Always Have to Go? Relieve the Pressure with Pygeum
Pygeum africanum is an evergreen tree which grows in the mountains of central and southern Africa. Extract from the bark of the pygeum tree hav been used for many years in Europe for the prevention and treatment of prostate disorders including prostate enlargement, also known as benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). Therapeutic preparations of pygeum have also been marketed in the United States for prostate cancer prevention and treatment. Pygeum bark has been found to contain three types of compounds that may alleviate increased urinary frequency and other symptoms associated with prostate disorders.
Recently, several studies have examined these compounds and how they inhibit the growth of prostate cells which may affect bladder function and/or become cancerous. Two French studies found that pygeum halted prostate cell growth both in vitro (outside the body) and in vivo (inside the body). The findings of a large study reported in European Urology found that a combination of pygeum and saw palmetto supplements was more effective than tamsulosin, the most commonly prescribed medication for BPH, at lessening the BPH symptoms. Preliminary research performed on mice at the University of Missouri at Colombia found that Pygeum may also have some anti-cancer potential. Mice given a pygeum extract showed a 35% reduction in prostate cancer incidence.
Sources: Edgar AD, Levin R, Constantinou CE, Denis L. A critical review of the pharmacology of the plant extract of Pygeum africanum in the treatment of LUTS. Neurourol Urodyn. 2007;26(4):458-63.
Boulbès D, Soustelle L, Costa P, Haddoum M, Bali JP, Hollande F, Magous R. Pygeum africanum extract inhibits proliferation of human cultured prostatic fibroblasts and myofibroblasts. BJU Int. 2006 Nov;98(5):1106-13.
Hutchison A, Farmer R, Verhamme K, Berges R, Navarrete RV. The efficacy of drugs for the treatment of LUTS/BPH, a study in 6 European countries. Eur Urol. 2007 Jan;51(1):207-15; discussion 215-6.
Shenouda NS, Sakla MS, Newton LG, Besch-Williford C, Greenberg NM, MacDonald RS, Lubahn DB. “Phytosterol Pygeum africanum regulates prostate cancer in vitro and in vivo.” Endocrine. 31(1): 72-81, 2007.
