Vitamin E- Numerous studies indicate that Vitamin E substantially
reduces the risk of prostate cancer. A study conducted in Finland followed 29,132
men from 1985 to 1991. The men who took Vitamin E, (50 IU's per day) experienced
41 percent fewer deaths from prostate cancer than those not receiving Vitamin
E. (Heinonen O.P, Albanes D., Virtamo J, Taylor P.R., Huttunen J.K., Hartman A.M.,
Haapakoskim J., Malila N., Rautalahti M., Ripatti S., Maenpaa H., Teerenhovi L.,
Koss L., Virolainen M., and Edwards B.K.Prostate cancer and supplementation with
alpha-tocopherol and beta- carotene: incidence and mortality in a controlled trial.
J Natl Cancer Inst 90: 440-446, 1998).
Magnesium - protects the heart and other vital organs, which
suffer during acute infections. Magnesium is also a critical component of maintaining
a healthy urinary tract by preventing formation of kidney stones. Several randomized
trials have established the value of magnesium supplementation to inhibit stone
formation. (Pak C.Y. Medical Prevention of renal stone disease, Center for Mineral
Metabolism and Clinical Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center,
Nephron;81 Suppl 1:60-5, 1999).
Zinc - is probably the single most important nutrient for
a healthy prostate. The normal prostate gland contains more zinc than any other
organ. Zinc supplementation has been shown to diminish the symptoms of BPH and
actually reduce the size of the prostate. (Bush I.M., Berman E., Nourkayhan
S., et al. Zinc treatment for reduction of hyperplasia of prostate. Fed Proc;
35(3): 361, 1976).
Saw Palmetto - (Serenoa repens, Sabal serrulata) has been
demonstrated to have significant benefits in treating BPH. In Europe it is used
extensively in treating BPH. Clinical studies demonstrate that 320 mg per day
is an effective treatment for symptoms of BPH. A 1998 study by Harvard researchers
found that Saw Palmetto extract was effective in the treatment of BPH. (Wilt
T.J., Ishani A., Stark, et.al. Saw Palmetto Extracts for treatment of benign
prostatic hyperplasia. JAMA, 380:160-169, 1998.) Another study conducted in
Germany found that taking 160mg of Saw Palmetto twice-daily reduced night time
urination in 73% of the men tested. (Bach D., Ebeling L. Long-term drug treatment
of benign prostatic hyperplasia - results of a prospective 3-year multicultural
study using Sabal extract IDS 89. Phytomedicine, 3:105-11, 1996.) Positive results
with BPH usually take four to six weeks. Improved prostate health requires continual
use of Saw Palmetto.
Pigeum Africanum -is an evergreen tree in Africa. Its bark
has historically been used to treat urinary tract infections. It has been used
to treat BPH in Europe since the 1980s. The results of many clinical trials
demonstrate the effectiveness of Pygeum in reducing the symptoms of BPH. (Andro
M.C. Riffaud J.P.. Pygeum africanum extract for the treatment of patients with
benign prostatic hyperplasia: a review of 25 years of published experience.
Curr Ter Res, 56:796-8, 1995).
Pumpkin Seed- (Cururbita Pepo) A clinical study conducted in
Germany in 1997 demonstrated that pumpkin seeds are beneficial for the treatment
of mild to moderate BPH and their use seems well justified. (Blumenthal M.,
Busse W.R., Goldberg A. et al. (eds). The Complete German Commission E Monographs:
Therapueutic Guide to Herbal Medicine, Boston: Integrative Medicine Communications,
193, 1998).
Beta Sitosterol – has long been used to treat prostate
problems in Europe. A double-blind clinical study published in the British medical
journal Lancet found that among 200 men with BPH, those given Beta-sitosterol
(20mg three times a day for six months) showed considerable improvements in
urinary functions versus those men given placeboes, who reported no relief.
(Berges R.R., Windeler J., Trampisch H.J., et al. Randomised, placebo-controlled,
double-blind clinical trial of beta-sitosterol in patients with benign prostatic
hyperplasia. Lancet; 345:1529–32, 1995). No significant side effects or
interactions have been reported with Beta- Sitosterol.
Lycopene - is an anti-oxidant that may lower the risk of prostate
cancer especially when combined with Vitamin E. A study at Harvard Medical School
showed a measurable relationship between lycopene and the reduction of prostate
cancer. (Clinton SK, Emenhiser C., Schwartz S.J, Bostwick D.G., Williams A.W.,
Moore B.J., Erdman J.W. Jr.,Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School,
Boston, Massachusetts. Cis-trans lycopene isomers, carotenoids, and retinol
in the human prostate. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev;5(10): 823-833, Oct
1996).
References:
Bach D., Ebeling L. Long-term drug treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia
- results of a prospective 3-year multicultural study using Sabal extract IDS
89. Phytomedicine; 3:105-11, 1996.Andro M.C. Riffaud J.P. Pygeum africanum extract
for the treatment of patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia: a review of
25 years of published experience. Curr Ter Res; 56:796-8, 1995.
Clinton SK, Emenhiser C., Schwartz S.J, Bostwick D.G., Williams A.W., Moore
B.J., Erdman J.W. Jr., Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School,
Boston, Massachusetts. Cis-trans lycopene isomers, carotenoids, and retinol
in the human prostate. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 5(10): 823-833, Oct
1996.
Lichius JJ; Lenz C; Lindemann P; Muller HH; Aumuller G; Konrad L. Antiproliferative
effect of a polysaccharide fraction of a 20% methanolic extract of stinging
nettle roots upon epithelial cells of the human prostate (LNCaP). Pharmazie;
54(10): 768-71, Oct 1999.
Sokeland J. Combined sabal and urtica extract compared with finasteride in
men with benign prostatic hyperplasia: analysis of prostate volume and therapeutic
outcome. BJUInt; 86(4): 439-42, Sep 2000.
Wilt T.J., Ishani A., Stark, et al. Saw Palmetto Extracts for treatment of
benign prostatic hyperplasia. JAMA; 380:160-169, 1998.
