Herbal Supplements for Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy

Benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) is a very common problem affecting the elderly. Studies have shown that as high as 75% of men over 50 years have measurable enlargement of the prostate. Your doctor may have given you some medication to help reduce the size of your prostate gland; it may or may not have help. But if you are reading this article, one thing can be sure that is you are interested to find out if there is any role of herbal supplements in helping people with BPH.

Top on the list is Saw Palmetto which is an extract from the saw palmetto berry. The ingredients from this berry has become the leading natural treatment for BPH as it is reputed to inhibit 5-alpha reductase (an enzyme that converts testosterone into its active form dihydrotestosterone which then contributes to prostatic enlargement) as well as prevents dihydrotestosterone from binding to the prostate. These claims have been backed up by clinical trials that show Saw Palmetto to be able to increase the urinary flow rate, reduce urinary retention, decrease both daytime and night time urinary urgency. Currently, the Saw Palmetto extracts are available as herbal supplements in the market and you can visit your local pharmacy store for more information.

The second type of herb called pygeum has been approved as a remedy for BPH in certain countries as they have seen similar benefits by comparing people taking Palmetto to people taking pygeum. The next herb which has been shown to increase the flow rate of urine is a root extract called Stinging Nettle or Urtica dioca. Trials combining stinging nettle with palmetto and pygeum to treat BPH has yielded good results.

The last two herbs is something which we commonly come across in our daily life so much so that you would not suspect it to be categorized as herbs. Tomato and pumpkin seed extract both contain phytosterols that have been associated with the long term protection of prostate health. In addition to that pumpkin seed have also been shown to increase the urinary flow rate and reduce the urinary frequencies.

So having take note of the various herbal supplements that can help people with BPH, it is time to go shopping for these supplements. Just as usual, as you walk into your pharmacy store, you will be overwhelmed by the various products that claim to be the leader in prostatic health. Try to look for a product which combines all the herbal ingredients stated above. The other tip is to choose products that contain standardized extracts (usually 80%) of the various herbs as this ensure that each herb contains the same amount of biologically active compounds hence guaranteeing the consistency of the product. This is because with non standardized extract or crude powder extract, the levels of active compounds will most likely fluctuated widely depending on many factors such as weather, soil quality, age of the plant and the time of the year the plant is harvested.

Note however that most of the herbal supplements for BPH are NOT to be taken together with prescribed medication for BPH. So consult your doctor or pharmacists first or at least look up trusted websites for example FDA for possible serious side effects especially if you have other co-existing medical illness before buying your herbal supplements.