Prostate Health
Saw palmetto: the fatty acids and oils in the fruit of this plant may influence the way in which testosterone converts to dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Blockage of this conversion pathway is essential to prostate health. Chrysin, a flavonoid extracted from passionflower, and Di-indolylmethane (DIM), an extract from brassica vegetables (broccoli, cabbage etc.) may both assist in maintaining healthy hormone levels in males by influencing lower levels of oestrogen. Nettle leaf may support healthy function of the kidneys and urinary tract in males.
The prostate gland is a single, doughnut-shaped gland which is a tube-like structure that facilitates the passage of urine from the bladder. It lies below the bladder and surrounds the urethra (the canal along which urine passes out of the body). The prostate gland secretes fluids that lubricate the urethra, helping prevent infection and increasing the movement of sperm.
The following is commentary by Dr Alan Gaby, an expert in nutritional therapies and the current endowed professor of nutrition at Bastyr University in Seattle,Washington. “Enlargement of the prostate is one of the most common conditions affecting men past the age of fifty. Known to doctors as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), this problem causes a variety of urinary difficulties. Men with BPH tend to urinate frequently (also sometimes once or more often during the night) and have reduced pressure behind their urinary stream. If BPH becomes severe, it can result in obstruction of urinary flow, a medical emergency. More often however, BPH is just a nuisance, interfering with the quality of life. The condition usually either becomes gradually worse or stays the same; it rarely gets better.
It is thought that dietary factors and age-related hormonal changes are a causative factor. Another potential and preventable culprit is fatty diets. Just as breast cancer is rare in countries where plates are filled with vegetables and whole grains, prostate problems are uncommon in non-western cultures.
Conventional treatment includes prescription medicine however surgery to remove a portion of the prostate gland is still considered “the treatment of choice" by most urologists".