|  Al Sears, MD
11905 Southern Blvd.
Royal Palm Beach, FL 33411March 25, 2024Jon-Paul,Your prostate should provide a lifetime of trouble-free performance. Instead, it’s aging prematurely.
Today, half of American men over age 50 have an enlarged prostate, or “benign prostatic hyperplasia” (BPH). By age 80, that number jumps to 90%.1
Enlargement of the prostate obstructs the lower urinary tract and the subsequent symptoms most men of a certain age are too well aware of…
So you see a doctor who is quick to whip out a prescription pad. But these synthetic drugs have a history of nightmarish side effects that include:Sexual dysfunction. Two of the most common BPH medications are alpha-blockers (tamsulosin) and 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors (finasteride and dutasteride). But both can cause sexual side effects such as decreased libido, erectile dysfunction, testicular pain, ejaculatory dysfunction, and depression.2
Diabetes. A recent study published in the journal Hormones Molecular Biology and Clinical Investigations found that Avodart (dutasteride) increases blood sugar, A1C, and blood lipids. The increase in blood glucose and A1C may increase the risk of diabetes, while the increase in lipids may increase the risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.3
Dementia. According to a Medicare data analysis, tamsulosin is associated with increased dementia risk. One hypothesis is that it acts on both prostate and brain alpha receptors. This can lead to cognitive dysfunction, a precursor of dementia.4
Low blood pressure. Alpha-blockers can cause a sudden drop in blood pressure when moving from lying down to standing up. This can lead to dizziness, lightheadedness, and an increased risk of falls. As I’ve written to you before, falls are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries in older adults.5Your prostate doesn’t need these dangerous drugs. It needs the nourishment that millions of years of evolution determined for it.Feed Your Prostate What It NeedsYour primal ancestors ate a daily diet loaded with seeds, berries, nuts, fruits, and other plants. All of these contain a group of powerful prostate protectors called phytosterols.6
Phytosterols are potent antioxidants that can reduce inflammation and improve blood flow. Studies show phytosterols can significantly increase urinary flow and reduce the amount of residual urine remaining in the bladder in men with BPH.
Your hunter-gatherer ancestors consumed more than 1,000 mg of phytosterols from their diet. Today, you’re lucky if you get 150 mg.
One of the most potent phytosterols is beta-sitosterol.
In a review of four clinical trials involving more than 500 men, beta-sitosterol helped them improve urinary flow and volume and reduce BPH symptoms in every study.7
In a second study of 200 men, half took 180 mg of beta-sitosterol daily, while the other half got a placebo. After six months, the beta-sitosterol group saw a 3.5-fold improvement in a test that measured urine flow and the amount of urine left in the bladder.8
I recommend 300 mg a day. Some manufacturers use synthetic, lab-created beta-sitosterol, so make sure you choose one that’s natural and pure.2 More Proven Prostate BoostersHere are two more powerful prostate boosters I use with my patients:Supplement with saw palmetto. This is the first choice for men with prostate issues. And the research backs me up.
A 2017 study looked at saw palmetto in men with prostatitis — or inflammation of the prostate gland. The saw palmetto supplement showed “dramatic improvements” in average urinary flow and less having to wake up at night to go to the bathroom.9
Not all products containing saw palmetto are the same. Many manufacturers cut corners by mixing in the leaf of the plant instead of extracting its fatty acids from the berry of the plant, which are the key active ingredients.
I recommend at least 150 mg of a high-quality saw palmetto extract daily.
Use extract from the African plum tree. Studies show that this tree bark – also known as Pygeum africanum – shrinks the prostate and improves urinary health. One review of 18 studies found men reported better flow in just 60 days.10
Most of the pygeum supplements out there are standardized at 13% total sterols. Look for supplements that are standardized at 14% or higher. I recommend 200 mg per day.
To Your Good Health, Al Sears, MD, CNS
References:“Enlarged Prostate (Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia)” Yale Medicine (https://www.yalemedicine.org/conditions/enlarged-prostate-benign-prostatic-hyperplasia-bph). Accessed: 2024, March 02.“Enlarged Prostate.” Medline Plus (https://medlineplus.gov/ enlargedprostatebph.html). Accessed 2024, March 13.Traish A, et al. “Long-term dutasteride therapy in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia alters glucose and lipid profiles and increases severity of erectile dysfunction.” Horm Mol Biol Clin Investig. 2017 Jun 21;30(3).lrich S. “Differential prescription behavior in benign prostatic syndrome may explain relationship found between tamsulosin and dementia.” Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf. 2018;27:1157-1158.“Older adults fall data.” CDC (www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/index.html). Accessed 2024, March 13.Halling K, Slotte J. “Membrane properties of plant sterols in phospholipid bilayers.” Biochim Biophys Acta. 2004;1664(2):161-171McNicholas T, Kirby R. “Benign prostatic hyperplasia and male lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS).” Clin Evid. 2011 Aug 26;2011..Berges RR, et al. “Treatment of symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia with beta-sitosterol: an 18-month follow-up.” BJU Int. 2000 May;85(7):842-846.Shao YP, et al. “Saw palmetto fruit extract improves LUTS in type IIIA prostatitis patients.” Zhonghua Nan Ke Xue. 2017;23(5):417-421.Wilt T, et al. “Pygeum africanum for benign prostatic hyperplasia.” Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2002;1998(1):CD001044. |
