About 55% of all men over 40 years of age have an enlarged prostate, which is clinically known as "benign prostate hypertrophy" or BHP.

Complications of an enlarged prostate:
If the prostate gland, which is normally about the size of a walnut, begins to swell beyond its natural size, it can cause problems with such functions as urinary flow, frequent and incomplete urination (feeling like you have to go frequently, but can't empty your bladder), awakening multiple times each night to urinate, as well as sensations of discomfort when sitting for long periods of time.

To be clear, BPH is not cancer...it is an enlarged prostate.

Can prostate enlargement lead to cancer and other health problems?
An enlarged prostate is not necessarily a risk factor for prostate cancer. Measuring your PSA, as well as a digital rectal examination (feeling the prostate) performed by your physician--these are additional tests to use to determine the health of your prostate, and are recommended for men over 40, with annual exams recommended for men over 50+. Other risk factors associated with an enlarged prostate is something to discuss with your primary care physician during your next visit.

Causes of prostate enlargement:
Prostatic enlargement is most ofteh due to an abundance of testosterone in your body, converting to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which in turn causes non-cancerous cells in the prostate to multiply, increasing the size of the prostate, eventually leading to BPH.

Shrinking an enlarged prostate:
There are known herbal remedies that have proven highly effective in decreasing BPH by blocking the conversion of testosterone to DHT, as well as by decreasing the ability of DHT to attach to prostate cell receptors, which decreases the enlarged prostate, and provides you with improved urine flow, fewer nightly trips to the head, and a less urgency to void.

Herbs & nutritional recommendations to support prostate health**

1. Saw Palmetto (Serona repens)
This plant has a long history of safe use, used by the Native American to treat genitourinary imbalances, and particularly BPH.
The fatty acids found in the plant's berries block the conversion of testosterone to DHT and slow the ability of DHT to attach to prostate cells.

The result of using saw palmetto for prostate enlargement is a generally observed decrease in prostate size, improved urine flow and less frequent awakening to urinate at night.  For best results, saw palmetto should be taken for at least two months, daily, to notice maximum benefit.

Standard dosage for Saw Palmetto: take 80-160 mg of this herb, standardized to 85-95 percent fatty acids and strerols, daily or until improvement is noted. Note: Standardized potency is important! Without it, you don't know what you are taking. In our Miley Labs Prostate Support, we use 80 mg of saw palmetto extract, standardized to a guaranteed level of potency between 85%-95% fatty acids and sterols. We recommend taking four capsules per day, for a total of 160 mg. saw palmetto extract. No matter where you get your saw palmetto product, look for standardized potency.

2. Pumpkin seed oil: this has proven to be an effective anti-inflammatory for prostate issues. Take 1-2 tsp of this oil per day, or look for it in a capsule form, for added convenience. We use unrefined pumpkin seed oil (40 mg/two capsules) in our Miley Labs Prostate Support formula. If you purchase pumpkin seed oil, look for the unrefined varieties.

3. Zinc: 10-50 mg of zinc is a total dietary range you should look to target (this includes food and supplement sources), due to its beneficial effects of decreasing prostate enlargement. Zinc also has an inhibitory effect on estrogen levels, which in this case, is a good thing for men with enlarged prostatic conditions. Miley Labs uses "L-Optizinc", a patented form of zinc that insures bio-availability, in our Prostate Support formula--and we recommend you look for a similar type of bio-available form of zinc, in any products you decide to research on your own.

4. Amino acids: alanine, glutamic acid and glycine are all helpful in cases of enlarged prostate and may be supplemented if not readily available in your diet.

5. Nettle extract (Utica dioica) root extract--shown to have a beneficial role in reducing BPH, largely owing to the presence of critical amino acids. Look for a standardized root extract that delilvers 5% total amino acids (or 3.75 mg of amino acids per 75 mg of root extract)--which is the recommendation we follow for the standardized Nettle extract we use in our Prostate Support formula.

6. Pygeum africanum bark: used successfully to address BPH, this herb should contain at least 13% plant sterols, with the recommended dose being 50-70 mg per day. We provide a standardized bark extract of Pygeum africanum in our Prostate Support formula, and 4 softgels delivers 50 mg of standardized bark extract per day. This, in combination with Saw Palmetto is especailly effective, and we encourgage you to look for products that combine these in one product, for ultimate effectiveness.

7. Vitamin E and Lycopene: Recommended total intake for vitamin E is 400 I.U. per day (note--a great source of natural vitamin E comes from wheat germ oil, because you get the natural form of vitamin E, which is more bioavailable to your body.)

Lycopene has shown positive effects on oxidative stress in the body, and in particular, for the prostate--take 2-5 mg per day, which is also available in tomatoes and other natural sources.

**These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These statements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.