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Treating prostate troubles; dietary supplements may be superior to latest drug on the marketNovember, 1993A combination of supplements may be superior to the latest drug on the market One day you notice that you're having difficulty starting to urinate. And then trouble stopping. You dribble and have the feeling that even after your urine stream has ended, there is more to come. You tense. You relax. You coax. You plead. Yet nothing comes out. These are signs of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), commonly known as an enlarged prostate. Between 40 and 50 percent of men past age 55 experience this condition. The percentage of men who have BPH increases as they age. Prostate enlargement is not a cancerous condition, but if left untreated, it ccan lead to bladder infection, kidney damage, and sexual disability. Its minor symptoms--frequent nocturnal visits to the bathroom, difficulty urinating, and mild backache--are unpleasant and inconvenient. The prostate is a small gland, about the size of a chestnut and weighing less than an ounce. It is located just below the bladder, which stores urine. The prostate surrounds part of the urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder out through the penis. Although the testicles produce sperm, the prostate secretes substances that make up portions of the milky fluid--the semen--that carries the sperm. This fluid nourishes the sperm and, during sexual intercourse, makes the vagina less acidic. At puberty, the prostate typically doubles in size, and then its growth slows considerably. By about age 45, however, it often starts to grow again. In some cases, the prostate can continue to enlarge for the rest of a man's life. As it grows, it can impede the passage of urine from the bladder through the urethra. Prostate enlargement is related to hormone disorders. As men age, the male hormone testosterone is more likely to bond with an enzyme, 5-alpha-reductase. This bonding produces a derivative of testosterone called dihydrotestosterone. Dihydrotestosterone causes prostate cells to grow abnormally fast. Researchers PAGE 72 Natural Health, November, 1993 agree that high levels of it are a key to prostate enlargement. Several factors contribute to BPH. Foremost among them may be a high-fat diet. A study reported by the American Urological Association cited the harmful effects of high cholesterol levels on prostate disease. (High fat levels in the diet tend to raise cholesterol levels.) Camille Mallouh, M.D., chief of urology at Metropolitan Hospital in New York, examined the prostates of men of all ages and found that men with BPH had 80 percent more cholesterol in their blood than those without BPH. Studies show that those without BPH. Studies show that alcohol and stress also increase the risk for BPH, as do pesticides and other chemical contaminants. BPH leads to 1.7 million yearly doctor visits by men, and more than 300,000 men have surgery for enlarged prostates each year. The Food and Drug Administration recently approved a drug called for the treatment of BPH, which works by stopping the production of dihydrotestosterone. Proscar, however, which became available in July 1992, was effective for less than half the men tested, according to label literature from Merck & Co., the manufacturer. Also, caused impotence in 3.7 percent of the men and decreased libido in 3.3 percent. Merck & Co. warns pregnant women to avoid handling crushed tablets of because it can be absorbed through the skin. They also advise these women to avoid exposure to the semen of men taking Proscar. Instead of having to rely on Proscar, I have learned through firsthand experience that BPH can be cured (or its onset significantly delayed or even prevented) with a regimen of natural remedies that includes botanical extracts, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. Not only did the following formula work for me, but many nutritionally oriented physicians are reporting its success with patients. I purchased a formula that included a number of the following supplements, which are widely known to keep the prostate healthy. Many natural foods stores will carry formulas that include some of these supplements in combination. Or, if you wish, you may take these supplements separately. Caution: Because the symptoms for prostate cancer and prostate enlargement are similar, you should have any prostate problems examined by a doctor before beginning any self-treatment program. SAW PALMETTO Doctors have reported that an extract of the saw palmetto berry (Serenoa repenssabal) decreases the frequency of urination, relieves difficulty of urination, and lessens inflammation and pain associated with BPH. Saw palmetto berry has a long history of use by American Indians. Studies have shown that the extract consistently inhibits the production of dihydrotestosterone. Recommended Dose: 160 mg of a standardized (85 to 90 percent) extract taken twice daily. ZINC Studies show that men who supplement their diets with zinc reduce the symptoms of BPH. Zinc inhibits the activity of 5-alpha-reductase, the enzyme that converts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone. Not surprisingly, the diets of most American men are deficient in zinc, according to Denham Harmann, M.D., professor emeritus of medicine and biochemistry at the University of Nebraska. Zinc's helpful effects are enhanced by vitamin B.sub.6 affect hormone metabolism. Recommended Dose: 50 mg per day. PAGE 73 Natural Health, November, 1993 AMINO ACIDS A combination of the amino acids glycine, l-alanine, and l-glutamic acid relieves the symptoms of BPH, as reported in a 1958 issue of the Journal of the Maine Medical Association and confirmed by additional studies in the U.S. and Japan. Recommended Dose: Glycine, 200 mg per day; l-alanine, 200 mg per day; and l-glutamic acid, 200 mg per day. GINSENG In studies reported in the Archives of Andrology, Panax Ginseng increased testosterone levels and decreased the size of the prostate. This suggests that ginseng has favorable effects in BPH because, as experts note, testosterone improves zinc absorption and decreased prostatic size alleviates the symptoms of BPH. Recommended Dose: Dried root, 2 to 4 grams, 3 times daily, or extracts standardized to 17 percent ginsenosides (the active ingredient). This is equivalent to 25 to 50 mg of ginsenosides, which are the active ingredients. In other words, to get 50 mg of ginsenosides, you need to take approximately 294 mg of ginseng; to get 25 mg, you need to take 147 mg of ginseng. HORSETAIL David Hoffmann reports in The New Holistic Herbal (Element, 1991) that horsetail (Equisetum arvense) helps reduce inflammation or bening enlargement of the prostate. Recommended Dose: 250 mg of horsetail extract in 4:1 concentration taken daily. BEE POLLEN Europeans have used bee pollen to treat BPH since the early 1960s. Its effectiveness is supported by several double-blind clinical studies. Bee pollen is also an excellent studies. Bee pollen is also9 an excellent antibacterial for prostate infections. Recommended Dose: 2 tsp raw bee pollen daily. Cynthia Watson, M.D., a clinical faculty instructor at the University of Southern California Medical School and author of Love Potions: A Guide to Aphrodisiacs and Sexual Pleasures (Jeremy Tarcher, 1993), says, "Nowadays most doctors are using early diagnosis, and pharmaceutical therapy with or other prescription drugs is usually the first-line treatment for enlarged prostate. But most doctors are not aware of the effectiveness of alternative therapies using amino acids, zinc, saw palmetto, and other botanical extracts and nutrients. Supplementation is extremely important not only for men with symptoms of BPH, such as dribble, throb, frequent urination, inability to urinate, and infection, but also for prevention of prostate disorders. If men start on a supplement program early enough, they may prevent prostate disorders altogether or at least delay them for a significant portion of their lives." Even though Watson claims success using herbal and nutritional therapy instead of prescription drugs, she emphasizes that, because the signs of an enlarged prostate may be the same signs of prostate cancer, men should not self-diagnose. "All men past age 40 should have annual digital exams or even the prostate specific antigen test, which is good for early diagnosis of prostatic cancer," Watson says. She adds that prostate cancer can be deadly if not detected at its beginning stages, but it is also highly curable when detected and treated early. PAGE 74 Natural Health, November, 1993 I am now in my mid-thirties and it has been more than a year since I had symptoms of prostate enlargement and began taking supplements to overcome the condition. One week after I started taking the supplements, all my symptoms stopped. I have continued to take this formula and have had no further symptoms. Based on my recovery and on the latest research, I am convinced that supplementation with herbs, vitamins, and minerals is an option any man should consider. I spend approximately $ 23 a month for these supplements. Were I to take Proscar, I would spend $ 53 a month. And I would be exposed to the aforementioned risks that the manufacturer of describes in its literature. Copyright 1993 Information Access Company, a Thomson Corporation Company ASAP Copyright 1993 East West Partners Natural Health SECTION: Vol. 23 ; No. 6 ; Pg. 56; ISSN: 1067-9588 LENGTH: 1531 words |
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