Dietary principles, self-care, and preventive dietary therapy for benign prostatic hyperplasia (Part 1)

**3.** **Dietary Principles for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia**

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common disease among the elderly. After developing BPH,

In addition to active treatment, proper lifestyle and dietary management also play a role in the recovery from this disease.

It plays an important role. Patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) should pay attention to the following dietary points:

1) Avoid strong alcohol, spicy and fatty foods, coffee, and citrus fruits.

Avoid highly acidic foods such as orange juice, and limit your intake of white sugar and refined flour.

2) Eat more fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and soy products, and eat more honey to protect your health.

Maintain regular bowel movements and consume appropriate amounts of beef and eggs.

3) When consuming seeds, such as pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds, you can choose to eat them daily in any quantity.

4) Cook mung beans, in any quantity, until they are soft and porridge-like. Let them cool and eat as desired. This is beneficial for the bladder.

It is especially suitable for those who experience heat and painful urination.

5) Do not reduce your water intake due to frequent urination. Drinking more water can dilute urine and prevent urination.

It can cause urinary tract infections and bladder stones. It's best to drink cooled boiled water and avoid strong tea.

**4.** Self-care for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)

As is well known, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common and frequently occurring disease in elderly men. Its symptoms...

The main symptoms are increased frequency of urination (especially at night), difficulty urinating, and a weak urine stream.

Points such as climate change, fatigue, alcohol consumption, sexual activity, or infection can easily trigger urination.

Urine retention, or even complete inability to urinate, causes extreme pain. Therefore, self-care is essential.

It is very important to take good care of oneself; doing so can not only consolidate the treatment effect but also prevent the condition from worsening.

Acute urinary retention can occur. So, how can we take care of ourselves?

(1) Prevent catching a cold: From late autumn to early spring, the weather is unpredictable and often cold.

This can worsen the condition. Therefore, patients must take precautions against the cold and prevent colds and upper respiratory tract infections.

(2) Absolutely avoid alcohol: Drinking alcohol can cause congestion and edema of the prostate and bladder neck, which can induce urinary retention.

(3) Eat less spicy food: Spicy and stimulating foods can cause congestion of the sexual organs.

It can also worsen hemorrhoids and constipation, compress the prostate, and exacerbate urination difficulties.

(4) Do not hold your urine: Holding your urine will cause the bladder to become overfilled, forcing the bladder to release urine.

Weakened muscle tone can lead to difficulty urinating and easily trigger acute urinary retention; therefore, it is essential to...

You should urinate whenever you feel the urge.

(5) Avoid overexertion: Excessive fatigue will deplete the body's vital energy, and insufficient vital energy will lead to...

Weak urination can easily lead to urinary retention.

(6) Avoid prolonged sitting: Frequent prolonged sitting can aggravate hemorrhoids and other conditions, and can also easily cause perineal problems.

Congestion in the urinary tract can cause difficulty urinating. Regular participation in recreational activities and Qigong exercises can help alleviate the symptoms.

(7) Drink enough water: Drinking too little water will not only cause dehydration, but also hinder excretion.

The flushing effect of urine on the urinary tract can also lead to urine concentration, resulting in the formation of insoluble stones. Therefore, in addition to...

Reduce water intake at night to avoid overfilling the bladder after falling asleep, and drink more water during the day.

(8) Use medications with caution: Some medications can worsen urinary difficulties, and high doses may cause them to become more difficult to urinate.

Acute urinary retention can be caused by atropine, belladonna tablets, ephedrine tablets, and isopropylamine.

Adrenaline, etc. In recent years, calcium channel blockers and verapamil have also been found to promote prolactin secretion.

It can impair urination and weaken the contractile force of the detrusor muscle, thus aggravating urination difficulties. Therefore, certain medications should be used with caution or preferably avoided altogether.

(9) Timely treatment: Prostatitis, cystitis and urethral stones should be treated promptly and thoroughly.

(1 0) Massage the lower abdomen: Massage the lower abdomen and press acupoints such as Qihai and Guanyuan below the navel.

It is beneficial for bladder function recovery. Gentle massage after urination can promote bladder emptying and reduce residual urine.

**5.** **Dietary Therapy for Preventing and Treating Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia**

**(1) Stewed Sparrow**

**Ingredients:** 10 sparrows, 5 scallions (white part only), 50g Shaoxing wine, ginger juice, soy sauce, salt.

**Sugar and MSG, in appropriate amounts.**

**Preparation:** Slaughter the sparrow, remove its feathers and internal organs, and use ginger...

After marinating in the sauce and soy sauce for 10 minutes, stir-fry in oil heated to 60% of its maximum temperature, then add Shaoxing wine.

Add salt, water, and crushed scallion segments, simmer over low heat for 40-60 minutes, adding a little salt before serving.

Add sugar and MSG, then reduce the broth until thickened. **Serving suggestion:** Serve as a side dish.

**Efficacy:** Benefits the kidneys and reduces urination. Can be used as an adjunct treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia and frequent urination.

**(2) Diced meat with wolfberry**

**Ingredients:** 250g pork hind leg meat, 15g goji berries, 50g tomato sauce, Shaoxing wine,

Ingredients: ginger, white vinegar, and white sugar, in appropriate amounts.

Preparation: Wash the pork leg meat and cut it into small cubes. Pound it with the back of a knife to tenderize it. Add wine, salt, and cornstarch and mix well.

After marinating for 15 minutes, coat with dry cornstarch and lightly fry in oil at 60-70% heat.

Heat the oil and fry the meat again until it is crispy. Then remove it from the oil and place it on a plate.

Grind goji berries into a paste, then mix with tomatoes, sugar, and white vinegar to make a sweet and sour sauce.

Stir-fry the remaining oil until thickened, then add the diced meat and mix well.

**Dosage:** To be taken with meals.

**Efficacy:** Nourishes kidney essence and tonifies kidney yang. Suitable for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

(3 **)** **Field** **Snail** **Kun** **Grass** **Soup**

**Ingredients:** 250g river snails, 125g fresh and tender motherwort, 30g plantain seeds, 10g costus root.

**Preparation:** Rinse the snails thoroughly and remove the tail tips; chop the motherwort; use plantain seeds and costus root.

Wrap the herbs in cloth. Boil all the herbs in water to make a decoction, then remove the herb packet. **Dosage:** Drink the decoction and eat the snail meat and the motherwort.

**Efficacy:** Clears heat and promotes diuresis, regulates qi and relieves stagnation. Suitable for those with benign prostatic hyperplasia due to damp-heat in the bladder.

Symptoms include frequent urination, small amount of urine, burning sensation, and even urinary retention.