Treat Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) Using Natural Therapy

According to WebMD, Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) or put more simply, Prostate Enlargement affects 80% of men at one time in their lives. While BPH is not cancer, it can be quite troubling resulting in several irritating symptoms. The symptom that men most often experience first is a constant feeling of "needing to go". This is particularly bothersome at night since it results in frequent night time awakenings to urinate.

Men may also notice difficulty stopping and starting to urinate and urinating with weak or limited urine flow. Other physical symptoms may include burning when urinating or upon ejaculation and eventually may experience rectal lesions once the prostate is severely enlarged. Because of urinary difficulties, the bladder is often never quite emptied which may increase the chance of a bladder infection or infection of the prostate gland itself.

While there are traditional treatment methods for BPH including surgery or prescription drugs, both of these methods can be quite costly and may pose serious adverse effects. Because of the downsides of traditional treatment, many men have sought alternative treatment for enlarged prostate. Herbal treatments have shown through research to be safe and effective and are most likely cheaper.

The natural therapies most frequently recommended for treatment of an enlarged prostate are Saw Palmetto, African Tree Bark (pygeum) and ingestion of soy products. Other herbs and supplements recommended include Papain, Red Clover, Stinging Nettle Root and Zinc Gluconate.

• Saw Palmetto - the most frequently used herbal supplement in both America and Europe. Eases swelling by regulating hormones which encourage prostate growth, may act in a way similar to available prescription products. Studies in Europe have shown improvement in bladder emptying, difficulty urinating and discomfort, up to 9 out of 10 men in Germany with BPH are treated with this herb alone or in combination with other herbs such as pygeum.₍₂₎
• African Tree Bark (Pygeum africanum) - relieves symptoms by lowering the concentrations of luteinizing hormone and preventing the action of leukotrienes leading to the reduction of swelling, inflammation and inhibition of growth factors associated with enlargement and tumor development, has been proven effective in many worldwide studies and has become a primary therapy for these conditions in Europe and Africa, often found in combination products with Saw Palmetto but is rarely given alone. ₍₂₎
• Soy - contains high concentrations of chemicals known as isoflavones, related to estrogen and acts by opposing testosterone leading to reduction of prostate growth, diets high in soy is one of the possible reasons why men in Asian countries have much lower rates of prostate difficulties including prostate cancer ₍₁₎
• Papain (extract from papaya) - a proteolytic enzyme found in papaya fruit and leaves acts by relieving acute inflammation of the prostate, also proven to reverse rectal lesions induced by extreme prostate enlargement by inducing faster healing of tissues _{( 2)}
• Red Clover - also contains isoflavones similar to those found in soy, acts by blocking opposing androgens which stimulate prostate growth. also often recommended for women for problems relating to menopause₍₁₎
• Stinging Nettle Root - decrease the rate of cell division in the prostate gland by blocking the action of growth hormone on the prostate tissue acting to restore normal urine flow, also has anti-inflammatory properties _{( 2)}
• ZincGluconate- important in functioning of prostate gland, deficiency has been linked to BPH, prostatitis and even prostate cancer _{( 2)}

Soy products can be purchased at most grocery stores. Zinc tablets or capsules, Saw Palmetto supplements, Red Clover supplements, and Papain or papaya extract will be available at all health food stores and most likely at drug stores, grocery stores and large discount stores with large herbal sections. Stinging Nettle Root will most likely be available only at a health food store.

Other Recommendations

The person with BPH should also drink at least 8 glasses of water daily to ensure proper hydration of the urinary tract and adequate urine flow. It is also recommended that cholesterol intake be reduced as high cholesterol levels have been linked to several types of cancer including Prostate Cancer. Antihistamines and other medications that can cause urine retention should be avoided and finally, if prostate gland is irritated, sexual intercourse should be delayed until recovery.

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sources:

(1) WebMD, Herbal Remedies Can Aid Prostate Health

(2) Balch, Phyllis, The Prescription for Herbal Healing