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Enlarged Prostate
(Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia / BPH)

Over 50% of men over the age of 50 are expected to suffer from urinary problems from an enlarged prostate. And when they reach the age of 70, over 90% of them will suffer from this. Fortunately, there are many natural remedies that can help.

Introduction

Enlarged prostate is also referred to as benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH. The prostate gland sits below the urinary bladder and surrounds the urethra, a tube that allows urine to drain from the bladder.

It is about the size of a walnut and it produces seminal fluid. When this gland enlarges, it will put pressure on the urethra, a tube that goes through it, clamping it down and preventing proper urine drainage.

Men over the age of 50 years old starts to experience this health problem. As they reach the age of 70, expert estimate that over 40% will have some form of BPH.

There are prescription drugs that can shrink the prostate gland and prevent it from enlarging. However, before considering using prescription drugs, try natural remedies first. Herbs tend to have less side effects while providing good relief from BPH.

Tablet of Content

What causes an enlarged prostate gland?
What are the symptoms?
What diet or lifestyle changes can help with this problem?
Can this problem eventually lead to prostate cancer?
Detailed information on all the natural remedies and vitamins you can use

Video - Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)

Natural Remedies for Treating and Curing an Enlarged Prostate

This is a quick summary. For full details complete see the article entitled Natural Remedies for Enlarged Prostate Glands.

Natural Remedy	What experts say about them
Saw Palmetto	(What's this?)
Beta-sitosterol
Pygeum
Rye Pollen
Nettle Root
Pumpkin Seeds
Zinc
Garlic
Red Clover
Essential Fatty Acids (Fish Oil)
Maca

Frequently Asked Questions & Facts

What causes an enlarged prostate gland?

No one knows exactly what causes the prostate to enlarge but hormonal change is a strong suspect. The hormonal changes cause the prostate cells to grow in response to testosterone.

Some experts believe that a poor diet (high fat and low fiber) as well as deficiencies in nutrition (such as zinc) may also be a cause.

Other uncontrollable factors include age, family history (genetics) and ethnicity (more common in Caucasian than in the Chinese and Asians).

What are the symptoms of an enlarged prostate gland?

Signs and symptoms include:

Difficulty in starting or stopping urination
Frequent urination
Urgency in urination
Dribbling
Incomplete emptying of the bladder
Needing to "force" the urine to flow
Blood in urine
Need to urinate at night more often (two or three times nightly)
Urine flow is weak
Frequent bladder infections
Generalized discomfort (aches and pain) in the groin region
Burning sensation during urination (a sign of an bladder infection)
Fever (a sign of a bladder infection)

Most men usually do not seek medical help until one or more of the above symptoms become severe. Always seek medical advice when you experience any of these symptoms to rule out other problems that may be more serious.

The danger with not treating BPH is that by not properly draining the bladder, infections can occur. As well, if urine backs up in the bladder, it may increase pressure to the kidney possibly causing damage (not common) and discomfort. Straining to "force" the urine out may cause damage to delicate blood vessels causing blood to be found in urine.

What diet or lifestyle changes can help with this problem?

Foods to Take More of

Drink 8 glasses of water daily to avoid dehydration.
Add fish, flaxseed, pumpkin seeds and tomato to your diet. Stick with whole grains and fresh vegetables.
Cranberry juice can be considered to reduce the risk of developing bladder infection.
Increase fiber in your diet.

Foods to Avoid

Cut back on saturated fats.
Cut back or eliminate sugary foods such as candies, cakes and soda beverages.
Limit the amount of caffeine and alcohol that you consume daily. They may irritate the prostate gland.

Lifestyle Changes

Regular exercise is shown to help with symptoms of BPH. However, exercise that puts extra pressure on the groin region such as bicycling should be avoided. (Recumbent exercise bikes are not a problem.

Avoid retaining urine when possible and empty your bladder regularly.

Get Advice Before Taking Any Medications

As your pharmacist or doctor before using any over-the-counter (non-prescription) cough and cold remedies. Many of them contain drugs that can worsen prostate symptoms.

Can this problem eventually lead to prostate cancer?

Possibly but not always the case. Have your doctor perform a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test. Although not absolute, a high PSA result may indicate BPH, prostate cancer or an inflamed prostate gland (prostatitis).

Related Articles and Resources for Enlarged Prostate

Discover all the natural remedies for shrinking the prostate gland

Saw Palmetto - The ultimate herb for prostate problems?

Return to Health Conditions List

References
Updated: March 4, 2010

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Enlarged Prostate (Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia / BPH)