By James Lemire, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

August 26, 2015

• The early warning that says prostate problems are in your future.
• Stop embarassing symptoms before they strike.
• It’s as easy as one, two, three.

No man ever wants to have to deal with prostate problems. Peeing constantly and dribbling over the toilet just seems…well…unmanly. You did that when you were a toddler.

These days, you want to spend your life feeling strong, virile and vigorous – no matter how old you get.

So today, let’s talk about one of the very first warning signs that an enlarged prostate may be in your future. And it all starts – and ends – with what happens to the testosterone in your body.

Here’s the deal.

Once you hit your 40s, your testosterone starts metabolizing at a higher rate. This stimulates the production of a male hormone called dihydrotestosterone – or DHT.

Well guess what? Excess production of DHT is linked to hair loss in men. It shrinks hair follicles and leads to male pattern baldness.

But that’s not all it does.

DHT is the hormone that helps bring your prostate to full size during puberty. It’s produced by an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase, which converts testosterone into DHT.

Here’s the problem…

When DHT production increases in adulthood, it makes your prostate start growing again. Medically, this is known as benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH. In real life, we usually just call it an enlarged prostate.

But no matter what name you give it, one thing’s for sure. It can cause a range of frustrating, painful and embarrassing symptoms.

Dribbling…frequent urination…sleep problems…discomfort…even a diminished sex life. You may already know the drill.

If you don’t, you probably will.

That’s because your chance of having prostate trouble at some point in your life is about 90%.

Now I don’t know about you, but if I ever started showing symptoms of male pattern baldness I would take it as a warning sign. Chances are good prostate issues aren’t far behind.

The best way to beat the odds is to immediately lower your DHT levels. This can help keep prostate problems at bay.

One of mainstream medicine’s treatments for BPH is a drug called Finasteride.

This drug is also used to treat male-pattern baldness under the names Proscar and Propecia. It works by inhibiting 5-alpha reductase production. This, in turn, blocks the conversion of testosterone to DHT.

I don’t recommend this mainstream solution. It increases your chances of erectile dysfunction, reduces libido and can cause ejaculatory problems.

On the other hand, there are many natural ways to decrease DHT and achieve very positive results. I have three favorites…

One of my top choices when it comes to prostate support is pomegranate. For one thing, it contains an ingredient called punicic acid. This fatty acid not only has anti-cancer effects, it also reduces the production of DHT.

Pomegranate also reduces PSA production, slows PSA doubling time, and lowers levels of inflammation that put you at risk for prostate cancer.

I recommend 100 mg. of pomegranate extract (standardized to 30% punicalagans) daily.

Pomegranate works well on its own. It works even better when combined with other natural compounds that lower DHT levels.

For example, saw palmetto (320 mg twice daily) has often been compared to finasteride in scientific studies. It turns out saw palmetto is just as effective as finasteride in improving BPH symptoms. Better yet, it can reduce DHT levels by as much as 32%.

Beta Sitosterol (275mg) is another powerful nutrient for natural prostate support. It naturally hinders the conversion of testosterone to DHT by inhibiting 5-alpha reductase production.

And if you want more good news, there’s even some evidence that a combination of saw palmetto and beta-sitosterol can help in the treatment of hair loss.

Other plant-based nutrients, like stinging nettle, lycopene and pumpkin seed can also help reduce symptoms if you’re already showing signs of BPH. They help reduce inflammation, urinary problems and other signs of prostate problems.

Don’t give in to the problems associated with male aging. Fight back before they have the chance to gain on you.

Sources:
Carson CC. Combination of phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors and alpha-blockers in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia: treatments of lower urinary tract symptoms, erectile dysfunction, or both? BJU Int. 2006 Apr;97 Suppl 2:39-43.

Ming, DS, et al. Pomegranate extracts impact the androgen biosynthesis pathways in prostate cancer models in vitro and in vivo. J. Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2014, 143c, 19–28.

Gasmi, J, et al. Growth inhibitory, antiandrogenic, and pro-apoptotic effects of punicic acid in lncap human prostate cancer cells. J. Agric. Food Chem. 2010, 58, 12149–12156.

Wilt TJ, et al. Saw palmetto extracts for treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia: a systematic review. JAMA. 1998 Nov 11;280(18):1604-9.

Marks LS, et al. Tissue effects of saw palmetto and finasteride: use of biopsy cores for in situ quantification of prostatic androgens. Urology. 2001 May;57(5):999-1005.

Prager N, et al. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to determine the effectiveness of botanically derived inhibitors of 5-alpha-reductase in the treatment of androgenetic alopecia. J Altern Complement Med. 2002