What Should I Avoid With An Enlarged Prostate

How To Reduce Prostate Size

This article was medically reviewed by . Dr. Litza is a board certified Family Medicine Physician in Wisconsin. She is a practicing Physician and taught as a Clinical Professor for 13 years, after receiving her MD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health in 1998.There are 13 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 65,131 times.

The prostate gland is a part of the male reproductive system that can enlarge with age, putting uncomfortable pressure on the urethra. This can cause urinary difficulties, urinary tract infections , and even bladder stones. By making lifestyle changes and using medication, most men can reduce their urinary troubles. A few men, though, may need to consider minimally invasive or traditional surgery options to feel their best.

What Is The Best Prostate Diet

As discussed, good nutrition plays an integral role in maintaining and managing prostate health. A good diet for enlarged prostate is rich in fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats. This is thought to protect the prostate, by reducing the risk of developingprostate disease.

Two diets in particular that have been considered to improve prostate health are the Ketogenic diet and the Mediterranean diet. We will discuss both below.

What Medications Should I Avoid With An Enlarged Prostate

Men with an enlarged prostate should not take medications that contain antihistamines or decongestants. These agents are often found in over-the-counter cold, sinus, and allergy medications. To understand why, it helps to review some prostate anatomy. The prostate is a walnut-sized gland that produces seminal fluid.

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Current Therapies For Bph

At present, the primary goals of BPH treatment are to ameliorate LUTS, improve QOL, inhibit disease progression, and reduce complications. The treatment of BPH involves three different stages: watchful waiting, drug therapy, and surgical treatment . Watchful waiting is recommended by the AUA for patients in whom QOL has not been influenced by mild LUTS this strategy includes the implementation of dietary changes, exercise, education, and regular review . However, for patients with severe LUTS, watchful waiting is often ineffective and may delay optimal treatment such patients need to be administered appropriate medication. A range of drugs are currently available for the treatment of BPH, including 1-blockers, 5-ARIs, MRAs, PDE5Is, 3-adrenoceptor agonists, and plant extracts. Of these, the most commonly used drugs are 1-blockers, 5-ARIs, and a combination treatment featuring both 1-blockers and 5-ARIs .

How To Prevent Prostate Cancer

How to use?

• Take whole fresh ginger and cut it into 6-7 pieces
• Have one tablespoon of black peppercorn and one teaspoon of honey
• Heat the water until it begins to simmer
• Add the ginger pieces and peppercorn and close the pool with a plate
• Leave it to heat for 5-10 minutes
• Now strain and add the honey
• You can also just chew the ginger pieces daily
• Consume this mixture daily for useful results on prostate health

Benefits of Ginger:

Ginger is rich in anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. They help in inhibiting the prostate cancer cell growth and eventually promotes the death of prostate cancer cells. If you are thinking about the future on how to prevent prostate cancer, then ginger will be the best food remedy for preventing prostate cancer.

Precautions

Ginger and peppercorns help the body by giving warmth. Hence, if you are a person who feels very hot all the time, it may add to it so beware of this fact.

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Alpha Blockers: Risk And Benefits

These BPH medications work fast to address symptoms, but they are not without risk. These drugs work by lowering blood pressure and may contribute to dizziness, headaches, weakness, and other side effects. In addition, they may result in sexual performance issues, including difficulty ejaculating. The impact on your blood pressure will certainly need to be evaluated so that other health issues are not adversely impacted. Although these drugs do tend to lower cholesterol, there is some evidence of long term negative effects on heart health.

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Can Lifestyle Changes Help

Lifestyle changes canât prevent BPH, but they may still be good for your prostate. For starters, exercise and a heart-healthy diet can help manage your weight, which is great for your prostate. Exercise can also help your bladder empty at a normal rate.

• To control symptoms, it may help to:
• Avoid or limit how you use and antihistamines during colds and allergy outbreaks as they tighten the muscles that control urine flow and make it harder to pee

• Do exercises to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles
• Limit how much caffeine and alcohol you take in they make you pee more and can irritate your bladder
• Lower the amount of fluids you drink, especially before you go out or go to bed
• Pee when you first feel the urge because itâs easier on your bladder
• Stay warm. Cold can make it feel more urgent to pee.

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Top Foods That Help Prevent An Enlarged Prostate

1. Salmon: Salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Fatty acid deficiency could lead to prostate problems. You can also get your omega-3s from ground flax seeds, walnuts, kidney beans, and canola oil.

2. Tofu: A study that was published in The Journal of Urology revealed that Asian men have a reduced risk of developing BPH when compared to western men. One reason could be that Asian men consume more soy. According to a study published in The Prostate, soy isoflavones have been linked to lowering the risk of developing an enlarged prostate. You can get soy isoflavones in low-fat soymilk, roasted soybeans, and soy yogurt.

3. Bell peppers: Bell peppers have more vitamin C than any other vegetableâvitamin C is said to play a role in fighting BPH. However, according to some studies, only vitamin C from vegetables can lower the risk of enlarged prostate. You can also try cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and broccoli.

4. Sesame seeds: Sesame seeds contain high levels of zinc, which is essential in maintaining a healthy prostate. Men who either have BPH or prostate cancer have low levels of zinc in their bodies. You can also try pumpkin seeds, adzuki beans, and almonds.

5. Avocadoes: Avocadoes are rich in the plant sterol beta-sitosterol. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews states that beta-sitosterol helps reduce symptoms associated with BPH. It can strengthen the immune system as well as reduce inflammation and pain. You can also try soybeans, pecans, and wheat germ.

Traditional Treatments For Bph

There are pros and cons to both treatment approaches.

Medications can help relieve symptoms and reduce the size of the prostate. However, the medications can have unpleasant side effects, including chronic stuffy nose, lightheadedness and loss of libido.

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Avoid These Four Things If You Have An Enlarged Prostate

These are the four things you should avoid if you have an enlarged prostate.

The first one is dairy products. That includes:

• and even butter.

Why? Because when men with enlarged prostates consume dairy, they have a difficult time going to the bathroom because their prostate swells up even more.

The prostate is kind of like a sponge for hormones. So, where does dairy come from it comes from milk a pregnant cow used to grow a calf.

So its growth hormones. So we want to avoid dairy if you have a prostate problem.

Even if you dont have a prostate problem, I think a high-quality dairy like in the form of grass-fed occasionally is going to be okay.

Managing An Enlarged Prostate

People with BPH are encouraged to maintain a healthy lifestyle and make certain modifications to help manage the condition’s symptoms.

Stress exacerbates the symptoms of BPH. This leads to an increase in the need to urinate. People diagnosed with an enlarged prostate are encouraged to take up yoga and medication to help deal with stress. It is good to stay relaxed, spend time with friends and family, and take up a relaxing hobby.

An increase in weight worsens the symptoms of BPH. It is good to take up exercising and follow a fitness regimen.

Several over-the-counter pills worsen the symptoms of BPH. It is best to discuss any supplements and medicines you may take with your doctor at Max Hospital while you are under enlarged prostate treatment.

Restrict the intake of fluids in the evenings. This is particularly true of caffeine and alcohol. This will help reduce the number of times you feel the urge to urinate at night.Also Read about enlarged prostate surgery

If you want to have alcohol, consider wine/whiskey rather than beer, which has high water content.

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What Foods Should I Avoid

• Sugary foods: Soda, fruit juices, smoothies, cake, ice cream.
• Grains or starches: Wheat-based products, rice, pasta, cereal.
• Fruit: All fruit, except small portions of berries like strawberries.
• Beans or legumes: Peas, kidney beans, lentils, chickpeas, etc.
• Root vegetables: Potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, etc.
• Low-fat or diet products: These are highly processed and often high in carbs.
• Some condiments or sauces: often contain sugar and unhealthy fat.
• Unhealthy fats: Limit your intake of processed vegetable oils, mayonnaise, etc.
• Alcohol: Due to their carb content, many alcoholic beverages can throw you out of ketosis.

Whos More Likely To Get Bph

You may have a greater chance of an enlarged prostate based on your:

• Age. BPH is more common the older you get and doesnât usually affect men younger than 40.
• Family history. If your dad or your brothers have the condition, you have a higher chance of getting it, too.
• Ethnicity. This affects black and white men more often than Asian men. Black men may get symptoms at a younger age.

Some health conditions can also raise the odds youâll get BPH, such as:

If you use beta blockers — a type of medication used to treat conditions such as high blood pressure and migraines — you may be more likely to get BPH.

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What Is An Enlarged Prostate

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia is a non-cancerous prostate enlargement that leads to obstruction in the flow of urine. This is a common prostate problem that affects many men.

However, men over the age of 50 are more prone to get BPH because as they age, their prostates naturally begin to enlarge under the constant influence of hormones.

In BPH, the enlargement of the prostate usually occurs in the middle of your prostate, where it wraps around the urethra. This means that as the prostate grows, it squeezes the urethra. When this happens, it causes urinary problems.

You may find that you have to urinate more often, even having to get up multiple times during the night.

What Foods Should You Avoid With Prostate Cancer

The plethora of studies conducted in order to link certain foods with prostate cancer havent reached a consensus. Some point to a cause-and-effect case while others deny any dietary influence on cancer diagnoses.

Nonetheless, individuals with prostate cancer manage their condition better when they avoid being overweight and when they avoid inflammatory foods and alcohol. Heres what other products you should steer clear of:

• Fatty foods in excess.

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What Medications Should I Avoid If I Have An Enlarged Prostate

Many popular nonprescription cold and allergy medications contain decongestants that can cause the bladder neck to contract. This restricts urine flow and can lead to the complete closure of the bladder opening and cause acute urinary retention. For this reason, these cold and allergy medications are labeled with warnings against their use if a person has benign prostatic hyperplasia enlarged prostate. While short-term use of these medicines is unlikely to be a significant problem, chronic use should be avoided. Antihistamines also can cause problems because they may interfere with the ability of the bladder to contract. If you think you need medications for allergies, talk to your primary healthcare practitioner about prescription medications that do not cause urinary symptoms.

Can Diet Help With Enlarged Prostate Problems

So, what diet for prostate problems can help your BPH?

In Asia, China, and Thailand, where few dairy foods are consumed, there is a far lower incidence of both heart disease and cancer.

Studies show that overall, men in western countries have a six-fold increase in prostate cancer incidence compared to countries such as China and Japan.

One theory for this discrepancy is the differences in diet.

It is worth emphasizing that many oriental countries such as South Korea and Japan are densely populated. They have been highly industrialized and urbanized for many years, yet their rates of prostate cancer remain much lower than in the West.

The even more massive incidence is seen in the UK at around thirty per 100,000, yet higher rates occur in the USA, with a figure of about 120 per 100,000.

In addition, there are studies of migrant populations that show quite clear increases in certain diseases like prostate cancer when ethnic Chinese become American citizens and their children and grandchildren adopt more of the American diet.

Okinawa, Japan, has traditionally had a diet based on lots of vegetables, fermented soy products like miso, fresh fish, herbal tea, as well as health-supporting practices such as Tai Chi, Qi Gong, and walking.

It is, therefore, advisable to eat a healthy and balanced diet that includes organic vegetables, which reduce pesticide exposure and offer an increase in vitamin concentration.

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Questions To Ask Yourself About Enlarged Prostate Treatment

When you discuss the treatment options for an enlarged prostate with your doctor, keep these points in mind:

• How much are my symptoms bothering me?
• Do they keep me from doing things I enjoy?
• How long do I want to deal with them?
• Am I willing to accept small risks to improve my symptoms?
• Do I understand the risks?
• Am I ready to do something about this problem?

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How Effective Is Combining Drugs

Alpha blockers and 5-alpha reductase inhibitors are sometimes combined to try to relieve the symptoms as quickly as possible and at the same time prevent the prostate from growing further. This combination is considered for men who have severe symptoms and a very enlarged prostate gland. Their prostate gland is more likely to grow even larger.

Combining these drugs can lower the risk of the symptoms getting worse or complications arising. But these advantages only became apparent after one to two years of treatment, and only in men with very large prostate glands.

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Worst Foods For Prostate Health And Foods You Need To Add To Your

Home»10 Worst Foods for Prostate Health and Foods You Need To Add To Your

The prostate is a small gland that is instrumental in reproductive functioning in men. When healthy, it is doughnut shaped and wrapped around the urethra, the tube through which men urinate.

There are three primary ways in which men suffer poor prostate health.

• Non-cancerous enlargement (enlarged prostate, benign prostatic hyperplasia or BHP

And there is no doubt that diet plays a crucial role in both prostate health and minimization of symptoms in those with prostate disease. In this article, we take a look at some of the foods to avoid and some new ones with which to replace them.

What Causes An Enlarged Prostate

Benign prostatic hyperplasia is impacted by hormones.

In the body, certain hormones have anabolic effects. That means that they have the ability to make things grow. If you have too many anabolic hormones in the body, then your prostate tissue can start to grow out of control. This can lead to the side effects listed above.

Some of the hormones involved include:

• Fat Storing Hormone. This is a hormone that can make things in the body bigger. You don’t want excessive Fat Storing Hormone in the body.
• IGF-1. Fat Storing Hormone-like growth factor is a type of growth hormone that also promotes tissue growth.
• Estrogen. Estrogen is thought of as a female hormone. But men naturally have some estrogen as well. The problem occurs when men have too much of it. Again, estrogen is a hormone that promotes growth. Keeping this down at a healthy level is important.

Many people think that high testosterone is the cause for abnormal prostate tissue growth. But this is not the case.

Testosterone levels drop when you age. Whereas prostate issues rise when you age. This does not add up to high testosterone being the problem. Also, a powerful form of testosterone called dihydrotestosterone is often used as a therapy to treat BPH.

Estrogen is actually the major culprit. That is what you need to watch for. Learn more about this true cause for benign prostatic hyperplasia here.

One great option is to avoid things in your diet that make prostate problems worse.

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The Most Common Symptoms Of An Enlarged Prostate Are Urinary Tract Symptoms

• Frequent urination.
• Interrupted or weak urine flow.
• Sexual dysfunction.

The problem with an enlarged prostate is that it obstructs healthy urine flow. When this happens, urine gets backed up into the bladder, kidneys, and even the liver. This can cause toxicity and negative side effects.

A common issue with BPH is an increased risk for urinary tract infections. If you have BPH symptoms, watch out for urinary tract infections. You want to catch them before they cause too much harm.