Home Remedies for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia or Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy (BPH)

Home Remedies for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia or Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy (BPH)

IN last week’s edition, we mentioned tomatoes, pumpkin seeds, watermelon seeds as some of the specific foods that have been proven to be effective in the management and prevention of prostate enlargement. Other foods include:

Soybeans (Glycine max)

Studies have shown that the consumption of soy-based foods helps in preventing prostate enlargement. Prostate enlargement is less prevalence among Japanese men and this has been attributed to the Japanese diet that is rich in soy and tofu.

Soy is a staple food in many Asian countries and is rich in proteins (the source of essential amino acids), dietary fibres, vitamins C and E, iron, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and calcium. It is low in fat and is cholesterol-free. Soy also contains plant oestrogens like isoflavones (primarily genistein and daidzein) and anthocyanin that have antioxidant properties which are known to help control prostate enlargement and may reduce the risk of hormone-dependent cancers, such as prostate cancer, breast cancers as well as other cancers.

Anthocyanin is also found in red cabbage, red wine, green tea and berries.

Onions (Allium cepa)

Onions are bulbous perennial or biennial herbs believed to be native to the Northern Hemisphere. For more than 6,000 years, onion bulbs have been cultivated worldwide and used as food and for healing various health problems.

Onion bulb is an excellent source of amino acids (such as glutamic acid, arginine, lysine, glycine, etc.); vitamin C; vitamin E; B-vitamins, e.g. B1 (thiamine), B2 (Riboflavin); folic acid; potassium; phosphorous; calcium; manganese; sodium; sulphur; and, in lesser quantities – manganese; iron; copper; zinc; and selenium. It is rich in dietary fibres and contains no fat.

Essentially, onion bulb contains essential oil with many sulphurous compouonds such as allicin (diallyl disulfide), flavonoid quercetin, etc., which make it a powerful immune booster and an excellent antioxidant and anti-tumour agent.

Recent studies have shown that a daily liberal intake of raw whole onion or taking raw onion juice is one of the most effective home supplements for the prevention of prostate disorders in men. Consumption of onion inhibits organ enlargements and inhibits the establishment of cancerous centers in the body. However, the health and preventive benefits of raw onion manifest only after long-term usage.

Sea foods

It is advisable to substitute red meat with sea foods such as salmon fish, mackerel, tuna, fish, herring, etc. These sea foods are very high in omega-3 fatty acids and other fish oils.

Omega-3 oil fatty acids are beneficial for cardiovascular health and help in preventing prostate tumours and cancerous growths. It has also been found that by taking any one of 1 tablespoon of virgin coconut oil, walnut oil, linseed oil, sunflower oil or evening primrose oil daily helps in relieving the symptoms of prostate enlargement.

Supplements for Prostate Enlargement

Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV)

Apple cider vinegar is an acidic solution produced by fermenting apples. The healing benefits have been known for thousands of years, and recent studies also show that apple cider vinegar contains more than 90 different bioactive substances including apple pectin, malic acid, acetic acid, tartaric acid, propionic acid, lactic acid and numerous enzymes. It also contains Vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, beta-carotene, vitamin P (bioflavonoids), potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, chlorine, copper, iron, silicon, fluorine and other trace minerals.

Owing to its high content of beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E and vitamin A, ACV has powerful antioxidant activities.

Sipping diluted apple cider vinegar solution (2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar in one glass of water a day) helps to restore the body’s acid/alkaline balance, boosts the immune system, removes accumulated toxins in the body and helps lower blood cholesterol.

Apple cider vinegar may not cure or reduce prostate enlargement and prostate cancer directly; however, it does these indirectly by helping to remove potentially dangerous toxins and mopping up or neutralizing free radicals - in the body – which can cause the damage of cells and thus lead to prostate degenerative changes in the prostate gland.

Blackstrap Molasses

Crude blackstrap molasses is a healthful sweetener that contains significant amounts of a variety of minerals that promote health. Scientific analysis has shown that blackstrap molasses is an excellent source of most vital nutrients. For example, two tablespoons of blackstrap molasses contains the following: Calcium (117.53 mg), Copper (0.28 mg), Iron (2.39 mg), Magnesium (29.38 mg), Manganese (0.36 mg), Potassium (340.57 mg), Phosphorus,; and trace minerals like Chromium and Selenium (2.43 mcg).

Taking two tablespoons of organic blackstrap molasses daily as a sweetener together with Vitamins A, C, E and Zinc has been found to shrink enlarged prostate and prevents the degenerative changes in the cells of the prostate gland that can cause malignant growths.

Other Supplements

Lycopene occurs most commonly in tomatoes, and has been found to be very helpful in reducing the risk of BPH and preventing prostate cancer. Taking lycopene together with vitamin E, selenium and zinc daily, helps in decreasing the risk of prostate (and other cancers) by 50%.

Research has shown that while selenium protects the inside of the cell, vitamin E protects the cell membrane and selenium works synergistically with vitamin E to protect the whole cell. Patients with BPH and prostate cancer usually have low zinc levels in their blood. Therefore, taking zinc as supplement enhances the immune function and helps to protect the prostate gland

Taking either flaxseed oil or fish oils (omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids) or evening primrose daily helps protect against prostate cancer.

From The Guardian Newspaper