Supplements 101
Natural Remedies To Promote Prostate Health
"No man has the power to stop the pas- sage of time. But every man has the power to make aging more healthy and less harm- ful."
~ Decker Weiss, NMD, FASA
A
re you in your 50s or 60s and starting to think more about your health? Have you experienced
any of these urinary problems: increased urinary frequency during the day or night; urgency; hesitancy; straining; dribbling/ difficulty stopping; decreased stream size or force; pain; burning; lower back/pelvic/ hip/upper thigh discomfort; or continued need to urinate after voiding? Has your doctor suggested that you go for regular prostate exams or testing, or perhaps has recommended prostate drugs or surgery? While a complete discussion of the vari- ous potential prostate difficulties, and the numerous complementary alternatives to prostate drugs, is beyond the scope of this article, you might consider some of the plant-derived remedies below if you wish to enhance your prostate health naturally.
Definitions
The prostate is a walnut-sized male sex
gland that encircles the urethra, the tube through which urine is voided. Contrac- tion of its muscles produces prostatic fluid, which is the principle component of male ejaculate and nourishes sperm. This gland
is the most common site of disorders in the male genitourinary system (consisting of the kidneys, two ureters leading from the kidneys to the bladder, and the urethra), namely: (1) prostatitis [inflammation/ en- largement of the prostate, common in men of all ages and caused by bacterial infec- tion, pelvic tension, autoimmunity (attack of the immune system against the urinary tract), high uric acid levels, or hormonal changes]; (2) benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) [gradual prostate enlargement in ap- proximately 50% of all men over age 50 and 90% of all men over age 70, believed to be caused largely by dihydrotestoster- one (DHT) production and/or age-related hormonal changes resulting in estrogen dominance over testosterone levels in the blood]; and (3) prostate cancer [the sec- ond leading killer of men (especially Afri- can Americans), “nearly 100% survivable if detected early,” with risk factors that include a personal history of BPH (due to cancer detection difficulties) or family his- tory of prostate cancer, an animal fat-rich diet, low antioxidant consumption, va- sectomy, sexual activity/venereal disease, obesity, physical inactivity, and pesticide exposure]. Early prostate cancer (referred to as T1c) usually causes no symptoms, but those that some men do experience re- semble symptoms of prostatitis and BPH, most of which are noted above. Additional symptoms include bloody urine or semen and painful ejaculation. Appearance of
any of these symptoms warrants a prompt visit to a urologist and/or proctologist, who may conduct one or more of these diag- nostic tests: (1) blood test [an imperfect means of detecting cancer (e.g., urinary tract infections can markedly elevate PSA) that measures prostate-specific antigen (PSA), which should be below 4.0 ng/ ml]; (2) urine test; (3) digital rectal exam/ sonogram; (4) cystoscopy (examination of the urethra and bladder); (5) urinary tract x-rays; and/or (6) biopsy (if PSA or rectal exam indicate potential cancer). Ideally, get two or more medical opinions if can- cer is diagnosed (some insurance compa- nies require more than a single opinion).
The Conventional Approach
Traditional physicians treat BPH with
one of two classes of drugs, each of which has the following potential side effects: (1) alpha 1 blockers (e.g., Flomax®, Car- dura®) (dangerously low blood pressure, headache, dizziness, stuffy/runny nose, stomach/intestinal irritation) - relieves urinary obstruction by relaxing the blad- der neck’s smooth muscles; and (2) en- zyme (5-alpha-reductase) inhibitors (e.g., Proscar®, Avodart®) (erectile dysfunction, decreased libido, breast enlargement/ten- derness) – shrinks the prostate by blocking the enzyme that converts testosterone to DHT and reducing the number of receptor sites to which DHT can attach. Multiple
Michael Dworkin, P.D., M.S. Erika Dworkin, Dip. C.N. (Pend.)
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June 2010
www.naturalnutmeg.com
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