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Prostate Health
By Josée Fortin, Naturopath and Biochemist
The prostate is a gland the size of a nut, situated at the base of the bladder, surrounding the urethra. The main role of the prostate is to produce a fluid that nourishes and helps to transport sperm. A healthy prostate also helps to facilitate proper erections and ejaculations. With age, and under specific conditions, the prostate can become inflamed: benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). At the age of 50, half of men suffer from BPH, and at age 80, 80-100 percent show signs of having BPH.
When the prostate becomes inflamed, it puts pressure on the bladder by compressing the urethra, slowing down the evacuation of urine, causing hesitancy, dribbling, and a weak urine flow. It also tends to push the bladder upward, creating a reservoir where there is always residual urine left. If urine becomes concentrated, it will cause a frequent urge to urinate that is not proportionate to the amount of urine to evacuate. During the day, a frequent urge to urinate can be observed and addressed, but at night, such an urge can greatly affect the quality of sleep. Since the bladder never empties completely, there is a more frequent incidence of urinary tract infections. The extent and severity of the symptoms is not proportionate to the degree of the enlargement. Progression of BPH is usually slow, with only 14 percent of men with moderate to severe symptoms deteriorating during a five-year follow-up.
There are three main causes of BPH include:
1. Increase levels of DHT (dehydrotestosterone) that cause a multiplication of prostate cells and an increase in inflammation in prostate tissues.
2. A lack of essential fatty acids (EFAs) can also be responsible for increased inflammation of the prostate by increasing inflammatory prostaglandins.
3. A shift in the testosterone:estrogen ratio towards more estrogen can also increase inflammation of the prostate, but often will also have an impact on the body composition of men. Their muscles tend to decrease in size, adding more fat tissues and in some case stimulating the growth of breast tissues.1
A.Vogel Prostasan is a product made from saw palmetto, a plant well known for its positive effect on BPH and urinary tract infections in men. Saw palmetto has been shown to reduce the production of DHT (it is two forms instead of only one as with Finasteride.2) It also prevents DHT from binding to its receptor sites, reducing its impact on the prostate cell multiplication.2
A.Vogel Prostasan also has an 85-93 percent EFA composition, excellent for reducing inflammatory prostaglandins levels. The fact that Prostasan is certified organic also ensures there are no insecticides and pesticides in the formula that act as xenoestrogens and affect the testosterone:estrogen ratio. Because Prostasan is made from the liquid extract of saw palmetto berries, it has a particularly high concentration of this plant. The final weight of the product only represents the dry weight of the active part of the berries since all the bulk is removed when producing the liquid extract. In every tablet, there is the equivalent of 3,840 mg of saw palmetto berries, which makes it a one-a-day formula with excellent results and compliance.
A 2011 study of 69 participants who took A.Vogel Prostasan for a total of 56 days showed a reduction of 52 percent of the IPSS (measures the severity of BPH symptoms).3 These results are similar than results obtained with Finasteride, but without the side effects. When taking BPH medications, side effects include a reduction of libido, erectile dysfunction and ejaculation problems. That same study also shows that taking A.Vogel Prostasan actually provides an improvement of 36-40 percent of the libido, erectile function and ejaculation (used bSFI and Urolife QoL-9 tests for assessment of sexual satisfaction).
So, when taking A.Vogel Prostasan, not only do men urinate more easily, they no longer wake up as often in the night, and their sexual performance and satisfaction are significantly improved. In Germany and Switzerland, saw palmetto is extensively recommended by doctor as an alternative to watchful waiting and drug treatment in mild to moderate cases of BPH.
References:
1 A guide to the use of Saw Palmetto in BPH for healthcare professionals, Dr. Jen Tan MB;BS, published by Bioforce UK ltd., 2008, pp. 7–8.
2 Idem, p.15.
3 Improving BPH symptoms and sexual dysfunction with a saw palmetto preparation? Results from a pilot trial, Andreas Suter, Reinhard Saller, Eugen Riedi and Michael Heinrich, Published online in Wiley Online Library, 2011.
