Natural Remedies for Enlarged Prostate
September 14, 2009
Enlarged prostate is a condition that affects a large number of elderly men. Enlarged prostate, also known as benign prostatic hypertrophy or benign prostatic hyperplasia, does not pose any major risk to the health.
Difficulty in urination is the primary discomfort associated with this condition. Nearly 50 percent men have enlarged prostate by the time they reach 60 years of age.
Risk of developing enlarged prostate increases steeply with further progress in age. About 90 percent men above 85 years suffer from benign prostatic hypertrophy.
Symptoms of enlarged prostate
Symptoms of enlarged prostate include difficulty to urinate, increased frequency of urination, slow urine flow, difficulty to start urination despite increase in urgency to urinate, the urine flow starts and stops with out completely emptying the bladder. Sometimes inability to empty the bladder completely leads to urinary tract infection.
Natural Remedies for enlarged prostate
For several centuries, folk healers have used herbal remedies to heal enlarged prostate. There is considerable controversy over the efficacy of herbs in treating enlarged prostate, which some studies suggest serve only as placebos. Nonetheless, several studies have found that the herbal remedies could actually shrink the enlarged prostate.
Saw palmetto
Saw palmetto is the most popular herb used for treating enlarged prostate. It is believed that the ripe berries of the saw palmetto shrubs contain compounds that act like 5-alpha reductase inhibitors. These compounds inhibit growth of prostate tissues, triggered by the testosterone hormone.
Bark of African plum tree
Pygeum is extracted from the bark of the African plum tree. It can be effective in reducing the symptoms of enlarged prostate. Pygeum can also heal urination problems.
Rye grass
The pollen of rye grass contains a compound known as beta-sitosterol. Folk healers use this extract derived from the pollen of rye grass to heal discomforts associated with enlarged prostate.
Pumpkin seeds
Studies have found that intake of pumpkin seeds can prevent growth of prostate gland. The carotenoids and omega-3 fatty acids are believed to be beneficial for the prostate health.
Zinc
Zinc deficiency might lead to enlarged prostate. Regular intake of 50 to 100 milligrams of zinc could shrink enlarged prostate. Whole grains, seafood, meats, eggs, nuts, legumes, lentils are rich sources of zinc.
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