I am so confident that even if I do not discuss any herb for prostate enlargement, sticking with good nutrition alone is enough. At this point, we must return to basics. I am referring to going back to that place where man was put after creation and there were only fruits and vegetables for him to feed on.
Many bombarded me with text messages! It gives me the assurance that you are ready to go on this journey into sound health. I find the chat from Mr Kenechukwu Dike, a businessman, so hilarious. He said, “I can do without sugar but milk is life to me.” Obviously, he was referring to my story about stopping milk and my acne cleared. As time goes on, we shall gather the strength to do away with every unhealthy food without being pushed to do so.
Let us get down to business. The prostate is a walnut-shaped gland that is part of the male reproductive system whose main function is to make a fluid that goes into semen. The gland surrounds the urethra at the neck of the bladder. Prostate enlargement or benign prostatic hyperplasia is a condition in men in which the prostate gland is enlarged but not cancerous. The reason that the gland starts to enlarge is that, as men age, increasing amounts of testosterone start being metabolised into di-hydrotestosterone which is inflammatory. So, all this DHT starts accumulating in the prostate, making the tiny glands in the prostate bigger.
Men with the following factors are more likely to develop benign prostatic hyperplasia: age 40 years and above, family history of benign prostatic hyperplasia, medical conditions such as obesity, heart and circulatory disease and type 2 diabetes, lack of physical exercise and erectile dysfunction. Symptoms of enlarged prostate can include: a weak or slow urinary stream, a feeling of incomplete bladder emptying, difficulty starting urination, frequent urination, urgency to urinate, getting up frequently at night to urinate, a urinary stream that starts and stops, straining to urinate, continued dribbling of urine and returning to urinate again minutes after finishing.
Let us see some herbs that can be used:
Zinc: Chronic zinc deficiencies have been shown to potentially increase the likelihood of developing BPH. Taking zinc supplements or increasing dietary intake of zinc may help reduce urinary symptoms associated with an enlarged prostate. Zinc is found in poultry, seafood and several types of seeds and nuts, such as sesame and pumpkin seed.
Saw palmetto: The mode of action of Saw palmetto is via the inhibition of dihydrotestosterone production in the body. By inhibiting the production of DHT, it helps to reduce the size of the inner lining of the prostate.
Pygeum africanum: (African plum tree or bitter almond)
This is a remedy sourced from the bark of the African plum tree. The presence of various steroids and fatty acids help in the fight against inflammation and urinary problems.
Urtica dioica: Studies in people with BPH demonstrate that stinging nettle extracts help treat short and long term urination problems without side effects.
Sitz Bath: A sitz bath really works when it comes to soothing an enlarged prostate. For this method you just need to fill the bathtub with warm water and then add ½ cup of Epsom salt to it. Fill another bathtub (or large container) with cold water and add several drops of lavender essential oil to the bathtub. Now, sit in the bathtub containing hot water for about three minutes. Then, move to the one with cold water for one minute.
Apple cider vinegar:Apple cider vinegar is very good for your prostate. You simply need to mix 1-2 tablespoons of raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar in one glass of warm water. Drink this at least two times daily.
Specific foods known to benefit the prostate include:
Salmon: Salmon is rich in healthy fats that contain omega-3 fatty acids, which help prevent and reduce inflammation within the body. Other cold-water fish such as sardines and trout are also rich in these types of fats. If you are not a fan of fish, you can get your omega-3s from walnuts, ground flax seeds and chia seeds.
Tomatoes: Tomatoes are packed with lycopene, an antioxidant that may benefit prostate gland cells. Cooking tomatoes such as in tomato sauce or soup helps to release the lycopene and make it more readily available to the body. Other notable sources of lycopene are papaya, guava, watermelon, carrots, pink grapefruit, etc.
Berries: Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries are excellent sources of antioxidants, which help to remove free radicals from the body.
Broccoli: Broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables, including bok choy, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and cabbage contain a chemical known as sulforaphane. This is thought to target cancer cells and promote a healthy prostate.
Citrus: Oranges, lemons, limes and grapefruits are all high in vitamin C, which may help to protect the prostate gland.
Vegetables: Eating more vegetables can help lower your risk of BPH. Green leafy vegetables are especially important because they are rich in antioxidants.
There are some lifestyle changes you need to make too. Let us look at some of them:
Exercise: There is evidence to show that exercise can be beneficial for sufferers of an enlarged prostate.
Research by the University of Harvard found that walking reduced the risk of BPH by 25 per cent. It was also concluded that the more physically active men were the less likely to experience urinary tract infections, a key symptom of BPH.
Reduce stress: Stress negatively affects prostate health. In fact, some men unknowingly tighten their pelvic muscles when stressed.
If you have BPH or prostatitis, make an effort to reduce your caffeine intake by cutting back on coffee, soda or energy drinks. You need to cut down on dairy foods, red meat and alcohol.
A study titled, “Corn silk extract improves benign prostatic hyperplasia in experimental rat model,’’ by So Ra Kim et al was conducted to investigate the effect of a corn silk extract on improving benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The study shows that CSE (corn silk extract) treatment of rats with testosterone-induced BPH has a similar efficacy to finasteride treatment. Thus, it is suggested that high-maysin CSE may be a potential natural compound for BPH treatment.
In a study titled, “Aqueous extract of bitter leaf Vernonia amygdalina ameliorates testosterone-induced benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in Wistar rats,’’ by Abayomi Ajayi, aqueous extract of V. amygdalina was observed to ameliorate testosterone-induced histological changes and prostatic parameters especially at higher concentration. This suggests that bitter leaf could be a candidate herb for the treatment of BPH.
These two studies show that bitter leaf and corn silk are great for the prostate gland. Get cornsilk and be using it in making tea. Incorporate bitter leaf into your diet. If you are a male, 40 and above and you have not started checking your prostate, now is the time to start. You can get saw palmetto, Pygeum africanum and Urtica dioica to buy in big pharmacies.
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