Prostate health may not be something that men openly talk about. However, given that roughly half of men over the age of forty have an enlarged prostate, (a condition more commonly known as BPH), and that prostate cancer is likely to afflict one in six men in their lifetime, it is something men of all ages need to pay attention to.

Conventional treatments for these conditions can consist of life-altering medications and surgeries, which every man would like to avoid… and, probably can. Scientific evidence confirms that the prostate is very responsive to holistic treatment. Yet, what are the essentials? Since the three main causes of prostate disease are: hormone imbalance, inflammation and oxidative stress, the ideal prostate health formula should include key herbs and nutrients that address all of these causes.

Creating Hormone Balance
The single most researched and valuable herb for nourishing the prostate is saw palmetto. For more than a century, it's been used to treat disorders of the urogenital system. Results from eighteen clinical trials indicate that a daily dose of 320 mg. of saw palmetto extract can effectively reduce symptoms of BPH in 90% of patients within 4 to 6 weeks.

One of the principle mechanisms of saw palmetto is inhibiting the conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a powerful growth stimulant for prostate cells. This mechanism is shared by one of the most commonly prescribed drugs for BPH, finasteride (Proscar). However, since herbal therapies always work via multiple complex mechanisms, saw palmetto has actually been shown to be more effective than finasteride and free of side effects. Saw palmetto not only inhibits production of DHT, it inhibits the binding of DHT to prostate tissue and relaxes the muscles of the prostate and bladder so that urine can flow more freely. Both research and clinical experience indicate that the hormone balancing effects of saw palmetto can be improved by combining it with herbs that share a similar mechanism of action, including stinging nettle root (Urtica dioica) and pumpkin seed oil.

The Inflammation Connection
Although no direct cause and effect relationship has been established between BPH, prostate cancer and prostatitis, all of these conditions share an underlying cause - inflammation. The body is able to create a variety of inflammatory signals through the action of two different enzyme pathways, namely cyclooxygenase (COX) and lipoxygenase (LOX), on arachidonic acid, a type of omega 6 fatty acid prevalent in animal products and some vegetable oils. Inflammation can help the body fight off infection or repair damaged tissue; however, it is meant to be a short-term response. If the response continues over long periods of time, it can wreak major havoc, especially on the prostate gland.

When researchers at the University of Virginia wanted to know more about the prostate-cancer inflammation connection, they were amazed to discover that one of the products of 5LX is an essential fuel for prostate cancer cells. Starve them of it, and they begin self-destructing within one hour and are dead within two hours! So, it seems that control of 5LX could be the key to maintaining normal cell growth in the prostate and also reducing occurrence and symptoms of BPH.

Controlling 5LX Naturally
Conduct a simple search of the USDA's database of plants compounds which inhibit 5LX and you'll discover something rather sweet. The best way to control 5LX activity is not with drugs, but with herbs and spices that have been a part of the human diet for thousands of years. For example, ginger is nature's single richest source of 5LX inhibitors…twenty-two have been identified so far. Ginger also contains at least seventeen COX-2 inhibiting compounds and twenty-eight anti-ulcerative compounds. (By the way, saw palmetto also inhibits both 5LX and COX-2.)

A Most Impressive Prostate-Protective Nutrient
No prostate health program is complete without the addition of selenium. A seven-year double-blind, placebo controlled study funded by the NIH and American Cancer Institute found that subjects taking a whole-food selenium supplement were able to reduce their risk of prostate cancer by a very significant 63%. What makes selenium so protective? The body uses selenium to make glutathione, one of its strongest defenses against oxidative free radicals -atoms which are missing an electron and will do anything to find one, including stealing them from healthy cell membranes and cellular DNA. When electrons are stolen from healthy cells, they start to malfunction and can mutate into cancer cells. Antioxidants are defined by their ability to freely donate electrons without becoming damaged, so as long there are antioxidants around, electron stealing does not need to occur and cells remain healthy.

Prostate Health - It's In the Water Well, sort of….if you are drinking water that's been infused with leaves from the Camellia sinensis plant better known as green tea. In Asian countries where green tea is consumed like water, the in¬cidence of and mortality from prostate cancer is the lowest in the world (up to 25 times lower than Western countries). Many researchers believe the green tea may be providing the protection, and they have good reason to think so. Green tea contains potent antioxidants that have been shown to protect healthy prostate cells and encourage the death of cancer cells. It also contains 51 anti-inflammatory compounds (inhibitors of both COX and LOX) that play a role in supporting normal cell growth. One study found that the equivalent of drinking six cups of green tea a day provided the desired effects. But, if you are like most Americans and feel that drinking six cups of green tea is too much, consider taking a green tea supplement. Look for one that provides a whole herb extract, preferably prepared using the same water-extraction technique humans have been employing for thousands of years, to receive the widest range of green tea's health benefits.

The Best Herbal Extracts are Supercritically Extracted
It is well-known that the prostate-nourishing compounds in saw palmetto, ginger, and pumpkin seed oil are fat-soluble. Hence, making a concentrated extract of them requires a fat-dissolving substance. The cheapest and easiest one to use is hexane, an organic solvent that is also utilized for dry cleaning clothes. “Problematic?” you ask. You bet! Solvents are toxic will leave a residue on the extracted herbal material. Many manufacturers will try to reduce solvent residue by using heat to evaporate the solvent, but heat can cause oils to go rancid, rendering the plant's most valuable compounds undesirable. Additionally, solvents contaminate the environment and the health of people is directly related to the health of the planet.

Thankfully, there is a clean alternative - supercritical carbon dioxide extraction. This gentle, low-heat method of creating nature-identical concentrates of fat-soluble compounds in herbs using compressed carbon dioxide has been employed since 1960. It is the unquestionably the preferred means of extracting the fat-soluble compounds in saw palmetto, pumpkin seeds, ginger or any herb for that matter. Supercritical extraction ensures purity, potency and fast therapeutic results.

So there you have it…the essentials for creating and maintaining prostate health. Saw palmetto, pumpkin seed oil, ginger, rosemary, selenium and green tea are all safe and effective natural healing agents. If you are fortunate and don't have prostate disease, use them for prevention. If you do have prostate disease, talk to your doctor about using them either as an alternative or as part of an integrative approach to healing. You'll be happy you did.

Further reading: Dr. Katz's Guide to Prostate Health, by Aaron E. Katz, MD. Freedom Press, 2006.