New Advances in Natural Prostate Support - By Lane Lenard, Ph.D.

New Advances in Natural Prostate Support - By Lane Lenard, Ph.D.
If you’re a man in your 40s or older who suffers with occasional urinary urgency, you’ve no doubt become increasingly aware of your prostate. And even if you haven’t personally experienced any prostate issues, you probably know other men who have. If you watch TV, especially sports broadcasts, it’s hard to miss all the drug commercials populated with middle-aged men doing fun, “manly” things, only to be interrupted for an emergency trip to the “john” at the 14th tee or making an embarrassed dash up crowded grandstand stairs in a packed stadium at a key moment in the game.

Fig. 1. Benign Postatic Hyperplasia

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

As men age, prostate enlargement – or Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) – tends to become an increasingly common issue. And while BPH is a “benign” condition, it nevertheless can lead to serious discomfort. As men enter their 40s, their physician will usually recommend two common tests to evaluate prostate health: the dreaded digital rectal exam (DRE), and a blood test for a substance called prostate-specific androgen (PSA). PSA is an important biomarker that can indicate a potential problem with excess prostate growth. And even if you are symptom-free, these tests may alert your physician to early prostate enlargement.

To appreciate the significance of an enlarged prostate it’s important to understand the basic anatomy of the male urinary tract. As urine forms in the kidneys it flows into the bladder via the ureters. As the bladder fills, its muscular walls begin to contract to force the urine through the urethra to pass out of the body.

Sitting just below the bladder, the prostate gland completely wraps itself around the urethra. Normally about the size of a walnut, all is well until the prostate begins to enlarge.

Over time, the bladder muscle can become so weak that it can lose its ability to completely empty itself. As a result, the residual urine remaining in the bladder can act as a reservoir that harbor bacterial growth, leading to urinary tract infections (UTIs) and more seriously, potential kidney infections.As it enlarges, the prostate begins to compress the urethra, blocking normal urine flow and often turning what was once a strong stream into a mere trickle (Fig. 1). In response to the increasing resistance to urine flow, the bladder walls can become irritated and begin to thicken. This results in the bladder contracting, even when it contains very little urine, resulting in a sudden and urgent need to urinate. In time, the growing need for frequent, urgent trips to the bathroom can become increasingly frustrating, especially when trying to get a good night’s sleep – or finish a round a golf.

Incidence of Prostate Enlargement

Prostate enlargement affects an estimated 60 percent of men between the ages of 40 and 60 years, and up to 75 percent of men over age 60 (Fig. 2).(1) BPH symptoms become clinically significant in about half of these men, accounting for at least 1.7 million doctor visits per year in the United States, with estimated annual health care costs exceeding $4 billion. In addition to the costs, symptoms of BPH have been shown to have a significant negative impact on patient-reported quality of life and psychological well-being.

Onset of Prostate Enlargement

Prostate enlargement may begin as early as one’s 20s, but such growth is usually slow and symptoms of significant growth don’t usually begin to appear until a man reaches middle age or older. This has led some researchers to propose that BPH develops in two phases. In the first phase, which has no clinical signs, microscopic changes within the prostate may occur as early as the third or fourth decade of life.

The second phase, which typically begins in the fifth or sixth decade of life, is marked by macroscopic changes – i.e., prostate enlargement. However, clinical signs of the disorder manifest only if enlargement is substantial and becomes complicated by other disorders, such as prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate gland), or if the gland becomes hardened or deformed.

It has been suggested that, while nearly all men experience the microscopic changes in the prostate, if they live long enough, only about half will experience prostate enlargement, and, of those, only about half will develop clinical symptoms. The question then arises: What causes these relatively common prostate changes that lead to clinical disease?

Risk Factors for BPH

Epidemiologic studies have demonstrated that many of the risk factors associated with cardiovascular diseases are also associated with increased risk of BPH. These risk factors include obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. Age-related impairment of blood circulation to the prostate, caused by atherosclerosis, also plays a key role in the development of BPH.(2) And the connection between BPH and Type 2 diabetes is considered especially strong.(2,3,4) For example, excessive insulin levels, a primary sign of insulin resistance in Type 2 diabetes, may be a direct contributor to prostate growth.

Hormones and BPH

Hormones are known to affect the development and progression of BPH. This fact is illustrated by the unusual finding that men with cirrhosis of the liver have a lower incidence of BPH than men with normal liver function. Men with cirrhosis of the liver have been found to have a lower incidence of BPH than men with normal liver function, probably because the liver damage reduces the metabolism of hormones to compounds that adversely influence prostate cell growth.

Not all hormonal influences on BPH have been determined, but sex hormones (e.g., estrogen, testosterone, prolactin) and insulin have been shown to have such an effect. In particular, it is thought that the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) may be a significant risk factor for BPH.

Drugs like finasteride and dutasteride, which reduce symptoms of BPH, suppress DHT production by inhibiting the enzyme 5α-reductase, which converts testosterone to DHT. These drugs also reduce male-pattern balding, an effect that is likely related to the fact that DHT is produced in the sebaceous glands.

Recognizing Signs of BPH

As noted above, BPH is an extremely slow process, beginning in a man’s mid- to late 20s, but rarely showing clear symptoms until at least a quarter-century later. Symptoms tend to appear slowly and insidiously so that you probably won’t notice them until they’re pretty far along. Common symptoms of prostate enlargement include:

Hesitation or difficulty in urinating
Inability to urinate (urinary retention)
Urgency (strong and sudden need to urinate
Weak urine stream
Dribbling at the end of urinating
Incomplete emptying of bladder
Straining to urinate
Frequent need to urinate throughout the day
Needing to urinate two or more times per night
Pain with urination or bloody urine (may indicate infection)
No one really understands why BPH occurs, although for centuries the condition has been associated with aging. Today we know that men’s bodies (primarily the testes) produce large amounts of testosterone (the “male hormone”) and smaller amounts of estrogen (the “female hormone”). With advancing age, active testosterone production gradually declines, resulting in a higher proportion of estrogen to testosterone. Animal studies suggest that BPH may occur because the higher ratio of estrogen to testosterone in the prostate increases the activity of substances that promote cell growth.(5)

According to a second theory, BPH may result from the presence of excess DHT in the prostate. The enzyme 5α-reductase converts testosterone into DHT in the prostate, helping control prostate growth. Some research suggests that even as blood testosterone levels decline, the prostates of some older men continue to produce high levels of DHT. Conversely, research also shows that men who do not produce DHT do not develop BPH.(5)

A third possible cause for BPH is linked to “instructions” that prostate cells receive early in life. Cells in one section of the prostate are thought to follow these instructions and “reawaken” later in life; either delivering signals to other cells in the gland to make them grow, or making them more sensitive to hormones that influence growth.(5)

Inflammation and BPH

Chronic inflammation is another factor shown to play an important role in the initiation of BPH and many other diseases.(6) Is inflammation a cause or a consequence of BPH? One analysis showed that bacterial and noninfectious chronic prostatitis could represent “inciting” factors leading to tissue hyperproliferation, possibly via the recently demonstrated antigen-presenting capacity of prostatic stromal cells, which enables them to induce and sustain intraglandular immune responses.(7)

According to a major meta-analysis, chronic inflammation appears to be one of these predictive factors. The clinical studies showed a relationship between chronic prostatic inflammation and prostate volume or urinary symptoms. In microscopic studies, numerous inflammatory cells were found to be infiltrating BPH tissues.

Immune cells release cytokines and growth factors that modulate the immune response, but evidence also shows that they promote prostatic cell growth. In addition, prostatic cells themselves are able to secrete inflammatory mediators and stimulate their own growth. Once this vicious circle gets under way, it appears that feedback controls can be overwhelmed, leading to progressive increases in prostate volume.(8)

In another study connecting inflammation with BPH, inflammatory cells were noted in 282 patients treated by surgery for a complicated and/or symptomatic BPH. Inflammatory cells were found to have infiltrated prostate tissues in a majority of the patients, indicating a role for inflammation in the development of BPH based on the incidence of inflammation, prostate volume, and other measures. These findings suggest that progressive prostate enlargement may be strongly influenced by chronic inflammatory processes.(9)

Overall, recent evidence indicates that BPH is a complex disease, but one of the mechanisms leading to prostatic enlargement and urinary symptoms is chronic prostatic inflammation, thus suggesting that inflammation may be a therapeutic target for BPH.

Herbal Blends for Prostate Health

PROSTATE
Pygeum, Saw Palmetto, Stinging Nettle, Gotu Kola, Zinc

BODILY INFLUENCE: Adaptogen, Anti-Inflammatory, Astringent, Hormonal-prostate.

SPECIFIC CONDITIONS: Impotency, Prostate problems, Inflammation of the Prostate.

Saw Palmetto has been a long time favorite in Europe. Millions of dollars of combinations like this are being sold in Europe proving its worth. 

PROSTATE/BLADDER
Black Cohosh, Licorice Kelp, Gotu Kola, Capsicum, Golden Seal, Ginger, Dong Quai.

BODILY INFLUENCE: Anti-Inflammatory, Glandular, Hormonal-prostate.

SPECIFIC CONDITIONS: Acne-male hormones, Lumbago, (low back pain), Prostate problems, Urinary problems, Kidney infection, Bladder, Liver, Spleen, Hormone regulator, Urinary tract.
Male prostate problems are prevalent today. Again, lack of nutrition is one of the major problems. Another is one caused by poor nutrition and poor diet. Consequently, we have poor bowel elimination and we cause ballooning and pockets in the area of the colon related to the prostate. The bowels must be taken care of with prostate problems. This herbal combination is designed to feed, cleanse and restore integrity. 

PROSTATE/BLADDER
Capsicum, (Cayenne Pepper), Siberian Ginseng, Golden Seal Root, Ginger, Parsley, Uva Ursi, Marshmallow Root.

BODILY INFLUENCE: Adaptogen, Antibiotic, Bitter, Diuretic, Hormonal.

SPECIFIC CONDITIONS: Edema, (water retention), Impotency, Prostate problems, Urinary infections.
This herbal combination originated from Dr. Christopher and has had years of proven use.

PROSTATE/BLADDER
Golden Seal Root, Parsley, Marshmallow Root, Ginger, Capsicum, Queen of the Meadow, Juniper Berries, Uva Ursi, Pan Pien Lien.

BODILY INFLUENCE: Adaptogen, Antibiotic, Bitter, Hormonal.

SPECIFIC CONDITIONS: Prostate, Hormones, Prostate problems, Kidney, Urinary infections, Impotency, Edema.

Herbs for Prostate Health

Damiana (Turnera aphodisiaca)- Prostate Inflammation, Impotency, Infertility, Reproductive Organs, Sexual Stimulant.

Echinacea , (Echinacea purpurea)-Prostate Gland Health

False Unicorn, (Chamaelirium luteum)- Prostate Health, Impotence, Kidneys

Garlic, (Allium sativum)-Prostate Gland Problems

Ginseng, Siberian (Eleutherococcus senticosus)-Prostate Gland

Golden Seal Root, (Hydrastis canadensis)-Prostate Glands

Parsley, (Petroselinum satvum)-Prostate Gland

Pau d'Arco, (Tabebuia heptaphylla)-Prostate Problems

Pumkin Seeds,  (Cucurbita pepo)-Prostate Gland, BPH, Prostate Inflammation

Pygeum, (Prunus africana)-Prostate Gland Inflammation

Saw Palmetto, (Serenoa repens)- Prostate Gland Enlargement, Sexual Stimulant, Hormone regulation, Impotency

Schizandra, (Schisandra chinensis)-Impotency, Frequent Urination, Anti-Aging, Radiation

Yohimbe, (Pausinystalia johimbe)-Aphrodisiac. Note: This herb should be avoided if there is high blood pressure or heart arrhythmia.