Doctors say about half of men between 51 and 60 suffer from an enlarged prostate. That number goes up to 90% for men older than 80.
Enlarged prostates, also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) become an issue when cells in the prostate abnormally divide and multiply, causing the organ to increase in size. Symptoms include:
- Urine leakage
- Excessive urination
- An urgent need to urinate
- Trouble starting to urinate
- A weak stream of urine accompanied by dribbling at the end
- The feeling that your bladder is always full
- Sexual issues
As many as 14 million men in the United States have symptoms of BPH. Men who suspect their prostate is enlarged should first seek professional medical help. There are medicines that can help such as alpha blockers, which relax muscles of the prostate and neck of the bladder to relieve symptoms.
Examples of alpha blocker medications include alfuzosin (Uroxatral), doxazosin (Cardura), tamsulosin (Flomax) and terazosin (Hytrin).
There are also several medicinal plants that are often used to relieve symptoms of BPH. The top three medicinal plants for an enlarged prostate:
Saw Palmetto
The saw palmetto tree (Serenoa repens) is a small palm endemic to the subtropical Southeastern United States that grows to a maximum height of around 8 feet. Medicine is made from the small fruit that the palmetto tree produces.
Saw palmetto has been a much researched medicinal plant with mixed results. Regarding enlarged prostates, saw palmetto doesn’t shrink the overall size of the prostate, but it may shrink the inner lining that puts pressure on the tubes that carry urine.
Saw palmetto is available in capsule, soft gel and tablet form. For BPH, it’s generally recommended to take 320 milligrams of saw palmetto daily split into two doses.
It may be best to take saw palmetto with food. Side effects are uncommon, but some have experienced stomach pain, nausea and bad breath.
Pygeum
Pygeum is an herbal extract taken from the bark of the African cherry tree (Prunus africana).
Used for generations in African traditional medicine to treat prostate cancer, Prunus africana is now highly sought by international pharmaceutical companies for use in treatments for BPH.
As a medicinal plant, Prunus africana may help urinary symptoms associated with BPH such as reducing urinary frequency and pain with urination.
Pygeum supplements are available online and in health stores. The average recommended dose is typically 100 to 200 milligrams per day.
Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin seeds (Cucurbita pepo) contain beta-sitosterol, a compound similar to cholesterol and found in some plants. Research shows that beta-sitosterol may improve urine flow and reduce the amount of urine left in the bladder after urination.
Particularly significant was a yearlong placebo-controlled study of 465 patients that showed marked improvements for those taking pumpkin seed extract compared to the placebo.
Some studies recommend taking 10 g of pumpkin seed extract daily for BPH symptoms.
Eating a handful of raw pumpkin seeds several times a week might also help keep your prostate healthy due to the high zinc content in the raw seeds.