Men's Health: Andro, Tonsils, Tomatoes

April 20 -- An Iowa State University study reports that the popular muscle-building supplement androstenedione doesn’t build muscle in middle-aged men, and it may have some nasty side effects.

Researchers compared 56 middle-aged men taking either a placebo or 100 milligrams of andro three times a day for four weeks.

They found that while andro had no effect on testosterone levels in the men, it did lower their good HDL cholesterol levels.

It also triggered up to a 110 percent increase in levels of a prostate-enlarging hormone called DHT within their systems.

Don’t Cut Out Your Tonsils — Shrink Them

If a doctor says your tonsils should come out, you can have them surgically removed.

But that process can lead to severe pain and bleeding.

A new procedure called microwave tonsillectomy can eliminate recurrent tonsil infections without surgery.

“To perform the procedure, we stick a small computer-controlled probe inside your tonsils and zap them with high-powered radio waves,” says Mansoor Madani, director of the Center for Corrective Surgery in Pennsylvania. “As the tissue heats up, it can shrink by up to 60 percent.”

The only drawback: Fewer than 100 doctors nationwide currently perform microwave tonsillectomies. For more information on the procedure, visit www.snorenet.com.

Tomatoes Fight Asthma

Here’s another reason to add some red to your diet: Eating ¾ cup of tomato sauce a day can cut your risk of exercise-induced asthma in half.

According to a University of Tel Aviv study, men who added 30 milligrams of lycopene to their daily diets improved their bodies’ ability to fight off asthma attacks by 45 percent.

The added protection may come from lycopene’s antioxidative properties within the body, says Dr. A. Ben-Amotz, author of the study.

Teatime for Your Heart

In a preliminary study presented at the annual meeting of the American Heart Association, Boston University researchers report that drinking 4 cups of regular tea a day improves blood circulation, and may reduce risk of heart disease and stroke.