Enlarged prostate – how to help yourself naturally?

Author: Ondrej Stovicek

More frequent trips to the toilet, getting up several times a night, a weaker urine stream or the feeling that the bladder has not emptied completely. These are problems that many men know, especially in later life. One of their possible causes can be benign enlargement of the prostate.

The good news is that if the symptoms are mild, it is not always necessary to reach for a drastic solution straight away. Lifestyle changes can play an important role, and there are also plants and other natural substances that are traditionally used to support the normal function of the prostate and the urinary tract.

Quick guide to the article:

• What is an enlarged prostate?
• What can we do ourselves when the symptoms are mild?
• Which herbs are traditionally used?
• Reishi and an enlarged prostate
• Hemp and an enlarged prostate
• When not to put off seeing a doctor?

What is an enlarged prostate?

The prostate, or prostate gland, is part of the male reproductive system. It sits below the bladder and surrounds the urethra.

With age, it can gradually grow larger. This is called benign prostatic enlargement. The word “benign” means non-cancerous – so in itself it is not prostate cancer.

However, because the prostate surrounds the urethra, its enlargement can affect urination.

Typical symptoms can include:

• a more frequent need to urinate,
• getting up at night to go to the toilet,
• a weaker or intermittent urine stream,
• difficulty starting to urinate,
• a feeling of incomplete emptying of the bladder,
• a sudden, strong urge to urinate,
• dribbling of urine after urinating.

The symptoms alone, however, do not mean that an enlarged prostate is what is causing them. Other conditions can show up in a similar way, so it is a good idea to discuss new or worsening symptoms with a doctor.

What can you do naturally?

With mild symptoms, simple changes to everyday habits have their place. This is not about “shrinking the prostate overnight”, but above all about easing the unpleasant symptoms and supporting the normal function of the urinary tract.

1. Don't overdo it with drinking in the evening

It is not a good idea to drastically limit how much you drink over the whole day. But if what bothers you most is urinating at night, try to drink most of your fluids in the morning and afternoon and drink less before going to bed.

2. Watch out for alcohol and caffeine

Coffee, energy drinks and alcohol can increase urine production and, in more sensitive people, irritate the bladder.

If you go to the toilet often or urination wakes you up at night, try cutting down on them for a few weeks and see whether things change.

3. Don't rush on the toilet

So-called double voiding can also help. After urinating, wait a moment, relax and then try to urinate once more. In some men this can reduce the feeling that the bladder has not emptied completely.

4. Keep moving and look after your overall fitness

Regular exercise has a positive effect on overall health, body weight, metabolism and the cardiovascular system. There is no need for athletic performance – what matters most is regularity.

You can start with ordinary brisk walking.

5. Don't forget about digestion

Perhaps surprisingly, constipation can also make urinary problems worse. Enough fibre, a sensible fluid intake and regular exercise are therefore also part of caring for the comfort of your urinary tract.

Which herbs are traditionally used for prostate problems?

Phytotherapy has a long tradition in this area. It is good to know, however, that “natural” does not automatically mean that all products work the same way. A lot depends on the specific plant, the part used and the way it is processed.

Saw palmetto – Serenoa repens

One of the best-known plants associated with the male prostate is Serenoa repens, also known as saw palmetto.

It is also the subject of fairly extensive scientific research. The results are not the same for all products. Different saw palmetto extracts therefore cannot automatically be considered equivalent.

For some standardised extracts, there are data suggesting a mild improvement in certain urinary symptoms, such as urinating at night. According to expert guidelines, however, the overall effect is rather modest.

Pumpkin seeds

Pumpkin seeds are traditionally associated with men's health care. Among other things, they contain unsaturated fatty acids and phytosterols.

Pumpkin seed preparations have a traditional use in European herbal medicine for mild lower urinary tract symptoms related to benign prostatic enlargement.

Nettle

With nettle, in this case we are less interested in the leaves than in the nettle root. It is one of the traditionally used plant remedies for urinary symptoms associated with an enlarged prostate.

Willowherb

Willowherb is also a well-known “men's” herb. In traditional European herbal medicine it is used for mild lower urinary tract symptoms associated with benign prostatic enlargement.

Prostate patches: practical natural support

If you are looking for a simple and discreet form of natural support, one option is prostate patches for men.

They contain a combination of Fo-Ti, ginseng and tribulus and are designed to support male vitality and comfort. Their main advantage is how easy they are to use – there is no need to swallow capsules or measure out drops.

Reishi and the prostate – what do studies show?

Among medicinal mushrooms, Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) is of particular interest when it comes to men's health. And in this case we do not have to rely on traditional use alone – there are also clinical studies conducted directly in men with lower urinary tract symptoms.

Reishi in men with urination problems

A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study followed 88 men over the age of 49 with mild to moderate lower urinary tract symptoms. For 12 weeks they took either a Reishi extract or a placebo.

The men taking Reishi showed a greater improvement in their IPSS score (International Prostate Symptom Score) than the group taking the placebo. The IPSS is a standardised questionnaire that assesses, for example, frequent and night-time urination, a weak urine stream, difficulty starting to urinate or a feeling that the bladder has not emptied completely.

However, it is important to mention the other part of the results too: the study did not show any shrinkage of the prostate itself. No significant change was observed in PSA, residual urine volume or urine flow either.

The results therefore point mainly to a possible easing of subjective urinary symptoms, not to Reishi being able to shrink an enlarged prostate.

Why did Reishi catch scientists' attention in the first place?

Even before the clinical research, scientists compared extracts from 19 edible and medicinal mushrooms and looked at their effect on the enzyme 5α-reductase. In the laboratory experiment, it was Reishi that showed the strongest inhibitory activity. The link to the study is HERE.

Why is this enzyme of interest in connection with the prostate? 5α-reductase is involved in converting testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which plays a role in the growth of prostate tissue.

But note – this was laboratory research. These results therefore do not allow us to claim that regular use of Reishi blocks 5α-reductase or shrinks the prostate in humans.

Another clinical study with Reishi

Interesting results also came from a smaller randomised study in men aged 50 and over. It compared several doses of Reishi extract with a placebo and also recorded an improvement in the IPSS score.

Here too, however, there was no significant change in prostate volume, PSA, residual urine or maximum urine flow.

What to take away from the Reishi research?

The results so far are interesting mainly because Reishi has been studied directly in men with urinary symptoms, not only under laboratory conditions.

So far, however, only a limited amount of clinical data is available. Reishi therefore cannot be presented as a treatment for an enlarged prostate. It can be an interesting part of overall care for men's health, but if urinary problems persist or get worse, a visit to a urologist should come first.

And what about hemp and CBD?

This question comes up in our advisory centre all the time – and we understand why. Men who have already had a good experience with CBD, for example with sleep or anxiety, logically ask whether it could also help them with those unpleasant night-time trips to the toilet. The honest answer is: for an enlarged prostate itself, CBD does not yet have what could be called solid human evidence. And it is worth explaining why – because the research that does exist tends to miss the target and land in neighbouring areas.

What has already been studied:

• At the cellular level, it appears that CBD can calm inflammation and oxidative stress in the cells lining the bladder. That is an interesting mechanism, but it mainly concerns interstitial cystitis (chronic inflammation of the bladder), not an enlarged prostate.
• In animals, researchers have studied how intervening in the endocannabinoid system affects prostate growth linked to metabolic syndrome – with encouraging results. However, these were substances other than pure CBD and an animal model, so the findings cannot be transferred directly to men taking CBD oil.
• For chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome (a different diagnosis from benign prostatic enlargement, although the symptoms partly overlap), a clinical study with CBD suppositories is currently under way, looking at pain relief and quality of life. No results are available yet.
• In other groups of patients – for example people with spinal cord injuries or multiple sclerosis who suffer from urgent or frequent urination – smaller studies have shown signs that CBD or hemp extracts may reduce the number of episodes of urgency and incontinence. That is encouraging, but these are different causes of the symptoms than a prostate enlarged by ageing, so the results cannot simply be transferred.

Putting it all together: there is a decent number of promising fragments around CBD and the urinary tract in general, but no study has yet said “yes, CBD improves BPH symptoms in men” in the way it has been shown for Reishi, for example. It would be dishonest to claim otherwise just because the reader might want to hear it.

That does not mean, however, that CBD has no place at all for men with an enlarged prostate. Many of them take it for calmer sleep or a milder perception of stress – and a calmer night, less tension and a better sleep routine in themselves have a good influence on how a person perceives waking up at night to go to the toilet. It is just fair to put it this way: as a supporting part of overall well-being, not as a treatment for the prostate itself.

If you decide to try CBD, it makes sense to:

• choose a quality product with a clearly declared CBD content,
• start with a lower dose and watch how your body responds,
• discuss its use with your doctor if you take other medication – CBD can affect how they are metabolised.

When should you not put off seeing a doctor?

Prostate problems should not automatically be put down to age.

A urological examination can help find out whether it really is benign prostatic enlargement and whether there is another cause behind the problems.

See a doctor especially if:

• your urination problems are gradually getting worse,
• you have blood in your urine,
• urinating is painful,
• you suffer from recurrent infections of the urinary tract,
• you have pain in the pelvis or back,
• you cannot urinate at all.

A sudden inability to urinate is an acute condition and requires prompt medical help.

An enlarged prostate is not something you simply have to “put up with”

As men get older, the prostate changes in a large number of them. But that does not mean you have to automatically accept frequent getting up at night or problems with urination as a normal part of ageing.

With mild symptoms, changing some everyday habits can help – cutting down on drinking in the evening, on alcohol and caffeine, regular exercise, looking after your digestion and well-chosen herbal remedies.

Reishi can also be an interesting natural option, as the first clinical studies have been carried out directly in men with urinary symptoms. The results are promising mainly in terms of easing some of the symptoms, not shrinking the prostate itself.

And if the symptoms get worse, the best place to start is with a urologist. Natural support and modern medicine do not have to stand against each other – they can complement each other well.