Cranberries and pumpkin seeds are tested for benign prostatic hypertrophy.
More than 50% of men in their 50s and at least 70% of men over 60 suffer from benign prostatic hypertrophy, or BPH, also known as an enlarged prostate. This may cause low urinary symptoms, such as waking up every night to urinate. Although current treatments are clinically effective, side effects and low compliance rates compromise their effectiveness. Symptoms include sexual dysfunction, advanced prostate cancer, and depression. No wonder there is a lack of compliance. And when medical treatment fails, surgical procedures—such as removing a protruding prostate—are considered. There has to be a better way.
Human studies show that eating less animal protein and eating more fruits and vegetables may be protective, but this is not just about reducing food intake. anywhere animal proteins. Eggs and poultry seem to be worse, as well as refined grains, but no relationship is found with red meat or milk. Human studies aside, have any foods been tested? In fact, there have been more than 30 randomized controlled trials on the remedy saw a palmetto. And it turned out to be…totally useless.
Apparently, cranberries were used by Native Americans to treat urinary tract infections. Did they work well? You never know until you put them to the test. Study participants who ate about a teaspoon a day (about 3 g) of powdered cranberries—not those sugary, fatty “craisins”—experienced significant improvements in BPH symptoms, quality of life, and all urinary parameters.
So, we know that a teaspoon works, but what about a third of a teaspoon or a sixth of a teaspoon? They also helped, as you can see below and at 2:05 in my video Natural Food Treatment for Enlarged Prostate BPH. (The results of one teaspoon of powdered cranberries in the previous study are represented by the lower green line.)
Now, this study (with the graph) used a supplement, because it was sponsored by a supplement company, but the supplement is straight cranberry powder. So, you might as well buy it in bulk for very cheap and just add it to a smoothie or something.
What about a flavor option, like drinking purple grape juice? There is no benefit.
Previously, I have talked about the use of flaxseeds, which may have the same therapeutic effect as commonly used drugs – and only positive results. So, what about other seeds? Pumpkin seeds have apparently been used for centuries in traditional medicine as a remedy for prostate disorders, and in a petri dish, they can cut the growth of BPH prostate cells in half, as you can see below and at 2:48 in mine. video.
Scientists have also injected pumpkin seed extract into rabbits, but what about humans?
Pumpkin seed oil has been shown to help with prostate problems. When it collided with the drug Prazosin, it seemed to work as well as the pill. The same thing happens when it comes to the drug Terazosin. But what the study did not have was a placebo group. It would have been interesting to see how well the pumpkin seed oil supplement did compared to the placebo. Or even better—whole pumpkin seeds. In fact, there is such a lesson! More than a thousand men were randomized to take pumpkin seeds, a placebo, or about one tablespoon per day (about 7.5 g) of pumpkin seeds.
The study was funded by a drug company that made the supplement, but the supplement was not effective; it was no better than placebo. However, pumpkin seeds themselves worked. The supplement appeared to reduce symptoms, but not better than a placebo. However, just plain old seeds he did. So, it wasn’t just some compound extracted from the oil. In fact, we’ve since learned that even an oil-free extract seems to work. Importantly, the researchers concluded, pumpkin seeds can be recommended for patients with mild to moderate BPH symptoms. This conclusion was echoed by the European Equivalent of the US Food and Drug Administration: Pumpkin seeds can be used to relieve lower urinary tract symptoms associated with an enlarged prostate after more serious conditions have been ruled out by a doctor.
Doctor’s Note
The flaxseed video I mentioned is this Flaxseeds vs. Prostate Cancer.
What about cranberries and prostate cancer? Look Cranberries against cancer.
Can Cranberry Juice Treat Bladder Diseases? Watch the video to find out.
