A Standing Feat: Prostate Supplements

Specific conditions affecting men often center around male reproductive function, especially the prostate, an exocrine gland found in the male reproductive system. Prostatitis, a painful, non-cancerous inflammatory condition, will affect more than half of the male population at some point in their lives.(1) Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), an increase in size of the prostate that causes urinary tract dysfunction and discomfort, is associated with men in their late 40s and onward. BPH accounts for at least 1.7 million doctor’s office visits per year, according to the National Institutes of Health. “BPH creates sleepless nights and anxiety-ridden days with numerous unsatisfying trips to the bathroom,” Kohli said. “BPH is often scary for men as many believe it automatically means prostate cancer. It does not.”

Saw palmetto is used for stage one or two BH cases, and is a prescribed preparation in Germany. It possesses an anti-estrogenic activity and increases urinary flow rate while descreasing nocturia, residual urine and painful urination. Saw palmetto has shown promise in BPH, according to early trials;(2,3) but, a 2006 New England Journal of Medicine trial publication concluded the herb did not affect BPH symptoms.(4) “What most people don’t know is saw palmetto alone isn’t a cure-all, and most men taking it alone may be disappointed in the results,” said David Winston RH, founder, Herbalist & Alchemist. “Combining herbs in a skilled manner gives a synergy greater than the sum of its parts and will have better parts.” Winston suggested pairing saw palmetto and stinging nettle with white sage may shrink a swollen prostate and adding in another herb such as collinsonia or stone root may help relieve venous congestion and inflammation. Winston also recommends fish oils, noting essential fatty acids (EFAs) are important to male reproductive health.

Other ingredients with specific benefits may include pumpkin seed, which has been shown to inhibit dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and inflammatory factors in BPH,(5) and vitamin E. “In some studies excessive doses of vitamin E have been linked to increase prostatic swelling but levels that are too low are also a problem, so the best bet is a good 200 IU vitamin E per day with mixed tocopherols and tocotrienols,” Winston said.

On the horizon, a supplement cocktail containing vitamins D3 and E, selenium, green tea extract, saw palmetto, lycopene and soy compounds is currently being researched by the Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center to determine whether it can lower prostate-specific antigen (PSA), a protein that is elevated in conditions such as prostate cancer. BPH will continue to be a prevalent concern for consumers, and companies in the natural marketplace are on par to safely and effectively address this issue. For example, Bioforce is currently conducting research on its Prostasan product. “A leading Swiss Urologist who prescribes Prostasan noticed that those who were on drugs for prostate help experienced adverse sexual side effects, while those on Prostasan found just the opposite,” said Eileen Sheets, managing director, Bioforce USA. “Based on this clinical observation Bioforce has launched a pilot study to examine the role of saw palmetto in enhancing male sexual function.”

References:

1. Men's Health Network, http://www.menshealthnetwork.org
2. Wilt TJ et al. “Saw palmetto extracts for treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia: a systematic review.” JAMA. 1998; 280, 18:1604–1609. http://jama.ama-assn.org
3. Ishani A et al. “Serenoa repens for benign prostatic hyperplasia.” Cochrane Data Syst Rev. 3:CD001423, 2002.
4. Bent S et al. "Saw palmetto for benign prostatic hyperplasia." N Engl J Med. 2006 Feb 9;354(6):557-66.
5. Friederich M et al. "Prosta Fink Forte capsules in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia. Multicentric surveillance study in 2245 patients." Forsch Komplementarmed Klass Naturheilkd. 2000;7:200-4. [in German].