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Looking at the effects of pumpkin seed extract on men with benign prostatic hyperplasia

02/12/2020 // Evangelyn Rodriguez // Views

Tags: alternative medicine, benign prostatic hyperplasia, food cures, food is medicine, food science, functional food, goodfood, goodhealth, goodmedicine, goodscience, men's health, natural cures, natural medicine, prostate enlargement, remedies, research, superfoods

In this study, researchers from Austria, Germany and Switzerland investigated the effects of a proprietary oil-free hydroethanolic pumpkin seed extract on the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Their findings were published in the Journal of Medicinal Food.

• The majority of men are affected by symptomatic BPH from a certain age.
• Extracts from medicinal plants are frequently used in the early management of BPH symptoms.
• To evaluate the potential of pumpkin seeds, the researchers conducted a single-arm, mono-center pilot study involving 60 men with a total International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) of 14.8. The study lasted from January 2017 until October 2017.
• The researchers asked the participants to ingest oil-free hydroethanolic pumpkin seed extracts once daily before going to bed for three months. They assessed change in IPSS within the treatment period.
• The participants recorded the frequency of nocturia in a bladder diary while their postvoid residual urine volume was determined through ultrasound.
• The researchers reported that total IPSS significantly decreased (30.1 percent average) within the 12-week intervention period.
• After the eighth and 12th week of supplementation, symptom alleviation was significant and had a high impact on the participants' quality of life.
• The researchers also reported that nocturia significantly decreased over time, as confirmed by IPSS questionnaires and the bladder diaries.
• Meanwhile, postvoid residual urine volume also decreased significantly at the end of the treatment period.

Based on these findings, the researchers concluded that the oil-free hydroethanolic pumpkin seed extract can effectively alleviate the symptoms of BPH without the need for medical treatment.

Read the full study at this link.

Journal Reference:

Leibbrand M, Siefer S, Schon C, Perrinjaquet-Moccetti T, Kompek A, Csernich A, Bucar F, Kreuter MH. EFFECTS OF AN OIL-FREE HYDROETHANOLIC PUMPKIN SEED EXTRACT ON SYMPTOM FREQUENCY AND SEVERITY IN MEN WITH BENIGN PROSTATIC HYPERPLASIA: A PILOT STUDY IN HUMANS. Journal of Medicinal Food. 07 June 2019;22(6):551–559. DOI: 10.1089/jmf.2018.0106

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