Seven ways to shrink your prostate

If you are looking for ways to shrink your prostate, you are probably experiencing symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Perhaps you are waking up in the middle of the night to use the restroom or finding that you have to wait for your urine flow to start. The urine stream may stop and go or be weaker than it used to be. Even though these symptoms may not threaten your health, they can greatly affect your lifestyle and may indicate that your prostate health is not optimized.

There are many natural ways to shrink your prostate, but what you should be focusing on is improving your prostate health to achieve the results and changes you desire rather getting fixated on the actual size of your prostate. Some men have an enlarged prostate but do not have any symptoms of BPH, while other men have a normal size prostate yet have symptoms they would like to eliminate. Whatever your case, work to improve your prostate health naturally and you will find that this improved health means resolving or reducing your symptoms.

If you are looking to maximize your prostate health the best plan is to eat the right foods, avoid the wrong ones, maintain a healthy weight, exercise daily, and manage your hormones. It is also important to manage your stress level and take steps to fight inflammation. Following the below seven ways to shrink your prostate will help you to improve your prostate health and prevent other prostate problems down the road.

Foods to eat or avoid

You might not think of the connection between what you put in your mouth and your prostate, but your diet is very important. Eating the best foods for prostate health can help decrease inflammation and slow the growth of the prostate. Follow a Mediterranean style diet to gain the most prostate (and heart) benefits. Eat oily fish that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids (like salmon, tuna, herring, and anchovies) at least once a week. Indulge in other healthy fats as well like the ones found in seeds, nuts, olives, and avocados. Eat plenty of vegetables, especially cruciferous vegetables and veggies high in vitamin C, as men who eat a lot of vegetables have a decreased risk for BPH.

The worst foods that your prostate hates include spicy foods (which can exacerbate pain and other symptoms of prostatitis), fried foods, processed foods, white bread products, sugar, artificial sweeteners, dairy foods, and red meat. Avoid and limit these foods as well as caffeinated beverages, which can worsen urinary symptoms. Cut out salty foods and limit your alcohol intake.

Exercise

If you start exercising regularly, you may be surprised at the results. Studies have shown that exercise can prevent BPH and manage BPH symptoms. The best exercises for prostate health include aerobic and resistance exercises.

Weight loss

With exercise and a healthier diet usually comes another great benefit to your prostate health: weight loss. Obesity is linked to several different prostate health issues from BPH to prostatitis to prostate cancer. If you have put on weight, take steps to lose the excess weight and you may find that you shed yourself of some unwanted prostate symptoms as well.

Choose plant protein over animal protein

Animal protein is more strongly associated with symptoms of BPH than plant protein. Many studies have linked dairy and meat products to an increased risk for prostate cancer, so substituting plant protein in your diet has many positive prostate health benefits. The best protein for prostate health is from plant sources rather than animal products. You can get a lot of your daily protein from beans, lentils, pumpkin seeds, quinoa, tempeh, seitan, and some high-protein grains.

Hormone balance

Managing your hormone production is an important step in managing your prostate health as you age. As you get older, your hormones change. An enzyme and hormone called 5-alpha-reductase converts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT). As a result your testosterone levels can decrease and create imbalance between your testosterone and estrogen and lead to an enlarged prostate. You can keep your hormones in check naturally through exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, and by using supplements.

Supplements

There are many well-researched prostate health supplements that support both prostate and urinary health. Supplements promote your own body’s efforts to regulate your hormones and maintain a normal prostate size.

The best prostate supplements associated with encouraging your body’s efforts to manage prostate size include the following:

• Pollen extracts.
• Zinc.
• Vitamin D.
• Turmeric.
• Curcumin.
• Quercetin.

The top prostate supplements for promoting better urinary health include:

• Pollen extracts.
• Beta-sitosterol.
• Cranberry.
• DIM.
• Pygeum.
• Stinging nettle.

Prostate supplements that help your body naturally manage your hormones, namely your regulation of DHT, include:

• Green tea.
• Saw palmetto.
• Zinc.

Stress management

Managing your stress is good for your health in many ways. In terms of your prostate it can help you decrease inflammation and pelvic tension, which can also lead to chronic prostatitis, a condition that causes chronic pain and urinary symptoms. In terms of BPH, stress can worsen symptoms such as urinary frequency, urinary urgency, and painful urination. Stress can lower your level of zinc, an important mineral for prostate health.

There are several ways to reduce and manage stress. Some of the easy methods you can do on your own include meditation, guided visualization, yoga, and exercise. Find a healthy way to relieve stress and you will enjoy more health benefits than improvements to your prostate health.

Following all of the above ways to shrink your prostate is important for preventing BPH and managing its symptoms. Your lifestyle greatly affects your prostate health from the food you eat to the exercise you do to the supplements you take. Making an effort to improve your prostate health through multiple efforts can help you to naturally manage your prostate health and prevent future problems.