So, you’re retired! That means you get to sleep late if you like, no more shift work and you’re always well rested…right? Well, for 50-60% of men 40-59 years of age, a good night’s sleep is just a dream. That’s because over 10 million men in America suffer from benign prostatic hyperplasia or prostate enlargement. That translates to increased urinary frequency so they awaken frequently during the night to urinate, and when they do they may have difficulty due to reduced force and caliber of the stream. Often the bladder can’t be emptied fully, so the next trip to the bathroom is sooner than it should be. Sometimes there’s even pain, burning and difficulty starting and stopping the stream.

The prostate is a doughnut shaped male sex gland that sits just below the bladder, encircling the urinary outlet. When it enlarges it starts to close off that outlet. The gradual enlargement is caused by hormonal changes associated with aging. As we get older we produce less testosterone, but more of a hormone called dihydrotestosterone. That’s the hormone that causes the cells in the prostate to multiply, resulting in growth of the gland. A diet high in protein and animal fat seems to make matters worse by helping the body produce more of that hormone.

There are a number of options for treatment at your disposal. They include surgery, the use of drugs, or natural vitamin and herbal therapy. As a nutritionist and a chiropractor you won’t be surprised that I prefer natural methods of treatment. What might surprise you is, that based on numerous scientific studies, the natural therapies have a much higher rate of success!

Surgery does tend to provide long term relief, however, side effects include impotence, infection and incontinence. Also, about 15% of men who have it done will need to have it repeated within eight years.

The most common drug prescribed is Proscar. It works by stopping the body from producing dihydrotestosterone, thereby shrinking the prostate. Unfortunately, according to the drug’s manufacturer, only 30-50% of the men taking Proscar will experience any clinical improvement after taking it for a full year. You must take it for a minimum of 6 months before any improvement is expected. Doesn’t sound so good, huh? (It gets worse!) The side effects can be impotence, loss in libido (sex drive), and ejaculatory difficulties. In spite of all this, sales of the drug are estimated to soon reach $1 billion dollars annually.

Enough bad news, there’s a better alternative…a far better one. Saw palmetto extract is the extract of the berry of a palm plant. In Europe, it is given by prescription, and the results are far superior. Numerous scientific studies have proven saw palmetto extract to be effective in nearly 90% of patients, usually in a period of 4-6 weeks. And the best news is that no significant side effects have ever been reported. You can find saw palmetto in health food stores, but be sure you buy a standardized herbal extract that is labeled to contain 85-95% fatty acids and sterols. This is a very concentrated form, and the only one that has been tested. If it doesn’t say this on the label you’re wasting your money. The effective dosage is 160 milligrams twice a day, but you may need to vary that dose slightly.

(If you’re wondering why you haven’t heard about this before, or why your doctor hasn’t told you about it, there is an easy but upsetting answer. In the US you can’t patent a natural substance like a vitamin or herb. That means you can’t charge $50 dollars a pill and pharmaceutical companies simply have no interest. Since doctors are swamped with new information, most get their info on the latest drugs directly from drug company salesmen. Natural therapies just don’t get much attention.)

In addition to the saw palmetto, you should take 50-75 milligrams per day of zinc, eat a diet lower in animal fat and protein, and increase your fruits and vegetables. Also, if you have symptoms you should be examined by your doctor before starting any treatment on your own. If your over 40, a yearly exam is a very good idea. If you’re symptom-free but are over 40, I recommend taking 160 milligrams of saw palmetto once a day, and 25 milligrams of zinc as a preventative. If you have any questions at all, feel free to give me a call.