More than six million men older than 50 years of age living in the U.S. suffer from benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH -- a common cause of an enlarged prostate. Benign prostatic hyperplasia can cause a number of side effects, including difficulty urinating and sexual dysfunction. The mineral selenium may help men who struggle with BPH.
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
The prostate becomes enlarged with benign prostatic hyperplasia. Although it's normal for a man's prostate to grow as he ages, excess growth can cause health problems. Changes in levels of the hormones tesosterone, estrogen and dihydrotestosterone contribute to BPH. Risk factors for BPH include older age, genetic predisposition and use of tobacco products.
Selenium
Selenium is known as a trace mineral, meaning that your body only needs tiny amounts of it to be healthy. Selenium's primary role in your body is to help your body produce selenoproteins -- compounds that protect your cells from damage caused by oxidation. The current recommended dietary intake for selenium is 55 micograms per day for adults, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements.
Connection
A research team from the German St. Josefs-Hospital investigated the connection between blood selenium and benign prostatic hyperplasia in a group of 21 men. Their study was published in the May 2009 issue of "Acta Oncologica." The discovered that adult men with low levels of selenium in the blood were more likely to suffer from an enlarged prostate than men with higher blood levels. A review paper published in the July 2011 issue of "Urologia" notes that selenium helps reduce oxidation in the prostate. Excess oxidation can increase inflammation of the prostate; however, the "Acta Oncologica" paper did not explain why selenium protected against BPH.
Warnings
Common dietary sources of selenium include nuts, fatty fish, eggs and dairy products. If you have BPH talk to your doctor about treatment options appropriate for you. You can reduce the impact of the condition by exercising regularly and losing weight if you're overweight.
References
- National Kidney & Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse: Kidney and Urologic Diseases Statistics for the United States
- National Kidney & Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse: Prostate Enlargement: Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
- "Acta Oncologica"; Whole Blood Selenium...in Patients with BPH; May 2009
- "Urologia"; The Association of Serenoa Repens, Lycopene and Selenium...in Reducing Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia; F Squadrito et al.; July 2011
