What's the Best Diet for Enlarged Prostate?

When you're living with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), you may be wondering: can a diet for enlarged prostate provide relief? Now, the best way to find relief is to seek medical intervention. But, in the meantime, you can try following these dietary guidelines to help with symptom management.

Diet for Enlarged Prostate

Men with BPH experience disruptive symptoms such as urinary frequency and difficulties starting the flow of urine. Of course, the best way to relieve these and other lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) is to shrink your prostate, something you can accomplish (without surgery!) by scheduling a prostatic artery embolization procedure.

However, lifestyle changes can also help you manage BPH. And, according to research, making certain changes to your diet can help relieve discomfort. For maximum benefits, try:

• Following a low-fat-diet
• Incorporating more vegetables into your daily meals
• Enjoying daily servings of fruit, especially citrus fruits such as oranges
• Choosing lean proteins such as fish and poultry

Diet to Slow Prostate Cancer

While diet can help manage symptoms of BPH, a new study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology suggests that what you eat can also help manage prostate cancer. Researchers from the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center discovered that prostate cancer cell growth was reduced significantly when men with early-stage prostate cancer followed a diet low in omega-6 and high in omega-3 fatty acids. The study participants also took fish oil supplements.

Lead study author Dr. William Aronson thus concluded, “Many men are interested in lifestyle changes, including diet, to help manage their cancer and prevent the progression of their disease. Our findings suggest that something as simple as adjusting your diet could potentially slow cancer growth and extend the time before more aggressive interventions are needed." Furthermore, he noted, “This is an important step toward understanding how diet can potentially influence prostate cancer outcomes.”

Other Lifestyle Tips for Managing BPH

Clearly, your diet can help support prostate health in a variety of ways. But there are other lifestyle changes you can make that can help you manage BPH symptoms. In addition to changing up your diet for enlarged prostate relief, other lifestyle changes may provide you with symptom relief. Try to reach and maintain a healthy weight, and engage frequently in moderate to vigorous exercise, as long as you've been cleared for activity by a doctor.

You should also avoid certain beverages, especially ones with caffeine and alcohol, since they can both increase your urge to urinate. And cut off all liquid intake several hours before bed, or if before heading out for an activity. Finally, if you are interested in finding longer lasting BPH relief, click here to request an appointmentat the Texas Prostate Institute to see if you are a candidate for PAE!