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Natural
therapies for enlarged prostate aim to correct the hormonal
imbalances that have caused the prostate to enlarge. One factor that
has been identified as a contributor to enlarged prostate is the over
consumption of alcohol. A 1993 study of men in Hawaii concluded that
an alcohol intake over at least 25 ounces per month was a risk factor
for enlarged prostate.
(Chyou
PH, Nomura AM, Stemmermann GN, Hankin JH. A prospective study of
alcohol, diet and other lifestyle factors in relation to obstructive
uropathy. Prostate
1993:22;253-264).
Saw
palmetto has been shown to be effective through numerous clinical
trials over the last 30 years. The herbs nettle and pygeum have also
been shown to be effective for relieving symptoms associated with an
enlarged prostate. They may be used alone or in conjunction with saw
palmetto. Numerous animal and human studies have indicated that
candicidin, an antifungal anti-biotic with hypocholesterolemic
properties has the ability to significantly reduce prostate size.
Saw palmetto (serenoa repens) is a
shrub which can be found growing along the coasts of Georgia and
Florida. Saw Palmetto works to prevent enlarged prostate problems
associated with BPH by inhibiting the conversion of testosterone to
dihydrotestosterone (DHT), the hormone that scientists believe causes
prostate cells to multiply.
(Marks LS, Hess DL, DoreFJ. Tissue
Effects of Saw Palmetto and Finasteride: Use of Biopsy Cores for In
Situ Quantification of Prostatic Androgens. Urology
2001;57:999-1005).
Pygeum Africanum
is an evergreen tree found in the higher elevations of Africa. For
centuries the native peoples have used the powdered bark of this tree
as a treatment for urinary disorders. Scientific testing of bark
extract led to development of the modern fat soluble extract
available today. The active ingredients of the extract are
pentacyclic triterpenes, sterolic triterpenes, fatty acids, ferulic
acid esters which work synergistically to reduce serum prolactin
levels, thereby reducing uptake of testosterone and synthesis of
dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in prostate cells. The sterolic
constituents in the extract also compete with testosterone,
inhibiting its build-up in the prostate, as well as reducing prostate
inflammation by inhibiting synthesis of inflammatory prostaglandins
within prostate tissue.
The
roots of the Stinging Nettle plant (urtica dioica) are a popular
treatment for enlarged prostate in Europe. An Iranian double blind,
placebo controlled study involving 588 men found that nettle root is
significantly more effective than a placebo in reducing all of the
major symptoms of enlarged prostate. It is believed that the
mechanism of action by which stinging nettle improves symptoms may be
that it inhibits the binding of DHT to cytosolic receptors.
(Safarinejad
MR. Urtica dioica for treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia: a
prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover
study. J
Herb Pharmacother.
2006;5:1-11).
Zinc
has been used for many years to help correct the condition . A daily
zinc supplement totalling 50 to 100 milligrams is frequently
recommended to help shrink an enlarged prostate. There is a higher
concentration of zinc in the prostate gland than in any other organ
of the body. A 1977 study by Fair and Heston showed that zinc
deficiency results in prostate enlargement. Infections and high
levels of stress can rob the body in general, and the prostate in
particular, of zinc. It is important then, that all men get at least
their daily recommendation of 15mg of zinc. A daily zinc supplement
totalling 50 to 100 milligrams is frequently recommended to help
shrink an enlarged prostate.
(Fair,
W. R. and Heston, W. "Prostate Inflammation Linked to Zinc
Shortage" Prevention 113: June, 1977)
Three amino
acids (glycine, alanine, and glutamic
acid) have been identified as having a beneficial
effect on enlarged prostate. In a placebo controlled double blind
study, Dumrau et al gave a supplement containing these three amino
acids to 45 men with enlarged prostates. After three months, about
half of these men reported reduced urgency, frequency, and/or less
delay starting urine flow, compared to 15% or less of the men who
received a placebo. Although the precise mechanism of action is
unknown it is believed that these amino acids reduce the amount of
swelling in the prostate tissue.
(Dumrau F.
Benign prostatic hyperplasia: amino acid therapy for symptom relief.
Am J Geriatr 1962;10:426-430).
A 1988 study
involving 100 patients with enlarged prostates tested the
effectiveness of pygeum and amino acids as a combination treatment.
Results suggested that the combination treatment offered
significantly better results than either compound on its own.
(Menendez
Fernandez H, et al. Use of amino acids as a combination in the
treatment of prostatic hypertrophy. Arch Esp Urol 1988;
41:495-499). Grass
Pollen | 1-800-969-7228 |
Two
double bind, placebo controlled studies found that grass pollen can
improve the symptoms of enlarged prostate. The grass preparations
used were 92% rye, 5% timothy and 3% corn. In the first study, which
involved 103 men, 69% of those who took the grass pollen had reduced
their number of trips to the bathroom during the night, compared to
37% who took a placebo. The
amount of urine remaining in the bladder following urination was
reduced in the treatment group by 24 ml and by 4 ml for the placebo
group.
(Becker
H, Ebeling L. Conservative therapy of benign prostate hyperplasia
(BPH) with Cernilton®N. Results of a placebo-controlled
double-blind study [translated from German]. Urologe
[B].
1988;28:301–306).
In
the other study, which involved 57 men, 69% of men who took 92gm of
grass pollen extract daily for six months showed significant
improvement of night time frequency of urination, compared with 29%
of the placebo group. An important finding in this study was that the
prostates of the men taking grass pollen significantly decreased in
size according to ultrasound measurements taken.
(Buck
AC, Cox R, Rees RWM, et al. Treatment of outflow tract obstruction
due to benign prostatic hyperplasia with the pollen extract,
Cernilton: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Br
J Urol.
1990;66:398–404).
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