About Half Of Men Older Than 50 Have An Enlarged Prostate Here Are Some Of The Basic Facts You Need To Know About This Common Condition
As men age, many experience prostate gland enlargement. This condition is known as benign prostatic hyperplasia .
The prostate gland surrounds the urethra, the hollow tube that carries urine out of the body. When the prostate gets bigger, it can squeeze or partially block the urethra, which leads to problems urinating.
BPH is quite common in older men. In fact, the condition impacts about 50% of men between the ages of 51 and 60. For men 80 and older, the prevalence of BPH is approximately 90%, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
While BPH can have serious complications, it is not a cancer and is generally linked to a mans aging process. Although the causes of BPH are not entirely understood, some researchers have investigated whether hormonal changes and cell growth as men age could be related to the development of the condition. If left untreated, BPH can lead to bladder, urinary tract or kidney problems.
Stinging Nettle Extract Is A Natural Remedy For Enlarged Prostate
Stinging nettle leaves may cause sharp, intense pain, but its extract has benefits for the prostate. The root contains essential bioactive phytochemicals that help shrink prostate tissue. Being a natural diuretic, it also encourages the elimination of inflammatory wastes through urination.
You can have stinging nettle as a drink by simply adding 1 teaspoon of dried leaves to hot water. Let it sit for 10 minutes, then strain. You can drink this tea mix 2 to 3 times daily. Always consult your physician before taking any supplement to determine the correct dosage for your size and condition.
Researchers have found that the stinging nettle has anti-inflammatory compounds similar to those contained by pygeum and saw palmetto.
A study conducted in 2019 by Bentham Science has discovered that the nettle roots extract is efficient in prostate soothing and relieving BPH symptoms. Patients have noticed a significant increase in urine flow and a reduction in prostate volume.
The nettle roots extract can be used for up to 12 months without any side effects.
Now Supplements Pygeum And Saw Palmetto
Price: $$
Along with NOWs beta-sitosterol supplement, NOW Pygeum and Saw Palmetto is manufactured in a GMP-registered facility and certified by Underwriters Laboratories.
In addition to 160 mg of saw palmetto per 2-capsule serving, this supplement provides 50 mg of pygeum and 1.5 grams of pumpkin seed oil.
Pygeum is an herbal extract from the bark of the African cherry tree . Limited test-tube and human studies have shown that it may treat prostatitis and protect against the growth of cancerous cells (
23 ).
In one study involving 47 people with BPH, taking 320 mg of pumpkin seed oil or a mix of pumpkin seed oil and saw palmetto per day was found to significantly improve symptoms of BPH within 6 months .
For best results, its recommended to take two capsules with food two times per day, or as your doctor advises.
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Tips For Coping With An Enlarged Prostate
When a man reaches about age 25, his prostate begins to grow. This natural growth is called benign prostatic hyperplasia and it is the most common cause of prostate enlargement. BPH is a benign condition that does not lead to prostate cancer, though the two problems can coexist.
Although 50% to 60% of men with BPH may never develop any symptoms, others find that BPH can make life miserable. The symptoms of BPH include:
- a hesitant, interrupted, weak urine stream
- urgency, leaking, or dribbling
- a sense of incomplete emptying
- more frequent urination, especially at night.
As a result, many men seek treatment. The good news is that treatments are constantly being improved. Patients and their physicians now have more medications to choose from, so if one doesn’t do the trick, another can be prescribed. And thanks to some refinements, surgical treatments are more effective and have fewer side effects than ever before.
But there are some things men dealing with BPH can do on their own. When symptoms are not particularly bothersome, watchful waiting may be the best way to proceed. This involves regular monitoring to make sure complications aren’t developing, but no treatment. For more troubling symptoms, most doctors begin by recommending a combination of lifestyle changes and medication. Often this will be enough to relieve the worst symptoms and prevent the need for surgery
Herbal Supplements For An Enlarged Prostate
So, which herbs can help with prostate enlargement?
Many plant agents are well-studied for relief from enlarged prostate symptoms.
Some of them may even help to reverse the condition. In addition, the prostate, like many organs of the body has specific needs for vitamins and mineral nutrients that are not plant-based, for example, deficiencies in the mineral, Zinc, have been linked to an enlarged prostate.
All plants contain thousands of nutrients in the form of vitamins, minerals, and other chemicals. Collectively, these plant constituents are phytochemicals. Phyto is a Greek word meaning plant.
All plants naturally produce phytochemicals. They function as agents that protect the plant from fungi, disease, and insects. When consumed by humans as medicine, they are called phytotherapeutic agents.
The listing below shows many herbal and nutritive elements that are well-studied and known to affect prostate health.
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What Does The Procedure Involve
During the TURP procedure, your surgeon will remove a portion of your prostate. You will likely be placed under general anesthesia, so youll be unconscious and unable to feel pain. Or you may receive spinal anesthesia, which numbs the nerves in your lower body so you wont feel pain.
Your surgeon will use a long thin scope, called a resectoscope, which will allow them to see your prostate gland. They will insert it through the end of your penis. Then they will insert a surgical tool through the scope to remove a portion of your prostate. The amount removed will depend on the shape and size of your prostate.
Once your surgeon removes the scope, they will insert a catheter into your penis to allow urine to flow following surgery. It will also help remove any blood clots that may form.
The entire procedure typically lasts one hour.
Fasting To Shrink An Enlarged Prostate
Is fasting a solution to shrink an enlarged prostate?
It may be, as long as you include in your diet prostate-friendly foods, like those mentioned above. Just fasting, without consciously choosing foods that shrink the prostate wont help you that much. That is why keep in mind the foods that are good for prostate health when you go grocery shopping.
What makes fasting a good way to shrink an enlarged prostate is that it involves the exclusive consumption of vegetables, excluding meat and dairy from the menu. And these foods are known for their inflammatory properties. Also, when fasting it is recommended to drink more liquids and stay hydrated. Especially drinking green tea helps soothe the prostate gland.
The enlargement of the prostate cant be cured naturally, but there are changes in lifestyle and diet that can be made in order to prevent this painful condition. Practicing an active lifestyle with physical activities, drinking plenty of liquids, having a healthy diet, and limiting alcohol consumption are natural ways of preventing prostate enlargement, among other illnesses.
It is also important to see a urologist who can recommend the best treatment in your case. Sometimes, even a surgical procedure may be recommended to relieve the symptoms. UroLift is the most advanced non-invasive BPH treatment available. Talk with Dr. Samadi about this method of prostate enlargement treatment!
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Why Are Pumpkin Sides Good For An Enlarged Prostate
For anyone with BPH, pumpkin seeds are a good food to snack on because they contain both zinc and essential fatty acids .
Zinc deficiency is thought to increase the chance of developing BPH3, plus it has anti-inflammatory properties that could help ease symptoms that are already present.4 EFAs are also anti-inflammatory, thus encouraging a more normal sized prostate gland.
Remedies For An Enlarged Prostate
Even if you have an enlarged prostate, that does not mean you must live with the symptoms for the rest of your life. Your doctor might advise one of several approaches to coping with BPH, including lifestyle changes, medication changes, and other treatments. The remedies and treatments available will depend on your own health situation and how disruptive the symptoms have become.
Get Sufficient Exercise
Exercise can improve with your overall fitness, as well as benefit your prostate health. Studies have shown a connection between increased physical activity and reduced risk of BPH, with exercise of any type having some degree of benefit.
Seated activities, such cycling, can put pressure on the perineum and groin. This can lead to numbness or pinched nerves. To avoid these issues, make sure you utilize a wide seat and engage in a variety of activity types.
You can also try Kegel exercises to strengthen your pelvic muscles and reduce urine dribbling. To do these exercises, squeeze the muscles that affect urine flow and then release, repeating several times to train the muscles.
Slow Down
When you head to the bathroom, make sure you slow down. When you relax your muscles and leave time to account for delayed urine and possible dribbling, you’re much more likely to completely empty your bladder. Urine that remains in the bladder because of an enlarged prostate can lead to urinary tract infections or painful bladder stones.
Reduce Caffeine and Alcohol Consumption
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What The Body Does When Theres No Food Coming In
When we consume a Western diet, typically high in processed foods, our bodies get plenty of sugars and starches to convert to glucose. Glucose is what the body then metabolizes for energy. This constant supply of easy energy is not good for us because it throws off our metabolic balance. At worst, we develop chronically elevated blood sugar, insulin resistance, and inflammatory agents. This has led to an epidemic of conditions characterized by metabolic disturbances, such as obesity, metabolic syndrome , and diabetes mellitus type 2. In addition, low levels of chronic inflammation set up precursor conditions for many types of cancer, including prostate cancer.
How Effective Is Saw Palmetto
Early studies showed that saw palmetto might help reduce BPH symptoms. However, when researchers repeated the studies, they didnt get the same results. Even so, many men continue to use saw palmetto in an attempt to reduce BPH symptoms.
Early studies started with doses of 320 milligrams of saw palmetto every day. Researchers in a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association investigated whether doubling and then tripling that dose increased effectiveness. Even at higher doses, saw palmetto remained ineffective. In fact, the study found no difference over placebo. Some evidence suggests that saw palmetto improves nocturia in men, which is a frequent urge to urinate at night, but any noted improvement has been modest.
According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine , a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, people use saw palmetto to treat a variety of other conditions. Even though there isnt sufficient evidence to show that it works for any of these conditions, people use it to treat:
- alopecia, or hair loss
- prostate cancer
- pelvic pain
Its not just men who use saw palmetto. Some women have tried using it to enlarge their breasts, according to the Mayo Clinic. Scientific evidence hasnt shown it to be effective.
According to the University of Michigan Health Service, people used to think saw palmetto increased sperm production and sex drive in men, but that hasnt been shown to be true.
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What Is Enlarged Prostate
Enlarged prostate, also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia , is a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate.
The prostate is a small gland located between the bladder and the penis.
As a natural part of aging, a mans prostate gland grows larger. For some men, this growth is uneventful, but for others, it can lead to BPH.
Studies show that 50% of men between the ages of 51 and 60 and 90% of men over 80 are diagnosed with BPH.
One study suggested that an estimated 612 million men globally have BPH.
As the prostate enlarges, it can squeeze down on the urethra, creating a thicker bladder wall.
This enlargement may obstruct the flow of urine and causes a variety of symptoms.
Symptoms of BPH include:
- Urinary retention or inability to urinate
- Painful urination
Treating BPH may depend on the severity of the symptoms.
Mild to moderate BPH symptoms may be treated with lifestyle changes that include following an enlarged prostate diet.
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Prostate Cancer Prevention Tips
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, as they say. Healthy eating is one example of how prostate cancer may be prevented and, in turn, how you can help keep your sex life humming along. According to Prostate Cancer Canada, a diet high in red meat or full-fat dairy products and low in fruits and vegetables seems to increase the risk of the disease. So theres one cancer-preventing tip already. Out with the Philly cheesesteak sandwiches and meat-lovers pizza, and in with the apples and asparagus!
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Indian Gooseberries Honey And Turmeric Powder
The combination of 3 natural ingredients: Indian gooseberries, honey, and turmeric powder, is another of great home remedies for enlarged prostate. If you want to apply this, let follow some steps below:
- Firstly, you slice and remove the seeds from 10 to 15 Indian gooseberries.
- Then you grind the sliced Indian gooseberries with a bit of powdered turmeric and 2 teaspoons of honey.
- You combine all of them well and consume a tablespoon of this mixture early in every morning.
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Learn How To Shrink The Prostate Naturally A Personal Guide To Prostate Health
An Inflamed Swelling of the Prostate is difficult but Very Possible to Deflate. Your Prostate is also an Extremely Annoying issue among slightly older guys to older guys. So, we will discuss in detail just how to Shrink the Prostate Naturally for better Prostate Health. From the constant night-time bathroom trips to the feeling of not being able to even Go. First, I will explain what the Prostate is and Why it does what it does abnormally holding in that urine. It can become an interruption to our very Life Style. Then we will dive right into how we can approach the Natural Prostate Treatment, Possible Cures, and remedies. Lets Stop this abnormal enlargement of this organ. Caution ! Patience. It takes a while, guys. Persistence should pay off.
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How Your Doctor Can Help
If you have one or more of these symptoms, its important to talk with your doctor about a treatment plan. Treatments for BPH include medication, minimally invasive therapies, and surgery. You can also try lifestyle changes to control symptoms. And sometimes the symptoms get better even without treatment, according to the Mayo Clinic. The best news? Although they can produce similar symptoms, enlarged prostate has no connection to prostate cancer.
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Foods To Avoid: Eggs & Poultry
A study published in the January 2006 issue of Urology explored the connection between diet and BPH symptoms.1 It found that eating eggs and poultry appeared to increase symptoms. This may be to do with the fact that egg yolks have high levels of arachidonic acid, which, as mentioned earlier, increases inflammation.
Now, Im not suggesting that you must cut eggs and chicken out of your diet completely this is just one study and more research would be needed to make a more thorough conclusion on the issue. However, I would advise you not to focus your diet around these foods and to get more variety instead. Vegetables are an excellent option as they contain and array of nutrients and can be incorporated into meals like curries and soups, as well as snacks.
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Proven Ingredients In Best Prostate Supplements Learn The Science
The research on prostate supplements and natural ingredients used in the treatment of BPH is insufficient to know for sure if these products work.
Most research was done on Saw Palmetto, Green Tea, Zinc, and Calcium and the study findings are frequently inconclusive. However, these ingredients were found to help some men find relief from their symptoms, and more research is needed to understand how these products help men treat BPH.
Saw Palmetto An herbal extract thats been consistently found useful in clinical trials investigating its effect on prostate function.
One such study was published in 2000 in the Journal of Urology by researchers at the University of California Los Angeles School of Medicine.
In this study, 44 men with an enlarged prostate received either a saw palmetto supplement or a placebo pill. Saw Palmetto can help shrink your prostate and improve urinary symptoms.
Beta-Sitosterol It has powerful prostate-shrinking effects. A clinical trial conducted by researchers in Germany followed a group of men randomly selected to receive either a beta-sitosterol supplement or a placebo for six months.
After six months of follow-up, the researchers reviewed the results and determined that the beta-sitosterol supplement was effective at reducing symptoms compared to a placebo. The researchers then followed a subset of these subjects for another twelve months.