Numerous nutritional supplements can help treat prostate disease. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, or UMMC, prostate disease is a general term for conditions of the prostate. Infection, inflammation or enlargement of the prostate gland--a sex gland in men--are common categories of prostate disease. Specific types of prostate disease include prostate cancer, prostatism, prostatitis, benign prostatic hyperplasia, impotence and urinary incontinence or loss of bladder control. Certain nutritional supplements may help control symptoms associated with these conditions. Some nutritional supplements may cause side effects. Consult a qualified health care professional to determine what supplements are appropriate for your condition.
Saw Palmetto
Saw palmetto may be an effective nutritional supplement for prostate disease. According to the MedlinePlus website, saw palmetto is a plant whose ripe fruit is used to make medicine. Saw palmetto is known for its ability to decrease symptoms associated with benign prostatic hypertrophy, or BPH--a condition in which the prostate gland becomes enlarged. The MedlinePlus website states that saw palmetto might modestly reduce some symptoms of BPH, including nightly trips to the bathroom in some men. Some research suggests that saw palmetto is equally as effective at reducing BPH symptoms as certain prescription medications, including Proscar and Flomax. It may take one to two months of saw palmetto use before a person with BPH notices improvements in his symptoms. According to the MedlinePlus website, saw palmetto may shrink the inner lining of the prostate that puts pressure on the tubes that transport urine. Possible side effects associated with saw palmetto include dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting, constipation, and diarrhea.
Zinc
Zinc may be an effective nutritional supplement for certain prostate diseases. A 2004 study by L. C. Costello and colleagues published in the journal Nature states that overwhelming evidence supports the concept that restoring high zinc levels in malignant or pre-malignant prostate cells is effective for preventing overt prostate malignancy, or prostate cancer, or the progression of prostate cancer. The authors of this study suggest that down-regulation of a specific gene in men responsible for zinc uptake might explain a man's lost ability to accumulate zinc, which is a significant genetic factor for the development of prostate cancer. Cancer cells in the prostate almost never contain high zinc levels. The inability to accumulate zinc is an important factor in the metabolic transformation required for the onset of malignancy or cancer in a prostate cell. A person thinking of taking zinc should consult his physician to determine if this nutritional supplement is appropriate for his condition.
Lycopene
Lycopene is a nutritional supplement that may help treat certain types of prostate disease. Lycopene is a compound that gives tomatoes and certain other fruits and vegetables their distinct color. According to the Mayo Clinic's website, lycopene is a carotenoid found in human serum--the clear portion of blood--and skin, as well as the liver, adrenal glands, lungs, colon and prostate. Although lycopene supplementation in humans remains controversial--many studies have used tomatoes to assess the potential benefits of lycopene on various conditions, and tomatoes contain other nutrients, such as vitamin C, folate and potassium--lycopene may possess antioxidant and anti-proliferative--keeping cancer cells at bay--properties. A person with BPH or prostate cancer may benefit from consuming lycopene supplements. MayoClinic.com reports that some evidence suggests that lycopene helps prevent BPH disease progression. There is also some evidence that lycopene reduces the likelihood of developing prostate cancer and slows the progression of this disease. A person interested in lycopene supplementation should consult his physician to see if this supplement is appropriate for his condition.
