As men, we hear a lot of advice about our prostates, but few of us understand why we even need one in the first place, or how miserable we will become if ours doesn’t function quite right. Unfortunately, most aging men will find out.
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) involves by a slow, continual enlargement of the prostate gland. As the gland swells, it compresses the urethra, obstructing urine flow, resulting in weakened urination, night urinary urging, urine retention and pain. About 90 percent of men older than 85 have some evidence of BPH, but only half of them will have painful prostate enlargement.
The pelvic area is a particularly critical area in which it is necessary to keep the body’s energy balanced. (The other critical body areas are the heart and the head.) Prostate problems, which occur with aging, happen during the time of life when the air tattva is dominant. BPH is an udavarta disorder, one involving energy that is flowing in the reverse direction. In BPH, apana in the large intestine and genitals rises upwards, leaving prostate energy diminished.
Ayurveda sees BPH not so much as a problem in itself (of course it can make a man miserable), but a sign of a much more serious syndrome. Apana reversal is a big problem, and will eventually bring all bodily processes to a grinding halt. It is the forerunner to a cascade of problems that develop in a predictable way. Certain men are more susceptible to the collected effects of this problem than others, but the sum total of these disruptions of the doshas often settles in the prostate and blooms as BPH. A little more crow pose, anyone?
In general, udavarta conditions are treated with remedies to assist vata back into its proper directions of movement. The herbs haritaki, asafoetida and calamus generally balance this condition.
Any given case of BPH can involve any of the body energies in any proportion. The boggy, wet, swollen prostate is a water tattva excess. The inflamed tissue is a manifestation of fire tattva. The blockages and reversed energy flow comes from air tattva. Follow a diet appropriate to the offending tattva.
Shatavari root is a soothing general remedy for the genitourinary system. A builder and balancer for reproductive organs, it increases semen and sexual juices in general. This cooling herb acts as a blood cleanser, supports the immune system and acts as a soothing treatment for dry or inflamed membranes of the sex organs. As a mild diuretic, it can relieve the congestion of the boggy prostate. Prepared as a milk decoction (simmer in milk, strain), enjoy it combined with ghee, raw sugar, and honey at 10 grams per day. Another effective formula combines equal parts of ashwagandha, gokshura and shatavari in powder stirred into honey, or capsules. Use 6-10 grams per day.
BPH causes obnoxious nighttime urinary dribbling, so using diuretics during the day, and then abstaining from water in the evening can reduce nocturnal pilgrimages to the bathroom. Punarnava herb is a classic diuretic in Ayurveda. Punarnava is used as an effective diuretic, anti-spasmodic and anti-inflammatory remedy, with pain relieving qualities, for urinary tract issues, including infections. Unlike most diuretics, which are detoxifying, punarnava is a tissue builder, a rasayana. This herb is perfectly designed for prostate problems. Use 4 grams per day with hot water.
Gokshura seed pod is highly esteemed as a rejuvenating medicine. It is sweet and cold, so it is appropriate for pitta conditions. As a tonic, it balances vata and is an exceptional remedy for urogenital conditions. It promotes urine flow and soothes the membranes. It will not promote excessive dryness, as most diuretics do. Gokshura is renowned for prostate support, plus being used for impotence, urinary pain, incontinence, gout and infertility. This herb is sometimes combined with guggul, triphala, and trikatu in a traditional Ayurvedic Tridoshic compound called Gokshuradi Guggul, used to support proper function of the urinary tract. For general prostate benefit, use equal parts of powdered gokshura, sesame seed, kapi kacchu and ashwagandha. Take 6 grams of this mixture each day with honey, ghee or milk.
Keeping the prostate healthy is actually a particularly challenging area. Men just don’t come to their practitioners until things are well advanced. But men’s needs are serious. And while they might still tough it out, they are miserable if they don’t seek help.
Ayurveda offers a holistic approach to crisis care, and a scheme for managing health and welfare over a lifetime. Really, there’s no need to be in misery from an aging prostate. Now, if we could just entice some men to take action.
