Prostate informational Resource

Question of the Day:
True OR False
Men are born with a prostate...

Fun Prostate Facts

FACT: In 1995, the London Times reported the results of a survey that asked men about their prostate glands. Eighty-nine percent of the men surveyed didn't know where the prostate is located. Sixty-two percent of them mistook it for the bladder, and only half of them knew that only men could have prostate problems!

FACT: All Men have a Prostate.

FACT: Surgery is an effective means for alleviating the symptoms of an enlarged prostate. However, the complications are severe and several.

FACT: All men are on their way to a larger prostate. In fact, 4 out of 5 men will at some point in their lives have sufficient enough problems with their prostate so as to seek medical consultation.

FACT: Enlargement of the prostate is called Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy. This condition is common in older men. More than half of men in their 60's have BPH. Among men in their 70's and 80's, the figure may go as high as 90%.

FACT: Prostate cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer among American men. Without treatment, this cancer can spread to other parts of the body and eventually cause death. Some 40,000 men die every year from prostate cancer that has spread.

FACT: Herbal components have been shown to be as effective as some prostate drugs in clinical trials, while not producing the side effects of drugs.

FACT: Surgery is an effective means for alleviating the symptoms of an enlarged prostate. However, the complications are severe and several.

What is the prostate?
The prostate is a small organ about the size of a walnut. It lies below the bladder (where urine is stored) and surrounds the urethra (the tube that carries urine from the bladder). The prostate makes a fluid that becomes part of semen. Semen is the white fluid that contains sperm. In addition,it secretes fluid into the urethra that helps to protect against bladder infections.

Changes in the prostate as one ages
1. Enlargement
2. Hardening
3. Decreased Fluid Secretions

These lead to a host of health problems!

8 Primary Symptoms that May Indicate an Enlarged Prostate (BPH) or Prostatitis:

1. A frequent need to urinate, causing you to get up several times during the night to void.
2. A weak, often interrupted urinary stream. A full-bladder feeling, as if you can never completely empty your bladder.
3. A full-bladder feeling, as if you can never completely empty your bladder.
4. Difficulty initiating a urine stream, with involuntarily dribbling at the beginning or end.
5. Sudden - sometimes uncontrollable - urgency to urinate.
6. A burning, painful, or throbbing sensation when urinating.
7. Loss of libido and sexual potency.
8. Blood in the urine and any pain or discomfort in the urinary tract.

How Does This Happen?
Leading scientists agree that the primary cause of BPH is a hormone called dihydrotestosterone or DHT for short. As you age (usually over 45), your body converts more testosterone into the more potent DHT. The result of this increase in DHT is an excessive overgrowth of prostate cells, resulting in an enlarged prostate gland that constricts the urethra and interferes with normal urinary functioning

Non-cancerous Prostate Problems:

Acute Prostatitis
Chronic Prostatitis
Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy (BPH)
Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy (BPH)

Common in older men. More than half of men in their 60's have BPH. Among men in their 70's and 80's, the figure may go as high as 90 percent.

An enlarged prostate may eventually block the urethra and make it hard to urinate.

Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy (BPH)

Other common symptoms are dribbling after urination and the urge to urinate often, especially at night. In rare cases, the patient is unable to urinate. A doctor usually can detect an enlarged prostate by rectal exam. The doctor also may examine the urethra, prostate, and bladder using a cytoscope, an instrument that is inserted through the penis

BPH Treatment Choices

There are several different ways to treat BPH:
Watchful Waiting (Wait and see method)
Drugs
Surgery
Integrative Approach

Drugs:

Alpha blockers are drugs that help relax muscles near the prostate and may relieve symptoms. Side effects can include headaches. Also, these medicines sometimes make people feel dizzy, lightheaded, or tired. Alpha blockers are new drugs, so doctors do not know their long term effects. Some common alpha blockers are doxazosin (Cardura), prazosin (Minipress), and terazosin (Hytrin).

Finasteride (Proscar) is a drug that inhibits the action of the male hormone testosterone. It can shrink the prostate. Side effects of finasteride include declining interest in sex, problems getting an erection, and problems with ejaculation. Again, because it is new, doctors do not know its long-term effects.

Surgery:

Is the treatment most likely to relieve BPH symptoms. However, it also has the most complications. Doctors use three kinds of surgery for BPH:

1. Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) is the most common.
   After the patient is given anesthesia, the doctor inserts a special instrument into the urethra through the penis. With the instrument, the doctor then removes part of the prostate to lessen its obstruction.
2. Transurethral incision of the prostate (TUIP) may be used when the prostate is not too enlarged. In this procedure, the doctor passes an instrument through the urethra to make one or two small cuts in the prostate.
3. Open surgery is used when the prostate is very enlarged.
   In open surgery, the surgeon makes an incision in the abdomen or between the scrotum and the anus to remove prostate tissue.

Integrative Approach:

Scientific studies have demonstrated the power of botanical components to be as, or more, effective than prescription drugs for BPH when used in appropriate concentrations.

Saw Palmetto:

It been extensively studied in relation to the health of the prostate. The liposterolic (fat-soluble) extract of saw palmetto provides concentrated amounts of free fatty acids and sterols (such as beta-sitosterol). Studies suggest saw palmetto extract suggests that it reduces the amount of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) (an active form of testosterone) binding in the part of the prostate surrounding the urethra (the tube carrying urine from the bladder). Test tube studies also suggest that saw palmetto inhibits the action of 5-alpha-reductase, the enzyme responsible for converting testosterone to DHT, which then results in an enlargement of the prostate.2
In test tubes, saw palmetto also inhibits the actions of growth factors and inflammatory substances that may contribute to prostate challenges.

Over the last decade, double-blind clinical trials have proven that 320 mg per day of the liposterolic extract of saw palmetto berries is a safe and effective for prostate health. A recent review of studies, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, concluded that saw palmetto extract was as effective as finasteride (Proscar^®) for BPH.3 A three-year trial in Germany found that taking 160 mg of saw palmetto extract twice daily reduced nighttime urination in 73% of patients and improved urinary flow rates significantly.4 In a double-blind trial, 160 mg of saw palmetto extract taken twice daily was found to treat BPH as effectively as finasteride (Proscar) without side effects, such as loss of libido.

Beta-Sitosterol extract:

Beta-sitosterol is one of several plant sterols (cholesterol is the main animal sterol) found in almost all plants. It is believed to be the main active plant sterol found in saw palmetto, pumpkin seed, pygeum afrcanum, and nettles. Beta-sitosterol-alone and in combination with similar plant sterols-has an effect on the health of the prostate(5) and body cholesterol. (123) (This appears to be because beta-sitosterol blocks absorption of cholesterol). In Germany and France, herbal extracts are sold by prescription only under the names Harzal and Permixon. Numerous international scientific journals have published scientific studies that have demonstrated the benefit of Beta-sitosterol on the prostate. Journals like the:

International Journal of Immunopharmacol, 1996; The Lancet, 1995; European Journal of Drug Metab., 1997; Anticancer Research, 1996; European Patent EP 287,000, Minerva Urologia, 1985; British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 1984; Medizinische Klinik, 1982; European Urology, 1992 and 1994, and Fortsher. Med., 1980.

Pygeum Africanum

Pygeum is an evergreen tree found in the higher elevations of central and southern Africa. Its bark extract has been shown to significantly promote the health of the prostate. Chemical analysis and pharmacological studies indicate the lipophilic extract of pygeum bark has three categories of active constituents:

Three categories of active constituents in Pygeum: Phytosterols- including beta-sitosterol, have anti-inflammatory effects by interfering with the formation of hormone-like substances in the body (prostaglandins) that tend to accumulate in the prostate of men with BPH. Pentacyclic terpenes - have an anti-edema, or decongesting, effect. Ferulic esters- indirectly control testosterone activity in the prostate, which may reduce the risk of BPH.

Pygeum alone has been shown in several double-blind trials to help men with BPH by improving urinary flow and other symptoms of BPH. It has also been used successfully in combination with nettle root to treat BPH. In one German study of 263 men who suffered from an enlarged prostate, an astonishing 66% of the patients treated with Pygeum africanum showed a dramatic improvement in their symptoms after only 60 days of treatment. According to Dr. Earl Mindell in his book, What You Should Know About Natural Health For Men, a stunning 81% of all doctors' prescriptions for prostate enlargement (BPH) in France contain Pygeum extract.

Pumpkin Seed Extract:

Pumpkin seeds contain several major groups of active constituents: essential fatty acids, amino acids, phytosterols (e.g. beta-sitosterol) minerals, and vitamins. Pumpkin seed oil has been used in combination with saw palmetto in two double-blind trials to effectively reduce symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).4 5

Additional studies have been done looking at the effects of pumpkin seed oil on the prostate when given alone.6 Animal studies have shown that pumpkin seed extracts can improve the function of the bladder and urethra.7

Nettle (Urtica dioica):

Nettle is a leafy plant that is found in most temperate regions of the world.
There has been a great deal of controversy regarding the identity of nettle's active constituents. Currently, it is thought that polysaccharides (complex sugars) and lectins are probably the active constituents. Test tube studies suggest the leaf has anti-inflammatory actions. This is thought to be caused by nettle preventing the body from making inflammatory chemicals known as prostaglandins. Nettle's root affects hormones and proteins that carry sex hormones (such as testosterone or estrogen) in the human body. This may explain why it helps promote the health of the prostate. benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).2

Nettle has been successfully combined with saw palmetto to successfully treat BPH. One trial using a combination of saw palmetto extract (320 mg per day) and nettle root extract (240 mg per day) showed positive actions on symptoms of BPH (e.g. improved urine flow, decreased nighttime urination, etc.) over a one-year treatment period.6 Another study compared the same combination to finasteride for one year with.