More than half of men in their 60s and as many as 90 percent of older men have signs of an enlarged prostate, according to the National Institutes of Health. The embarrassing incontinence associated with prostate problems can lead many men to try alternative treatments for their symptoms. One such therapy could be as simple as adding pumpkin seeds and their extracts to your diet.
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
A man's prostate gland continues to grow during most of his life, but the gradual enlargement -- called benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH -- doesn't usually cause problems until after 50. Eventually, the gland presses against the urethra and the wall of the bladder becomes thicker and irritated, making the bladder contract when it only contains small amounts of urine. This leads to more frequent urination and an interrupted, weak stream of urine.
How Pumpkin Seeds Help
One of the reasons BPH occurs is that the hormone testosterone and its byproduct dihydrotestosterone, or DHT, overstimulate prostate cells and lead to an excess growth of cells. A 2006 study published in "Urologia Internationalis" showed that pumpkin seeds contain compounds called phytosterols, which may be responsible for shrinking the prostate and preventing transformation of testosterone into DHT. Pumpkin seeds also contain antioxidants called carotenoids; men who consume more carotenoids in their diet have a lowered risk for BPH.
Pumpkin Seed Plus Saw Palmetto
A study in Korea conducted over 12 months on 47 BPH patients compared the effects of pumpkin seed oil, saw palmetto oil or pumpkin seed plus saw palmetto to see if there were any effects on BPH. The results, published in "Nutrition Research and Practice" in 2009, found that pumpkin seed oil improved the patients' international prostate symptom scores, quality of life scores and maximal urinary flow rates within three months. The pumpkin seed plus saw palmetto combination also reduced levels of serum prostate specific antigen, or PSA, a factor related to prostate problems.
Pumpkin Seed Supplements
Two studies have investigated commercial pumpkin seed supplements for treatment of BPH. One study reported in the journal "International Urology and Nephrology" in 1991 that Peponen improved symptoms in more than 80 percent of the patients, including an intensified urine flow and decreases in painful urination, urinary discharge and frequency of night-time urination. Another multicentric surveillance study with 2,245 BPH patients found that a pumpkin seed extract improved quality of life nearly 50 percent, with 96 percent of patients reporting no side effects.
Prostate Cancer
Although studies on the effects of pumpkin seeds on prostate cancer prevention and treatment are lacking, one combination drug therapy that included pumpkin seed was tested at Indiana University. The study, reported in the "International Journal of Oncology" in June 2011, showed that the combination supplement was able to inhibit cell proliferation of a highly invasive form of prostate cancer. However, due to the fact so many ingredients were included, it's impossible to say whether the pumpkin seed was partly responsible for the effects. Consult your doctor before taking pumpkin seed supplements if you have prostate cancer.
References
- National Kidney & Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse; Prostate Enlargement: Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia; September 2010
- "Urologia Internationalis"; Pumpkin Seed Oil and Phytosterol-F Can Block Testosterone/Prazosin-Induced Prostate Growth in Rats; Yuh-Shyan Tsai, et al.; 2006
- "Forschende Komplementärmedizin und Klassische Naturheilkunde"; Prosta Fink Forte Capsules in the Treatment of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia; M. Friederich, et al.; August 2000
- "Nutrition Research and Practice"; Effects of Pumpkin Seed Oil and Saw Palmetto Oil in Korean Men with Symptomatic Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia; Heeok Hong; 2009
- "International Journal of Oncology"; Suppression of Growth and Invasive Behavior of Human Prostate Cancer Cells by Prostacaid™: Mechanism Of Activity; J. Jiang, et al.; June 2011
- "International Urology and Nephrology"; Experience with the Peponen Capsule in the Management of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia; A. Hamvas, et al.; 1991
