Prostate Problems
Enlargement of the prostate, or prostatic hypertrophy, is very common in men from early middle age on. Some of the most interesting research on the problem has found that higher estrogen levels combined with lower testosterone levels is involved in the process. This was discovered estrogen was used in animals induce enlargement of the prostate gland so that different drugs therapies would be tested.
Estrogen and testosterone have differing effects on prostate cells. Estrogen is primarily “proliferative” meaning that it tells cells to grow. Testosterone, in contrast, signals cells to mature or grow up into normal cells. Enlargement of the prostate occurs when cells excessive proliferate rather than becoming mature which inhibits further excessive cell production.
A second hormonal imbalance often contributing to prostate enlargement is an excessive conversion of testosterone to DHT. DHT in high amounts also causes excessive growth of the prostate. This may originate from overactivity of the enzyme that converts testosterone to DHT.
Testing of the levels of the various male hormones will isolate the problem causing prostate enlargement. The testing is done very simply using saliva specimens. The value of saliva is that it reflects the free or active fraction of different hormones. All hormones are bound to proteins to keep them inactive during travel throughout the circulation to their tissue target. The salivary gland uncouples the different hormones from their protein carriers giving a true reflection of the free and active tissue levels.
Many factors affect the production and balance of our many hormones. Some may help with natural hormone production and when they are missing, normal hormone levels cannot be maintained. These may include nutrients such as zinc, Vitamin C and manganese all of which are needed for adequate testosterone production.
Other factors may have a negative affect interfering with hormone production or causing an imbalance between different hormones. This group is broader and more complex. It includes factors that may cause excessive conversion of testosterone to estrogen in males including certain nutrient deficiencies. It also includes factors that simply cause excessive estrogen or progesterone in males. These factors include exposure to hormone creams from a spouse, environmental hormone exposure from commercial meat and dairy products, exposure to environmental chemicals that stimulate estrogen effect in the body (plastics, pesticides, etc), and many more.
The most functional method of sorting through all of these factors is to have a complete hormone test panel by saliva testing correlated with a complete health history. Once the imbalances become more clearly understood, the source of the problem and the path to correction becomes more obvious. Relatively simple, safe and effective nutritional interventions can be used to restore normal hormone balance helping the problem and providing relief of the annoying symptoms for many men.