So what problems do men have that are so special?

Lots. Mainly affecting us as we grow older, after nature (and some women) has decided that we have served our purpose of procreation and feeding the family.

Our fertility and libido diminishes; our prostate packs it in; we can't get it up any more. We are simply past our “use by” date and the young fellows are taking over. In caveman days we would simply have been the first casualties in the endless tribal wars and that would have solved the problem.

But these are not caveman days and we all want a bit of life after forty. What doesn't help our cause is that our affluent society provides us with unlimited food; we don't have to go out and kill a buffalo to feed our families and ourselves. Life is too easy. OK, but we still want to live until we are 70…or 80…or 90 and stay alert and healthy ( and sexually active – why not? - if we are so lucky) while we do it.

One thing is for sure - we cannot live like we did when we were 18 and indestructible. We have to eat sensibly and exercise; we have to avoid getting our arteries coated in the gunk we consume; we have to rid ourselves of free radicals that attack our body cells; we have to do something to stop our urethra suffering death by slow strangling by our prostate.

So, what herbs are there to help? What are the herbs for men? OK, in the case of prostate the big three in current favour are Saw Palmetto, Pygeum and Nettle, often in combination, which seems to magnify the benefit. Bearberry also helps with prostate, Gokshura aids urinary tract health and Wild Oats and Horny Goat Weed (yes – that's what they call it!) helps with erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation. Wholehealth also include Ginseng and Gingko Biloba in their formula for addressing erectile dysfunction problems, and this page from their site is worth a read. Native Remedies also provide useful information on the subject on this page on their site with a linked page of references.

Not all our troubles are below the waist, and it is important to protect our health at the cell level. Antioxidants are essential to combat free radicals attacking our cells (by oxidising them). Fresh fruit and vegies and whole grains are the best source but, unless they are organically-, or, better still, home-grown, there's no knowing what else they contain. Herbal supplements provide excellent, measurable quantities of antioxidants. Green Tea, Grape Seed, Wheat Grass, Barley Grass, Milk Thistle (Silymarin), Hawthorne berry are all high in antioxidants.

Other herbs included in these products have various beneficial effects; Bearberry is a diuretic, Gokshura is used to alleviate anxiety problems, Milk Thistle is mostly associated with liver support, Hawthorn dilates blood vessels, the widely used Ginkgo Biloba improves alertness and general cognitive function and has been shown to be as effective as pharmaceuticals in settling irregular heart beats, Panax Ginseng supports the immune system and energy levels, Curcumin (Turmeric) is thought to be effective against STDs including chlamydia and gonorrhea.