An Ayurvedic View on Prostate Health
Adapted from MAPI USA
Prostate health can become an issue for men in their middle age, but imbalance begins much earlier in life. In the UK alone there were over 48,000 new cases of prostate cancer from 2015 -17. The good news is that following an appropriate diet and daily routine and taking appropriate herbal supplements can help keep the prostate healthy and functioning well.
The Ayurvedic Perspective
There are many reasons why prostate problems develop. One is overuse of Shukra Dhatu, or overuse of the sexual organs. Another is lack of adequate fluids in the body, due to not drinking enough water during the day. Habitually suppressing the natural urge to urinate also can, over time, cause the urine to become more concentrated and, in turn, irritates the prostate.
Drinking too much alcohol or caffeinated beverages can also cause an imbalance. Alcohol, for instance, creates an abnormal increase in urine production, which aggravates Pitta and Vata doshas.
Even your job can be a source of imbalance. If you have to sit for long periods of time without taking a break or stretching, this can create an imbalance in the reproductive area of the body. Not getting daily exercise, or eating a diet that creates digestive impurities (ama) in the body, are other causes of prostate problems. If your diet does not contain spices that purify the urine daily, such as turmeric, cumin and fennel, this can also cause digestive toxins to build up that lead to imbalances or infection.
Finally, if you don’t have a healthy daily routine — for instance, if you watch TV late at night or for other reasons don’t sleep enough, or if you don’t eat meals on time or your routine is very irregular — this can also cause ama to build up and disturb the immune system.
The main factor connecting all the above is ama. Ama is the term that describes the sticky impurities that are created when digestion is weak and food is not digested completely. Ageing itself can create weakening of the digestion, but most ama is created by poor dietary and lifestyle habits — eating foods that are old and heavy, or eating meals at irregular times of the day.
Vata dosha increases as we age. In Ayurveda, the latter part of life is known as the Vata Kala (Vata time of life). Because Vata dosha is by nature irregular, dry and moving, it can cause the digestion to become more irregular. This contributes to more ama being produced and spreading to the tissues.
If a person also has an imbalance in Shleshaka Kapha (the subdosha of Kapha that governs lubrication of the joints, body fluids, and moisture balance in the skin), and ama is accumulating in the body fluids due to dietary mistakes, then Shleshaka Kapha and ama get mixed with urine, creating a more irritated situation and further weakening of the immune system.
The Ayurvedic Solution
Maharishi AyurVeda supports health on all fronts by:
- balancing Apana Vata, the subdosha of Vata related to the downward flow of energy such as occurs with urination;
- stopping ama from being produced;
- supporting the strength of the immune system;
- cleansing the urine and nutrient fluid;
- cleansing the blood, muscle and fat tissues of ama;
- and cleansing Shleshaka Kapha of shleshma (shleshma is a thick, yellow-coloured type of ama which, when it settles in the lungs, becomes a fertile ground for bronchial infection).
10 tips from Maharishi AyurVeda for a balanced prostate:
One:
Drink lots of water throughout the day, in between meals. This will keep the urine from becoming too concentrated. If you add some herbs to the water, it will flush out toxins, dissolve ama in the blood tissue and help purify the urine.
Try the Prostate Balanced Herbal Water recipe.
Two:
Take less fluids at night if you have a prostate problem, as a full bladder at night can cause pressure on the prostate and disturb your sleep with the need to get up frequently to urinate.
Each time you urinate, take the necessary time to empty your bladder completely. Because the urethra (the passageway through which the urine drains from the body) is already narrow, when there is some enlargement of the prostate, the urinary channel becomes even narrower. If you are in too much of a hurry, all of the urine might not be drained from the bladder. This is not a good thing, because the urine becomes more concentrated if it is not drained from the bladder each time you urinate. So take the time to empty the bladder completely.
Three:
Avoid drinking alcohol, because it creates imbalances in the blood tissue, as do caffeinated drinks. Both of these create abnormal urine production and irritate the bladder as well.
Four:
If you have a sedentary job, take frequent short breaks, do a little stretching or take a short walk. This will restore the normal flow of energy, blood, and nutrient fluid to the prostate area.
Five:
In cold weather, keep your head, neck and body warm. If your body temperature drops, this leads to urine retention, which aggravates the prostate. So keep your body temperature in a moderate range.
Six:
Make sure that your bowel movements are regular. Constipation creates an obstruction in Apana Vata, in turn creating pressure on the prostate, increasing ama in the blood tissues, and creating excessive dryness in the whole area. To help with regular elimination, try having a stewed apple in the morning for breakfast with stewed figs, raisins, or prunes. You can also add more fibre and cooked vegetables to your diet, and have 2-4 teaspoons of psyllium seed husk with warm milk or water at night before going to bed. If these measures don’t work, take 2-4 Triphala with Rose tablets with water before bed.
Seven:
Daily abhyanga, (Ayurvedic oil massage), pacifies Apana Vata. Massage the hands and feet, in particular. Vata Massage Oil and Rejuvenation Massage Oil for Men, respectively, contain herbs and oils to balance Vata and restore the male physiology.
Eight:
If you have trouble sleeping at night and are not able to fall asleep, correct the underlying Vata imbalance with Blissful Sleep Basic MA1778 and Blissful Sleep Vata & Pitta MA1684. If you wake up between 2:00 and 4:00 a.m. with lots of energy and find it difficult to get back to sleep, this is a Pitta imbalance, and Peace at Night MA107 can help.
Nine:
Eat foods that are tri-doshic, which means that they pacify all three doshas. These include soaked walnuts and soaked almonds. Avoid foods that aggravate any of the doshas: food that is too dry, too oily, too greasy, too cold or too hot, too spicy or not spicy enough. Avoid extremes.
Ten:
Include lots of sweet, juicy fruits in your diet, as this helps nourish the Rasa Dhatu (the nutrient fluid), purify the urine and help maintain a healthy flow of urine. They also create ojas, improving resistance and enhancing cellular intelligence. If stewed or cooked until they are soft, they pacify Apana Vata, as well as Pitta dosha. They make an ideal breakfast when combined with prunes, figs, and raisins. If you have a Kapha imbalance, you can eat sweet, juicy fruits raw, but should avoid eating raw fruit after sunset, as the digestion is not as strong at that time of day.
Prostate Protection: Balanced, Synergistic Nutritional Support
There are twenty herbal and mineral ingredients Prostate Balance MA1595. Guggul (Indian Bdellium) is a main ingredient and helps to clear digestive impurities (called ama in Ayurveda) from the blood, muscle, and fat tissue. Guggul also helps to maintain the normal size of the prostate gland by supporting balanced cell production.
Other herbs in combination support and balance the healthy flow of urine and reduce irritation.
Heart-leaved Moonseed (Indian Tinospora), Turmeric, and Zinc support balance in the prostate area. The combination of Guggul and Zinc is a traditional ayurvedic remedy for balancing the size and health of the prostate. Turmeric and Guggul are both traditionally used to support a healthy inflammatory response.
Mineral Pitch (Shilajit) and Barley also help in maintaining the purity of the urine. Guduchi, Zinc and Turmeric support balance in the genitourinary tract.
Another group of herbs supports the Shukra Dhatu and maintains testosterone production, including Small Caltrops, Country Mallow, and Shilajit. Bala and Zinc help balance the amount of testosterone and sexual desire. Research has shown that Small Caltrops has the overall effect of supporting men’s testosterone level.
The overall impact of this nutritional supplement is to prevent imbalances in the prostate, and to support the body’s natural intelligence in maintaining prostate health and enhance overall functioning in that area.
Other Herbs to Help
To maintain Shukra Dhatu (reproductive fluid), take Vital Man MA924, one tablet twice a day after eating. If you need extra help for the flow and purity of the urine, you could take Genitrac MA2 in addition to Prostate Balance. Take one tablet morning and evening. If you need additional antioxidant support to fight free radicals, take one tablet of Organic Amla Berry MA1 with each tablet of Genitrac.
Ongoing stress can be an important factor in prostate health, especially mental stress in the form of overuse of the mind, which can disturb the immune system and aggravate Apana Vata. For this, you could take Peace of Mind tablets MA1401 and Peace of Mind Tea along with Prostate Balance.
DISCLAIMER: The information in this document is presented for the sole purpose of imparting education on Maharishi AyurVeda and neither the information nor the products are intended to diagnose, treat, mitigate, cure, or prevent any disease. If you have a medical condition or are pregnant or lactating, please consult a health professional and it is recommended that you speak with your physician before making significant changes to your diet or routine.
