Protecting the Prostate

The prostate gland is an important part of the male reproductive system. The prostate creates a fluid that mixes with sperm and other fluids during ejaculation. These fluids nourish and transport sperm during the process of semen ejaculation during sexual excitement. A normal prostate gland is around the size of a walnut.

Prostate Enlargement is common as a man ages and matures. Medical doctors call this condition of enlarged prostate BPH or “benign prostatic hyperplasia”. As the prostate enlarges, the layer of tissue surrounding it stops it from expanding, causing the prostate gland to press inward against the urethra and restricting the flow, narrowing the space for urine to pass. The bladder wall also becomes thicker and irritable. The bladder starts to contract even when it contains even small amounts of urine, causing more frequent urination by the male. Eventually, the bladder weakens and loses the ability to completely empty itself and urine remains in the bladder. The narrowing of the urethra and partial emptying of the bladder cause a large number of the problems associated with an enlarged prostate. A doctor can determine an enlarged prostate during the dreaded finger prostate exam.

The symptoms of an enlarged prostate can vary, but the most common ones involve changes or problems with urination, such as a hesitant, interrupted, weak stream, urgency and leaking or dribbling, more frequent urination, especially at night. This is often called nocturia. Men who have symptoms of prostate obstruction are much more likely to develop chronic kidney disease. These are troubling and dangerous problems if not found and corrected in time.

Enlarged prostate treatments vary. Numerous effective pharmaceutical drugs are available to improve symptoms of prostate enlargement. There are also effective natural therapies including the use of time-tested herbal products. Some commonly used herbs for enlarged prostate gland include rye pollen, stinging nettle, saw palmetto, and pygeum, Plant extracts that have also been investigated include beta sitosterol, quercetin, rosaminic acid, genistein, daidzein and lycopene. In addition to herbs and mainstream medications, there is also some basic, common sense, behavioral changes that can help combat prostate symptoms. Among these changes are reducing fluid intake, limiting or ending alcohol and caffeine consumption, especially in the evening, and not passing up a chance to use the bathroom, even when your bladder doesn’t feel full. These simple steps can help reduce the impact of an enlarged prostate on a man’s life.

Protecting the Prostate

The prostate gland is an important part of the male reproductive system. The prostate creates a fluid that mixes with sperm and other fluids during ejaculation. These fluids nourish and transport sperm during the process of semen ejaculation during sexual excitement. A normal prostate gland is around the size of a walnut.

Prostate Enlargement is common as a man ages and matures. Medical doctors call this condition of enlarged prostate BPH or “benign prostatic hyperplasia”. As the prostate enlarges, the layer of tissue surrounding it stops it from expanding, causing the prostate gland to press inward against the urethra and restricting the flow, narrowing the space for urine to pass. The bladder wall also becomes thicker and irritable. The bladder starts to contract even when it contains even small amounts of urine, causing more frequent urination by the male. Eventually, the bladder weakens and loses the ability to completely empty itself and urine remains in the bladder. The narrowing of the urethra and partial emptying of the bladder cause a large number of the problems associated with an enlarged prostate. A doctor can determine an enlarged prostate during the dreaded finger prostate exam.

The symptoms of an enlarged prostate can vary, but the most common ones involve changes or problems with urination, such as a hesitant, interrupted, weak stream, urgency and leaking or dribbling, more frequent urination, especially at night. This is often called nocturia. Men who have symptoms of prostate obstruction are much more likely to develop chronic kidney disease. These are troubling and dangerous problems if not found and corrected in time.

Enlarged prostate treatments vary. Numerous effective pharmaceutical drugs are available to improve symptoms of prostate enlargement. There are also effective natural therapies including the use of time-tested herbal products. Some commonly used herbs for enlarged prostate gland include rye pollen, stinging nettle, saw palmetto, and pygeum, Plant extracts that have also been investigated include beta sitosterol, quercetin, rosaminic acid, genistein, daidzein and lycopene. In addition to herbs and mainstream medications, there is also some basic, common sense, behavioral changes that can help combat prostate symptoms. Among these changes are reducing fluid intake, limiting or ending alcohol and caffeine consumption, especially in the evening, and not passing up a chance to use the bathroom, even when your bladder doesn’t feel full. These simple steps can help reduce the impact of an enlarged prostate on a man’s life.

Saw Palmetto Not Effective at Relieving Prostate Problems

The herbal remedy saw palmetto is no more effective than a placebo at treating symptoms related to enlargement of the prostate gland, according to a new study in the Feb. 9 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

“The results are disappointing, particularly for the estimated 2 million
American men who take saw palmetto,” said Andy Avins, MD, MPH, of the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, Calif., and co-leader of the study.
In Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), the prostate gland enlarges,
causing an obstruction that can impair urinary function. Saw palmetto is commonly used as an alternative to prescription medications. The National Institutes of Health says BPH affects more than half of men 60 and older, and more than 90 percent of men 70 and older.

The year-long, double-blind study, by researchers at Kaiser Permanente and UCSF/San Francisco VA Medical Center, followed 225 men diagnosed with BPH. The patients were randomly assigned to take either 160 mg of saw palmetto (the amount used in the vast majority of prior clinical trials) or a placebo twice a day for one year. The researchers say there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of symptom changes either during the trial, or at the end of the year.

“Obviously this is not encouraging news for men who are considering taking saw palmetto to treat their BPH,” said Avins. “Not only did it show no overall benefit, but it also showed no benefit when we looked at it in subgroups of patients who had different levels of severity of symptoms, or who had different sizes of prostate.”

The study’s findings contradict several previous studies, which suggested the herb was an effective treatment for BPH. The researchers say there are several possible explanations for this. Previous studies were smaller in size and duration. In measuring the severity of BPH, most of those studies did not apply the same method that is commonly used to measure the effectiveness of prescription medications for the problem.

Another potential problem with earlier studies has to do with the nature of saw palmetto itself, according to Stephen Bent, MD, staff physician at the San Francisco VA Medical Center and co-author of the study. “This is a very pungent herb, and it took our research team a long time to create a placebo that convincingly duplicates its strong smell and taste. We suspect that prior trials didn’t adequately address that problem.” Bent said.

He added:  “It’s possible that some of the positive findings in earlier
work may be due to the fact that the blinding wasn’t adequate. Someone who’s taking something that’s smelly and likely to be the plant extract is perhaps more likely to report a benefit than someone who’s taking an odorless and tasteless tablet.”  The researchers say this may not be the final word on the subject. They say it is possible saw palmetto may be effective at higher doses.

Co-authors of the study include:  Christopher Kane, MD, and Katsuto
Shinohara, MD, of the San Francisco VA Medical Center; John Neuhaus, PhD and Esther S. Hudes, PhD, MPH, of UCSF; and Harley Goldberg, DO, of Kaiser Permanente Northern California and UCSF. The study was funded by a grant from the NIH that was administered by the Northern California Institute for Research and Education.