physicians don’t know about is the antimalignin antibody in serum (AMAS) test.  Malignin is a component of all cancer cells.  Your immune system sends antibodies into your bloodstream to defeat malignin. The AMAS test detects the antimalignin antibodies.  It is far more accurate in detecting cancer than the PSA test.

The AMAS test is a simple blood test, which may be taken at any Smith-Kline laboratory, which will detect cancer anywhere in the body.  Its one drawback is that it gives no indication where the cancer may be.  Also, it is not very accurate in detecting cancer in the very late stages when the immune system has “thrown in the towel” and is no longer producing antibodies.  Because it is a very sensitive test, it is imperative that the lab drawing the blood follows the protocol exactly or it will skew the results.

If your physician is unfamiliar with the test you can refer him or her to www.amascancertest.com or call 800-922-8378 for more information.

Do You Have Latent Prostate Cancer?

An amazing number of men have prostate cancer that is growing so slowly that it basically lies dormant for a lifetime.  It does not affect the well-being or longevity of those who have it.  They die of other causes before the cancer ever grows enough to encroach on their life.  This is called a latent or occult cancer, as opposed to a clinical cancer.

Autopsies done on men who died from other causes showed that 25 percent of men in their 30’s had latent prostate cancer, 40 percent of all men in their 50’s had latent prostate cancer, and 70 percent of men in their 70’s had it!  By the way, these percentages apparently hold true for men all around the world.  In countries like Japan, most of these cancers just stay latent and never produce any adverse symptoms.

Latent cancers can remain quiet and calm for a lifetime or erupt in a savage spurt of growth at any time.  Conventional treatments such as radiation, drug therapy, and surgery are not very effective.  Many times, even when they are successful, your life is saddled with impotence and incontinence.  This report will give you the weapons you need to protect yourself from the latent cancer that may already be growing in you.

If you’ve already been diagnosed with prostate cancer, I want to refer you to two resources immediately.  The first is an organization called People Against Cancer www.peopleagainstcancer.com and the other is researcher and writer Dr. Ralph Moss (www.ralphmoss.com).  These information resources can be very valuable for all types of cancer.

An Herbal Remedy For Prostate Cancer

Another resource is an organization specifically for prostate cancer patients.  It’s called The Education Center for Prostate Cancer Patients at www.ecpcp.org, phone 516-942-5000.  Dr. James Lewis, Jr., Ph.D., started this organization and also wrote several books about prostate cancer.  I strongly recommend The Herbal Remedy for Prostate Cancer.  In it he describes the use of a very potent herbal combination called PC SPES that has helped many men overcome prostate cancer.  There have also been some very positive clinical studies for PC SPES. 

PC SPES consists of seven Chinese herbs and saw palmetto.  It has been shown to dramatically lower PSA levels.  It boosts the immune system and has been shown to destroy cancer cells.  One patient apparently had prostate cancer spread to 32 different areas of bone, all of which disappeared after he took PC SPES.  Another had a PSA score of over 120 (very high—under four is normal) and prostate cancer that had spread to the lymph glands. Within two years, the PSA was down to .75 and an MRI scan showed no cancer.

The Japanese Secret

Why do the Japanese (as long as they don’t come to the United States) have 90 percent less prostate cancer than Americans?  Why do Japanese adults between the ages of 35 to 74 live longer than any other nationality?  And why is our death rate 50 percent greater than theirs?   I believe it’s their diet.  They’re not carbohydrate junkies like we are.  They eat lots of fish, vegetables, and a bit of rice.  Additionally they eat about 10 times (40 grams daily) as much soy as we do! 

Who Lives Even Longer Than The Japanese?

There is yet another group of people whose death rate is 50 percent less than the Japanese!  Actually they are Japanese too, but separated by 400 miles of ocean on the island of Okinawa.  This island has more people over a century old than any place else on earth!  They have almost five times more people living over the age of 100 than even their healthy mainland compatriots.  Their death rate from the scourge of modern day man, heart disease, strokes, and cancer, is dramatically lower.