The causes of BPH are mainly associated with genetic inheritance, but men who eat foods high in animal fats also have higher risk of developing the condition.
Medical research suggests that eating foods that contain lycopene, commonly found in red fruits and vegetables, can improve benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) physician stated.
The Taiwanese Association of Andrology held two talks on men’s health issues at NTUH resently, one about BPH — a non-cancerous condition in men in which the prostate is enlarged and often causes problems when urinating.
A five-year international clinical study conducted by researchers from NTUH and the US on thousands of BPH patients above the age of 50 found that those who consumed a certain amount of lycopene showed significant improvements when urinating.
However, as lycopene is a lipid-soluble compound, people might mistakenly think that the fruits and vegetables must be cooked for the body to absorb it, but it can also be absorbed when eaten raw with salad dressings, meats or nuts, as they all contain oils.
The causes of BPH are mainly associated with genetic inheritance, but men who eat foods high in animal fats also have higher risk of developing the condition.
Lycopene can be found in ripe tomatoes, pumpkins, carrots, papayas, grapefruits and many red fruits and vegetables.
