How to Prevent BPH (Benign Prostate Enlargement) through Diet
Okay, we covered in painful detail
Why You Want to Avoid BPH (Benign Prostate
Enlargement) Like the Black Plague. Again, unless you somehow enjoy
urinating every hour on the hour day and night, BPH (Benign Prostate
Enlargement) is not for you. But can you really do anything about it. Can
you avoid BPH (Benign Prostate Enlargement), or is it a Mack Truck with your
name written on the grill? As usual, the answer is that
the research you can avoid it through proper diet and other natural solutions.
NOTE: Be sure to discuss any change with your doctor.
1) Low Fat. Once again all directions point to the
Ornish Diet. One of the leading researchers in
the area of prostate cancer and BPH (Benign Prostate Enlargement) is Dr. Alan
Kristal. His research found that "a high-fat diet increased the risk of
BPH by 31 percent, and that daily consumption of red meat increased the risk by
38 percent." [1]
2) Vegetables. Dr. Kristal found that "eating
four or more servings of vegetables daily was associated with a 32 percent
reduction in risk". [1] Vegetable and plant consumption, again,
is a hallmark of the
Low Fat (or Ornish Diet) and really the
Mediterranean Diet as well.
3) Alcohol. This is counterintuitive, because
many believe that estrogen is kind of "anti-prostate" as alcohol give estrogen a
longer shelf life in the body. But moderate drinking (of 1-2 drinks per day and
no more) led to a 38 percent reduction. For a more in-depth discussion of
alcohol, read here.
4) Onions and Garlic. Recent studies have shown that onions and garlic very
significantly lower the chances of
BPH (Benign Prostate Enlargement). [2] Onions were found to be the most
protective but garlic was also a powerful BPH Protector. Men who ate
onions four or more times per week had a 59% lower BPH risk than men who
never ate onions. Garlic was also found to be protective: men who ate the most
garlic had a 28% lower risk than men who never did.
5) Testosterone Therapy. One prominent study showed that testosterone
therapy (Hormone Replacement Therapy) actually decreased the typical enlarged
prostate symptoms that guys often experience. Participants experienced
less nighttime urinations, less leaking and dribbling and less urgency. [3]
6) Red (or Yellow) Maca. One study on rats showed major prostate shrinkage
in rats using red maca and some shrinkage using yellow maca. [4]
Researchers are not totally sure why but note that maca is actually a cruciferous vegetables just as
broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower are and thus it is very high in phytochemicals
called glucosinolates. These glucosinolates are converted downstream to
I3C and other important prostate shrinking and protecting chemicals. You
can also read about Maca and Testosterone, Libido and Fertility.
4) Reproductive Bilology and Endocrinology, 2005, 3:5, "Red maca (Lepidium
meyenii) reduced prostate size in rats"
