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Posted on 05/06/2025 6:46:51 AM PDT by Red Badger
When you try to find the right supplements to treat a health condition, it can feel like a shot in the dark. You often have to count on word of mouth. But some men with BPH have found success with supplements. And there’s at least some scientific research to back them up.
When you have BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia), your prostate is larger than normal. It can cause problems such as a weak urine stream or a need to pee a lot throughout the day. Your doctor might suggest a prescription drug to treat your symptoms, but you might find that the side effects are too much to take. Or, you’d just rather not have to take medicine so often.
The Issue with Supplements
Supplements aren’t as closely regulated as medicines your doctor prescribes.
That means their quality, safety, and effects can vary. It’s best to talk to your doctor before you start any supplement. They may cause problems with prescription medicines, treatments, or tests you might need.
The Most Common Supplements
The best-studied, most commonly used supplements to treat BPH are:
* Beta-sitosterol
* Pygeum
* Rye grass
* Saw palmetto
Beta-sitosterol:
This is a substance found in many plants. It doesn’t affect the size of the prostate, but it may help your bladder empty and give you a stronger urine flow. It may improve other BPH symptoms as well.
Studies with Harzol and Azuprostat, two supplements that contain beta-sitosterol from South African stargrass, have shown particular promise.
Pygeum:
This comes from the bark of the African plum tree. It seems to help some men with BPH wake up less at night to pee, go fewer times during the day, have a stronger urine stream, and empty their bladders better.
Rye pollen extract:
This substance may improve a number of BPH symptoms, such as:
* Dribbling after you finish peeing
* Having to pee often throughout the day
* Having painful urination
* Having a weak urine stream
* Having an urgent need to pee
Some research shows that it may also shrink the prostate, give you a better flow, and help you empty your bladder.
Saw palmetto:
This is a short tree that grows in North America. Some small studies have shown a benefit. However, several large studies do not show that saw palmetto reduces the size of the prostate or eases urinary symptoms. Men may try it hoping to relieve common BPH symptoms such as:
* You have a hard time getting pee to start
* You must go often throughout the day
* Having a weak stream
* Having an urgent need to urinate
It may also help with waking up at night to go to the bathroom and feeling like you still have to pee after you just went.
For men who’ve had success with saw palmetto, it can take about 4 to 6 weeks to see results.
Supplements That Show Promise
Other supplements show hopeful signs of helping in studies so far, but there’s less research on these than the more common options.
Pumpkin seeds:
These and pumpkin seed oil extract seem to help with BPH symptoms and may shrink the size of the prostate. It may also be helpful when used along with other supplements such as saw palmetto.
Stinging nettle:
This is a type of herb, and its root may help with urine flow and waking up a lot at night to pee. It’s sometimes used along with other supplements to treat BPH symptoms.
Too Early to Say
Then there are the supplements where it’s just too early to know whether they’re useful. Early studies look good, but doctors need much more data on them.
Some of these include:
* Aqueous garlic (garlic extract in water)
* Flaxseed lignan extract
* Milk thistle
* Powdered, dried cranberry
* Quercetin (found in apples, tea, and red grapes, for example)
* Red clover
* Selenium
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Is iodine good?
They don’t help and you have to “take” them over a period of half a year or more to see any insignificant changes.
Stop all caffeine (all) and soda, drink water, exercise and stop being a lard-arse, eat a normal diet (no fads), exercise your prostate (preferably with your woman) often.
When my FIL lived with us, we had to switch him off his prostate med because it made his dementia worse. We found this supplement and it did the same job, without the side effects. https://www.swansonvitamins.com/p/life-extension-ultra-natural-prostate-60-sgels-LE441
The boron is an important ingredient.
Anyway, it worked so well, the hospice nurse started recommending it to other patients.
I have no seminal fluid because of Tamsulosin and my Dr. says there's no holistic substitute.
Bfl
The only thing I am convinced of at the moment is that 96 to 97% of everything you hear or read on the Internet is complete b****hit and a fraud.
I have no seminal fluid because of Tamsulosin and my Dr. says there's no holistic substitute.
I have a...friend...uh....with the same problem. I...I mean he just stopped taking it.
May I ask, which prostate med made his dementia worse? There are three that my FIL has been proscribed.
My Urologist put me on Rapaflo 8 mg, for BPH. Here is a tip, research it first before you say okay, ejaculation can be troublesome. I know.
Perplexity says…
In Europe, several natural supplements are commonly used to treat prostate issues, particularly benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH):
• Saw Palmetto: Derived from the fruit of a palm tree, it is widely used to relieve urinary symptoms related to enlarged prostate and support male reproductive health.
• Pygeum: Extracted from the bark of the African plum tree, it has been used traditionally and in European prescription drugs since 1969 to improve urinary symptoms and bladder function associated with BPH.
• Pumpkin Seed Oil: Used in folk medicine across Europe, it may reduce prostate size and improve urinary symptoms by inhibiting 5α-reductase and providing zinc, which may help shrink an enlarged prostate.
• Nettle Extract: Commonly used in Europe for prostate enlargement, it is recommended by the German Commission E and ESCOP to ease urinary problems related to BPH and prostatitis.
• Beta-Sitosterol: A plant sterol found in various plants and some foods, it helps reduce prostate swelling and improve urine flow.
As a bonus, if you need a turp surgery, I’ve read the green light laser heals much more quickly.
Yep.................
Supplements do not work.
BPH is not an inflammation that can be treated.
Your prostate grows as you age and impinges on your urethra.
Treatments:
Medical
Tamsulosin and Cialis relax the muscles in the area leading to some relief with minor side effects.
5-ARIs - shrink the prostate over several months but come with unpleasant side effects.
Minimally invasive treatments:
Temporary/permanent stents - new to market.
Urolift - Not suitable for all gland sizes, not consistent/durable
PAE - Outpatient procedure. No side effects (other than a week of worsened symptoms) and good long term efficacy, lesser IPSS reduction than TURP
Aquablation - effective but longer recovery with catheter and high bleeding risk. Hospital stay & catheter during recovery.
Rezum - Outpatient procedure. Steam ablation of tissue. Not suitable for all gland sizes, not consistent/durable
TURP - Potential side effects include retrograde ejaculation, impotence and incontinence. Hospital stay & catheter during recovery.
Laser ablation/HOLEP Potential side effects include retrograde ejaculation, impotence and incontinence. Hospital stay & catheter during recovery.
Prostatectomy - Major surgery with associated risks. Serious side effects.
I had PAE in February and I am very satisfied with the results.
If you choose PAE, make sure you have an IR that has a lot of experience with the procedure.
Some anatomies can be very challenging to embolize.
Anecdotal: I have gone through several moderately long periods of not lifting weights in the last 10 years. The last one was 2021-2022, and the previous one was roughly 2017 (if memory serves) due to some rotator cuff issues (that I was able to rehab after a long period of rest). During those times, I experienced symptoms of BPH or enlargement, although I was never diagnosed. Extended periods where I lift weights have offered a reprieve or reduction.
This is my best theory, because when you get older serum test gives way to more DHT, which occurs in lower levels but has a greater effect on cells. When you lift, and cause muscle repair and hypertrophy, you are effectively using up more of the circulating DHT within the muscles tissues, giving some relief to other tissues like the prostate.
Probably a good reason..................
Supplements for BPH do not work. Nor have they ever worked.
But they do make a lot of money for a lot of supplement companies.
Two pharmaceuticals do work. They are finasteride and tamsulosin
alfuzosin works almost as well as tamsulosin and it does allow for seminal fluid.
I have had problems since 1981. First time I needed my urethra replaced then as I got older, it started to restrict so I went in to look into a Urolift which can be done in the office. My doctor determined my issue was caused by scar tissue from 1981 and addressed it and its been fine for the past 4-5 years or so.
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