Natural BPH (Prostate Enlargement) Tips

How was your Fourth of July weekend? Were there any fireworks going off in your neighborhood? 

As summer continues to turn up the heat, we want to see men turn up their passion for prostate care, specifically BPH (prostate enlargement commonly accompanied by uncomfortable urinary symptoms like frequent urination and slow or weak urinary stream). 

If you still pick up newspapers, you may see articles discussing health, natural remedies and tips. You may not be surprised to see some men’s health or prostate care tips, too. For those of you who like taking a natural path to better health, these may be worth a read and a talk with your doctor. If you see naturopathic physicians or nutritionists, they may help you think of meal or ingredients to incorporate for better prostate health. Ask your doctor about the consumption of soy (in foods like tofu and tempeh), tomatoes (which contain lycopene) and cranberries for bladder health. Although their efficacy in managing prostate health directly may be debated, if you are eating healthy food in moderation while also keeping your personal situation in mind (allergies, comorbidities, current medications, etc.) you may be supporting your body holistically. Eating well means your body can get the nutrition it needs to support your multitude of bodily functions including the immune system. Reducing stress of the mind will also prevent the stress from further weakening your immune system. Some people find mindfulness meditation or other forms of therapy and activities like safe exercise to be helpful. 

If the natural path to managing prostate enlargement is attractive to you, you may also consider UMOOZE, which was clinically shown to support men with BPH symptoms by improving their IPSS scores in various criteria (see the study on the Clinical Trials website). 

What other food do you eat and associate with health, nutrition, and BPH management? What foods do you avoid? Avoiding food and drinks containing an excess of salt, sugar, trans fats and high calorie count may be a start. 

Your fluid intake habits may also play a role in managing your BPH. Can’t go wrong with a glass of water if you don’t know where to start! Drinking more during the day and less at night may help reduce the thickness of urine, thereby reducing irritation to the bladder. Drinking soy milk or astragalus tea may also help, but bear in mind that even when consumed to reduce stress and produce calm or other health benefits, some teas, especially caffeinated teas, may be diuretic and produce more urinary urges.

Let’s support men on their journey to naturally managing their BPH! 

BPH and TCM: A Natural Remedy in Prostate Enlargement

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is the use and practice of plants, herbs and natural ingredients to help treat ailments and reduce symptoms, all with the goal of improving health. People who are open to natural treatments may believe that there is less risk associated and less side effects. There may also be a motivation of reduced cost when considering natural treatments. Whatever the reason may be, even before the dawn of modern medicine, herbs were used by people around the world. 

We think that TCM, if studied and given more credibility, then men who have benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), especially during the mild stages, may find good health support. BPH is another term for enlarged prostate, and it is usually associated with frequent urination, getting up many times at night for the bathroom, struggle to start and stop urinating, dribbling, sensation of urine remaining after emptying, and sexual dysfunction. In more extreme cases, kidney damage, stones, and complete inability to urinate (complete blockage of the urethra) may occur. 

The skepticism with traditional Chinese medicine stems from a number of reasons, such as lack of evidence, inconsistent formulas among different brands, lack of clinical testing, low quality control, etc. This does not apply to all companies who are in the nutraceutical/supplement business, but when some rotten apples cut corners, it gives a negative image on the industry as a whole. 

Word of mouth and established trust may motivate people to give TCM a try. Just as UMOOZE performed well in a clinical trial for BPH, we hope that more attention can be paid to ingredients like astragalus and soy to see if more men can benefit from the health properties in service to managing BPH symptoms and improving quality of life. Let's find more ways to safely consider TCM in the healthy lifestyles of men with BPH!    

Lower Incidence Rate of Prostate Enlargement (BPH) in Asian Men

The month of may is Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month. This is a time to celebrate the achievements of the Asian community as well as promote more inclusivity and diversity that openly welcomes the participation of people with Asian descent in the workplace, in our media, in our healthcare, and more. The experiences, insight, and work contributed by the Asian community has strengthened and expanded the multicultural fabric of many countries around the world. One area we want to explore in particular is the reception of traditional Chinese medicine. Many people have sought natural alternatives or complementary solutions to the management of health ailments. In Asia, herbal remedies and plant based therapies have been well received for generations to help with a variety of conditions. This includes a condition we passionately write about in our blogs, BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia). This is a condition that commonly occurs in older men where the prostate gland increases in size, which may create issues within the urinary tract, including frequent urination, slow or poor urinary flow, sensation of residual urine, urges, trouble starting and stopping urination, pushing or forcing urine, etc. 

It also just so happens that Asian men have been found to have a lower incidence rate of BPH. Some have suggested diet has a role because of soy, which is somewhat of a staple in Asian cuisine, as well as a balanced diet more inclusive of plant based nutrition. It could be that the prostate is growing at a slower rate in Asian men, or that they feel the symptoms less intensely due to an effective lifestyle management. Herbs such as astragalus, which support immune function, may also help. This was found in a clinical trial for the plant based supplement UMOOZE with astragalus and soy extracts in a study for men with BPH.  

All in all, if you have been interested in exploring natural solutions to mild BPH that can be safely implemented alongside a healthy lifestyle you may look to the Asian men's health community for potential support! 

Immunity's Role in Prostate Enlargement (BPH)

A 2007 study suggests that BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia or prostate enlargement) is a condition related to immunity deregulation and inflammation. Other prostate conditions including prostatitis may cause inflammation to the prostate. When the immune system is compromised due to stress or attacking itself, this could have negative consequences to many parts of the body, including the prostate. This is why it is important for men to care for their immune systems as a holistic approach to the management of prostate enlargement.

Symptoms of prostate enlargement include but are not limited to:
- frequent urination, especially at night
- sexual dysfunction
- struggle to start and stop urination
- slow urinary stream
- dribble at the end of urination

During this pandemic, talks about keeping your immune system strong have been discussed worldwide. Getting a good night's rest is important for your body to recover from a long day's work and have the strength to function at capacity the next day. When BPH patients have to get up several times a night to go to the bathroom, this could impede a good night's rest and compromise the immune system's recovery period during rest. So you see, immunity and prostate enlargement are somewhat interrelated, kind of like how dental and oral health are interrelated to heart health.

For BPH patients, it may be necessary to manage not only urinary symptoms but also their immune health as they find ways to get a longer night's rest and less frequent bathroom trips. Traditional Chinese and herbal plant therapies to boost immunity, as well as a good balanced nutrition plan and safely practiced physical activity may be of support.

Pelvic floor exercises may also support the urinary urges that are associated with BPH to support retention and ease of urinary flow. However, any decisions you make regarding herbal plant therapy, your nutrition, and exercises activities should be consulted with a medical professional to ensure you are not affecting any other existing conditions or putting yourself at unnecessary risk.

For example. astragalus or huang qi has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for benefits such as immune boosting, anti inflammation and for its anti oxidant properties. Inflammation that appears in the body could be a sign that your immune system is fighting an infection or even itself. That's why it's important for a doctor to consult with you what's happening in your specific case.

More research on how soy could benefit the immune system should also be encouraged in the prostate health sphere, because men in Asia who have soy as a staple in their nutrition could be one of the reasons why BPH has a lower incidence rate in Asian men compared to men around the world.

What do you do to boost your immunity?