At some point in their life, most men will experience Prostate enlargement, also called BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia). More than 90% of men over age 80 are affected.

In men, urine flows from the Bladder through the urethra. As the prostate cells gradually multiply, its enlargement presses on the urethra and causes bladder problems. Then the bladder has to more forcefully push to release urine.

In time bladder muscles thicken and become overly sensitive even when it has small amounts of urine, leading to frequent bathroom trips. Eventually the bladder muscle cannot overcome the narrowed urethra so the bladder does not completely empty.

Symptoms and Complications of an Enlarged Prostate
Symptoms of an Enlarged Prostate include a weak urinary stream, frequent and urgent urination, dribbling, and inability to fully empty bladder, which can lead to urinary tract infections, bladder stones and kidney problems.

Having an enlarged prostate affects quality of life, leading many to seek help.

Risk Factors
• Age
• Diet
• Family history
• Ethnicity
• Diabetes and heart disease
• Lifestyle

BPH and the Use of Plants and Herbs
Interest in using plants and herbs (phytotherapy) for BPH and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) has been growing steadily. Here is some of the latest research.

Saw Palmetto. The extract of the American saw Palmetto (serenoa repens) is one of several phytotherapeutic agents popular for the treatment of BPH. A new trial involve over 3000 men from 21 randomized trials lasting 4 to 48 weeks. Eighteen of these trial were double-blinded. Researchers found that compared with a placebo, saw palmetto improved urinary symptom scores, and flow measures and is associated with fewer adverse treatment events.(1)

A three-year trial in Germany documented that patients taking 160 mg of saw palmetto twice daily improved their urinary flow rates. Specifically, 74 percent of men taking saw palmetto reported an improvement in urological symptoms compared to just 38 percent of men taking the placebo. In addition, saw palmetto reduced nighttime wake ups to urinate (25 percent absolute difference) compared to the placebo. And saw palmetto was superior to the placebo in improving peak and mean urine flow and residual urine volume (24 percent Absolute Difference Compared to the placebo. (2)

Lycopene. In recent years, diet-related prostate issues have risen. Certain micronutrients are thought to exert protective effects and even inhibit cell proliferation. Tomato lycopene is one such nutrient. Several studies have linked increased lycopene consumption with decreased prostate cancer risk. (3) A 2014 study showed similar findings. (4)

Pumpkin Seed. Pumpkin Seed has also shown promise. A German study of 1431 men aged 50-80 with BPH/LUTS were randomly assigned pumpkin seed, pumpkin seed extract or a placebo. While there was no difference between the pumpkin seed and the extract, after 12 months of study, the men with BPH saw a clinically relevant reduction in the Prostate Symptom Score when compared with the placebo. (5)

1. Wilt T.J., et. al. Serenoa repens for benign prostatic hyperplasia. Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2002; (3): CD001423
2. Wilt T.J., et al. Saw Palmetto Extracts for Treatment of BPH. Journal of the American Medical Association 1998; 280: 160-9
3. Holzapfel, Nina, et al. The Potential Role of Lycopene for the Prevention and Therapy of Prostate Cancer. Int J Mol Sci. 2013 Jul; 14(7) 14620-14646
4. Zhang x et al. Lycopene can reduce prostate-specific antigen velocity. Chin Med J 2014; 127(11): 2143-6
5. Vahensieck W., et al. Effects of Pumpkin Seed in Men with LUTS and BPH Urol Int. 2015;94(3):286-95