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Natural methods to treat an enlarged prostate

With prostate problems affecting roughly 12% of men, chances are you, or someone you care about, will eventually have to deal with this problem.

The prostate is a gland about the size of a walnut, which sits just below the bladder in men and is an integral part of the male reproductive system. The prostate goes through 2 main periods of growth: the first period of groth occurs early in puberty, when the prostate doubles in size.

At about the age of 25, the prostate begins to grow again. This second phase of growth often results in what constitutes an enlarged prostate. As the prostate becomes larger, the layer of tissue surrounding it stops it from expanding, causing the prostate to press against the urethra.

While the studies do not all concur, it is generally believed that most men over the age of 45 experience some amount of prostate enlargement, but may live free of symptoms. This prostate enlargement is usually harmless, but it often causes problems urinating later on in life.

By age 60, it is believed that over 80% of all men experience some sort of problem with urinating due to prostate enlargement. Prostate enlargement is not a malignant condition, but it does put pressure on the urethra and can create a number of urinary problems such as frequent urination, urinary urgency, the need to get up at night to urinate, difficulty starting, a reduction to the force of the urine stream, terminal dribbling, incomplete emptying of the bladder and even the inability to urinate at all.

If left unchecked, benign prostate enlargement can cause serious health problems over time, including urinary tract infections, kidney or bladder damage, bladder stones, incontinence. It is important to take care of your prostate as you would any other organ and address any prostate problems you may be having.

"Enlarged prostate", the medical term for which is BPH - short for Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy - has historically been treated surgically - by removing all or part of the prostate. While this will result in most people experiencing a relief of their symptoms, it may also leave them impotent. For men who want to maintain their vitality, surgery should only be used as a last resort.

Saw Palmetto for an enlarged prostate

Drugs are now commonly prescribed first, one of the more popular being "Proscar", manufactured by the Merck company. Proscar is actually a somewhat dangerous substitute for a classic herb, as a great number of pharmaceutical drugs are. The herbal remedy pirated in this case is the saw palmetto berry.

For men who suffer from prostate enlargement, saw palmetto is the place to start. Saw palmetto has a long history of diminishing inflammation and enlargement of the prostate as well as inhibiting the hormones which causes prostate enlargement.

Saw palmetto is a shrub which grows in Georgia and Florida along the ocean. Saw palmetto causes no side effects at the recommended dosage. This is in sharp contrast with the drug Proscar. Proscar has many serious side effects, which are listed on the package insert, published in advertisements for the drug, and they are also listed in the Physician's Desk Reference (PDR).

In my opinion, the lowest price for high quality saw palmetto can be found here. I also like Puritan Pride's special promotions on saw palmetto.

Another herb called "Pygeum africanum", comes from an African tree and has also been shown in research to reduce enlargement of the prostate as well as inflammation.

You can find the herb Pygeum in its purest form here. This particular online merchant is not cheap, but they do have the highest quality herbs and spices anywhere on the internet. A more affordable source of Pygeum is Puritan's Pride.

Zinc for a healthy prostate

Zinc is considered one of the most essential trace elements, and it is believed to play a critical role in cell growth and differentiation, in regulating normal cell death, as well as in in building the immune response. Scientists tell us that there exist more biological roles for zinc than for all the other trace elements put together.

Zinc is both helpful with enlarged prostates and with inflamed prostates. Studies (1) have shown that zinc deficiency results in prostate enlargement. Infection and other stress results in lower blood serum zinc levels in general and in particular lower prostate levels. In prostatitis - infection of the prostate - zinc levels are only 1/10 of those in a normal prostate (2).

A large percentage of men do not get even the low U.S. RDA of 15 milligrams of zinc per day from their diet, and this may explain a lot.

A daily zinc supplement totaling 50 to 100 milligrams is frequently recommended to help shrink an enlarged prostate. As with any supplement however, zinc should be taken in moderation and the intake of supplements should complement what we are getting from natural healing foods in our diet.

I believe the best price on the internet for high quality zinc supplements to be here.

Exercises for a healthy prostate

Kegel exercises are useful in improving blood circulation to these tissues. Kegel exercises are performed by tightening all the muscles around the scrotum and anus. Repeat this tightening of the muscles 10 times. Try doing this “invisible” exercise 4-5 times daily, while driving, reading, etc.

Finally, it would appear that making tomatoes part of your diet is a good idea if you are concerned about the health of your prostate. Harvard study (3) of 47,000 men in 2003 found that men who ate 10 servings per week of tomatos cut their risk of developing aggressive prostate cancer by 50%. Researchers believe this decrease in cancer risk is due to the lycopene in the tomatoes - the pigment that gives tomatoes their red color. We now know that lycopene is the most powerful carotene discovered yet, with 10 times more antioxidant power than beta carotene.

(1) Fair, W. R. and Heston, W. "Prostate Inflammation Linked to Zinc Shortage" Prevention 113: June, 1977

(2) (Fair and Heston,1977; Pfeiffer, 1978).

(3) Journal of Nutrition 133(2003):3356.

disclaimer: Throughout this website, statements are made pertaining to the properties and/or functions of food and/or nutritional products. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and these materials and products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

© 2004 by Marc Leduc