Are you one of the many men who take dietary supplements for prostate health? The majority of men over the age of 50 experience urination issues related to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH. Therefore) it makes sense that men be proactive in taking supplements that promote a healthy prostate and reduce daytime and nighttime urination problems.
In Part 1 of New Natural Solutions for Prostate Enlargement, I wrote about the root cause of BPH and the dietary and exercise solutions to this all too common male problem. In this article I am going to review the top prostate supplements that really work! I have spoken with many male patients over the years who were taking prostate supplements with minimal benefits. I explain to them that the products they are using are often not potent enough as has been used in the published studies to experience benefit. Once they start on the right supplements I recommend the benefits are usually noted within just a few weeks and exceptional results within a few months!
Following are the most effective dietary supplements for BPH:
Rye pollen extract (also known as ryegrass flower pollen, ryegrass, or flower pollen extract) has been an herbal treatment in Europe for many decades. There are several studies demonstrating its effectiveness in reducing the symptoms of BPH.
Recent research has shown that Cernitin, a well-researched type of rye pollen extract, regulates inflammatory chemicals known as cytokines in prostate cells and decreases androgen receptor levels. In a 12-week study of men with BPH supplementing Cernitin at a dosage of 126 mg three times daily, overall clinical effectiveness was 85 percent. Symptoms that were significantly improved included urgency, dysuria (difficulty urinating), nocturia, incomplete emptying, prolonged voiding, delayed voiding, intermittency, and dribbling at the end of urination. In the same study, 28 out of 79 men treated for more than one year had a decrease in mean prostate volume.
Recommendation: 126 mg three times daily, up to 500 mg daily
Safety: Side effects are uncommon but may include digestive upset.
Saw palmetto berries and extracts are a popular herbal therapy for the treatment of BPH in North America and Europe. This plant has a long history of use by Native Americans for the treatment of prostate and urinary problems, and this practice was later adopted by American settlers and Europeans. Around half of German urologists prefer to prescribe plant extracts such as saw palmetto rather than pharmaceuticals for BPH. Several studies have proven the effectiveness of saw palmetto in improving the symptoms of BPH.
Saw palmetto has multiple mechanisms that are likely responsible for reducing BPH symptoms. It has antiestrogenic effects and inhibits the conversion of testosterone into DHT in prostate tissue and intracellular binding to receptors in the prostate. As with other herbal therapies, saw palmetto works best for mild to moderate symptoms in the early stages of BPH. About 90 percent of men notice an improvement in mild to moderate urinary symptoms of BPH within the first four to six weeks of starting supplementation with 320 mg per day of a liposterolic extract.
A 2018 paper conducted a saw palmetto systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials and observational studies of men with BPH. The data included a total of 27 studies. Researchers found that saw palmetto extract reduced nocturia and improved maximum
urinary flow compared to placebo. Furthermore, saw palmetto extract had a similar benefit to those of the drug tamsulosin and a 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor in relieving lower urinary tract symptoms. Recommendation: 320 mg daily of a liposterolic extract that is standardized to 80 percent or higher fatty acids
Safety: A review of studies on saw palmetto for the treatment of BPH found that it was well tolerated and not associated with serious adverse events. Also, there was no evidence of drug interactions
Research has shown nettle root, more specifically stinging nettle (Urtica dioica), to be effective in treating BPH. Stinging nettle root has a traditional use in Europe for the treatment of urinary tract infections.
The mechanisms for this effectiveness appear to be multifactorial but research has not isolated them definitively, including the inhibition of sex hormone–binding globulin binding to prostate receptors, reduced conversion of testosterone into estrogens by reducing aromatase activity, and anti-inflammatory effects on prostate tissue.
A double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study compared nettles with placebo in 620 patients. At the end of the six-month trial, those receiving a placebo were switched to nettles, and both groups continued the supplement for up to 18 months. More of those receiving nettles (81 percent) reported improved lower urinary tract symptoms compared with patients in the placebo group (16 percent). Also, those taking nettles had a reduction in postvoid residual urine volume
(amount of urine left in the bladder after urination) from an initial value of 73 to a final value of 36. In contrast, those on placebo saw no appreciable change. There was also a modest decrease in prostate size as measured by ultrasound in the nettles group but none in the placebo group. No side effects were found in either group.
Recommendation: 120 to 600 mg daily
Safety: The safety rating is very good for nettle root.
Beta-sitosterol is one of several plant sterols. It is found in most plants, with higher amounts in rice bran, wheat germ, soybeans, corn oil, peanuts, avocados, pumpkin seeds, cashew fruit, saw palmetto, and Pygeum africanum. Beta-sitosterol inhibits 5-alpha-reductase enzyme and has
anti-inflammatory properties. Research has demonstrated that beta-sitosterol supplementation improves BPH symptoms such as urinary symptom scores and flow measures better than placebo.
In a study of 200 men with BPH, the men were given either 20 mg of beta-sitosterol three times daily or a placebo. Those taking beta-sitosterol had significant improvements in urinary flow, while the placebo group did not have changes.
Recommendation: 60 to 130 mg daily
Safety: Beta-sitosterol has an excellent safety rating.
There are other excellent dietary supplements that promote prostate health and reduce urinary symptoms. In my book I discuss the exciting literature on Pygeum africanum, vitamin D, and Pycnogenol. I normally recommend prostate formulas with patients so that there is a blend of the top supplements used for prostate health.
More To Come
In part 3 of this series I will give you my discovery of how treating the bladder along with prostate protocols is the most effective way to treat the symptoms of BPH. For more information on the diagnosis and holistic treatment of BPH see my new book Healing The Prostate (Hay House 2021).
Dr. Mark Stengler NMD, MS, is a bestselling author in private practice in Encinitas, California, at the Stengler Center for Integrative Medicine. His newsletter, Dr. Stengler’s Health Breakthroughs, is available at www.markstengler.com and his product line at www.drstengler.com
