Cancer, especially prostate cancer is a disease that affects men most from the age 60 and up. It’s a disease that has a different effect depending on the age, health, medicine regimen and overall lifestyle of an individual. While there are several traditional treatment and therapy options available like surgery, and radiation that are known to be quite effective, many people are worried about the effect these aggressive treatments may have on the body and the side effects that are associated with each option.
In an attempt to find other, more natural treatment options, many people are beginning to turn to alternative medicine and the natural herbal remedies that have recently become popular in the Western world.
Whether it’s to complement a traditional treatment or simply as a stand-alone alternative prostate cancer treatment, there are many known benefits from using herbs as therapy for prostate cancer.
Common Traditional Prostate Cancer Treatments
The most common traditional prostate cancer treatments and therapy are the following:
- Surgery
- Radiation Therapy
- Chemotherapy
- Hormone Therapy
Most of these treatments are considered quite aggressive and have a wide range of side effects that are known to either weaken the system or affect quality of life either temporarily or in some cases, permanently. Some of these side effects include incontinence, impotence, urinary infrequency and inability to ejaculate.
In order to alleviate these side effects, many people choose complementary treatments from alternative medicine, while other people choose to skip these treatments altogether and go on a path of alternative treatment and therapy for a healthier and less invasive option.
Why Herbs for Prostate Cancer?
When people think of herbs, prostate cancer treatment doesn’t usually enter the picture alongside them; instead, herbs are simply tasty ingredients to be used in meals. The truth is herbs for prostate health can actually be effective and beneficial for fighting many prostate problems like inflammation and disease.
Herbal Remedies for Prostate
While it is possible to purchase herbal medicine for prostate health, it can be difficult to find trustworthy sources or to find the correct blend for your particular needs. By visiting an alternative medicine specialist, you will be able to get advice for the best herbs and herb combinations for your particular needs.
While herbs are best known for having effective active ingredients for prostate cancer prevention, they are most effective when combined with other known ingredients that are beneficial for a healthy prostate.
If you would like to try some homemade herbal remedies, some of which can easily be added into daily meals, there are a few that can easily be mixed at home.
Ingredients: Tomatoes, Garlic and Parsley
Benefits: Tomatoes are known to be powerful anti-cancer fruits that are said to cut the risk of developing prostate cancer in half with regular ingestion.
Garlic is another healthy addition to daily nutrition since it has many benefits for the body, including cancer suppressing ingredients to inhibit growth in the prostate.
Although there is yet little known about the benefits of parsley, it has been said to contain ingredients that are thought to slow down cancer cell growth in the prostate.
How to use: Quite simply, these three ingredients are very common together for pasta dishes, on bruschetta, soups, drinks and even salads.
Ingredients: Green tea leaves
Benefits: Green tea is well known for being a “super herb”, not only is it a powerful anti-oxidant but it also contains a number of beneficial vitamins and minerals that are an excellent boost for the body’s immune system. There have been many studies that have shown green tea to have active ingredients that actually kill cancer cells within the body.
How to use: Green tea is most popularly served steeped as a drink; however there are many desserts that include green tea leaves or green tea powder.
While green tea is in fact a very healthy addition to your daily nutritional regime, it’s important to drink it in moderation since the caffeine content can be stronger than coffee. At least one cup a day is generally the recommended amount for adults.
Ingredients: Stinging Nettle
Benefits: Stinging nettle is known to be a very effective anti-inflammatory and generally used in alternative medicine to help alleviate symptoms of prostate problems like prostatitis or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
How to use: Surprisingly, stinging nettle can be used in any number of different recipes. It can be steeped like tea, used in pastas, soups and even mixed with some meats.
Herbal Prostate Care
Herbal treatment for enlarged prostate glands is very important to treat regularly and as soon as the problems are discovered in order to have the most effective treatment regimen for the best results possible.
To effectively use store bought medicine for a herbal treatment for prostate problems, it’s always recommended to follow the instructions listed with the medication, but if you have chosen mixing homemade herbal remedies, it’s very important to follow directions from a qualified practitioner of herbalism.
It’s also recommended to advise your personal physician if you plan on using homemade herbal remedies since there are some ingredients that can interfere with other treatments or simply for the fact that herbs affect every individual’s body differently. Just because something is natural, doesn’t make it totally safe for everyone.
Explore Complementary and Alternative Prostate Cancer Treatment Options
Complementary and alternative treatment for prostate cancer taken from alternative medicine are generally not considered to have any harmful treatment interactions with traditional treatments; however it is always advised for patients to visit with their personal physicians to make sure all treatments or therapies will safely work with one another without interference.
Taking care of your health and choosing various methods to promote a healthy prostate is always a good choice for a positive lifestyle but regular check-ups, which includes prostate specific screening will also help detect abnormalities early on. By taking these precautions and making the effort to get regularly check, you will be able to effectively treat any problems early on and with little complications. Once something like prostate cancer is detected in the latter stages, the options for treatment and cure minimize greatly.
