BPH: Natural Relief with Herbs & Nutrients

References

Prostatitis is a swelling of the prostate gland, usually caused by infection. The patient feels an urgent need to urinate frequently and has a burning sensation during urination. Benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) is an enlargement of the prostate gland, common among men over 50. Along with other considerations, a metabolite of testosterone called dihydrostestosterone (DHT) is thought to contribute to the enlargement of the prostate in BPH. The condition is neither malignant nor systemically inflammatory, but may lead to obstruction of the urethra, interfering with the flow of urine. This can increase frequency of urination, the need to urinate during the night, pain and incidence of urinary tract infections. Since the main function of the prostate is to produce seminal fluid, a man with BPH can become sterile, although his libido is not necessarily affected. On the other hand, the male with prostate problems often has serious problems with his sex life, primarily because of the urine retention situation and possible low grade infection.

Conventional medical treatment may include antibiotics, drugs that inhibit the conversion of testosterone into DHT, sitz baths, bed rest, regular sexual release, massage of the prostate, avoiding alcohol and drinking excessive fluids, urinating as soon as the urge occurs and, in some cases, surgery. Alternative medical treatment may involve the use of herbs and key nutrients, including saw palmetto, stinging nettles, pygeum, zinc and selenium.

Possibly the best known botanical in the area of prostate wellness is saw palmetto. It is very effective in acting directly on the enlarged prostate to reduce inflammation, pain and throb. Clinical trials have shown saw palmetto berries are helpful in reducing inflammation of the prostate in cases of BPH.¹ Saw palmetto inhibits the action DHT,² the compound thought to be responsible (in part) for the enlargement of the prostate. In sub-hypertrophied cases, it may also reduce swelling to some degree, but in case of true hypertrophy it is not known whether the herb brings relief by decreasing gland size or by reducing pain and swelling. It also increases the bladder’s ability to contract and expel urine.

Saw palmetto extract is so effective in treating BPH that it was compared in research to the prescription drug Proscar.³ During the course of a three-year study involving 309 men, saw palmetto extract was associated with a significant increase in urinary flow rate and a 50 percent decrease in residual urine volume. Furthermore, improvement in quality of life was reported, “which reflected in the over 80 percent good to very good efficacy judgments.” By comparison, Proscar showed a 30-percent decrease in symptom scores over three years, but urine flow improved only slightly, and residual urine volume was almost unchanged. Only one-third of the treated patients had “clinically relevant improvement,” and only after six months. Clearly, saw palmetto extract offers superior symptomatic relief in BPH.

Extracts from the roots of stinging nettles (Urtica dioica) also have been successfully used in the treatment of BPH in both animal⁴ and human research.⁵ The mechanisms by which it works appear to include inhibiting a sex hormone-binding protein to its receptor on human prostate gland membranes,^6,7 and inhibiting a certain enzyme thereby preventing prostate growth.⁸ In any case, the results are impressive when stinging nettles extract is combined with other BPHreducing herbs. Studies testing stinging nettles and saw palmetto found this combination to be a safe and effective treatment for BPH.^9,10 A similar study with stinging nettles and pygeum found this combination to be safe and effective for BPH as well.¹¹

In the mineral arena, it is interesting to note zinc concentrations are higher in the prostate than in any other gland in the male body. Men with prostate cancer actually have reduced levels of zinc.¹⁴ An adequate amount of zinc is a prerequisite for prostate health. Furthermore, zinc ions inhibit androgen metabolism in the prostate,¹⁵ which may lessen the production of dihydrostestosterone.

The use of the aforementioned herbs and nutrient may do much to help reduce symptoms of BPH. Nonetheless, self-treatment without medical support is a bad idea. First off, if a customer has symptoms of BPH, he should first verify with a health professional that BPH is the problem rather than something such as prostate cancer.

Of course one thing any man could do right away is to eat pumpkin seeds. It is interesting know pumpkin seeds are one of the most common plant constituents used to treat BPH.²⁰ Scientific reviews have stated the consumption of pumpkin seeds help to reduce residual urine and the frequent urge to urinate.²¹

October 2005 Health Supplement Retailer
"BPH: Natural Relief with Herbs & Nutrients" References

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2. Delos S et al. "Testosterone metabolism in primary cultures of human prostate epithelial cells and fibroblasts." J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 55, 3-4:375-83, 1995.

3. Bach D et al. Phytomedicine. 3/4:309-13, 1997.

4. Lichius JJ, Muth C. "The inhibiting effects of Urtica dioica root extracts on experimentally induced prostatic hyperplasia in the mouse." Planta Med. 63, 4:307-10, 1997.

5. Lichius JJ et al. "Antiproliferative effect of a polysaccharide fraction of a 20% methanolic extract of stinging nettle roots upon epithelial cells of the human prostate (LNCaP)." Pharmazie. 54, 10:768-71, 1999.

6. Hryb DJ et al. "The effect of extracts of the roots of the stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) on the interaction of SHBG with its receptor on human prostatic membranes." Planta Med. 61, 1:31-2, 1995.

7. Schottner M, Gansser D, Spiteller G. "Lignans from the roots of Urtica dioica and their metabolites bind to human sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG)." Planta Med. 63, 6:529-32, 1997.

8. Hirano T, Homma M, Oka K. "Effects of stinging nettle root extracts and their steroidal components on the Na+,K(+)-ATPase of the benign prostatic hyperplasia." Planta Med. 60, 1:30-3, 1994.

9. Sokeland J, Albrecht J. "[Combination of Sabal and Urtica extract vs. finasteride in benign prostatic hyperplasia (Aiken stages I to II). Comparison of therapeutic effectiveness in a one year double-blind study.]" Urologe A. 36, 4:327-33, 1997.

10. Schneider HJ, Honold E, Masuhr T. "[Treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia. Results of a treatment study with the phytogenic combination of Sabal extract WS 1473 and Urtica extract WS 1031 in urologic specialty practices.]" Fortschr Med. 113, 3:37-40, 1995.

11. Krzeski T et al. "Combined extracts of Urtica dioica and Pygeum africanum in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia: double-blind comparison of two doses." Clin Ther. 15, 6:1011-20, 1993.

12. Mathe G et al. "A Pygeum africanum extract with so-called phyto-estrogenic action markedly reduces the volume of true and large prostatic hypertrophy." Biomed Pharmacother. 49, 7-8:341-3, 1995. www.elsevier.nl/inca/publications/store/5/0/5/8/1/0

13. Casella G, Barbaro A. "[The role of mepartricin in the medical treatment of benign prostatic adenoma.]" Arch Sci Med (Torino). 135, 1:95-8, 1978.

14. Shiina H, Igawa M, Ishibe T. "Estramustine-binding protein to dihydrotestosterone ratio in human prostatic carcinoma: a new marker for predicting disease progression." Br J Urol. 77, 1:96-101, 1996.

15. Dutkiewicz S. "Benign prostatic hyperplasia. Current strategy and pharmacotherapeutical potential." Mater Med Pol. 27, 1:15-7, 1995.

16. Willett WC et al. "Prediagnostic serum selenium and risk of cancer." Lancet. 2, 8342:130-4, 1983. www.thelancet.com

17. Szarka CE, Grana G, Engstrom PF. "Chemoprevention of cancer." Curr Probl Cancer. 18, 1:6-79, 1994.

18. Webber MM. "Selenium prevents the growth stimulatory effects of cadmium on human prostatic epithelium." Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 127, 3:871-7, 1985.

19. Behne D et al. "Selenium, rubidium and zinc in human semen and semen fractions." Int J Androl. 11, 5:415-23, 1988.

20. Lowe F, Ku J. "Phytotherapy in treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia: a critical review." Urology. 48, 1:12-20, 1996.

21. Brinker F. Br J Phytother. 3, 4:154-176, 1993.

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