I know of no evidence showing that taking saw palmetto or pygeum africanum, another prostate protectant, can have negative side effects. In fact, saw palmetto is nontoxic and can be taken indefinitely. This approach should reduce the size of the gland in about four to six weeks. You can improve the efficacy of these supplements by avoiding prostatic irritants such as alcohol, caffeine, tobacco and spicy foods. There is a lot of debate about whether men over 40 or 45 should take saw palmetto and pygeum preventively, but no data exists to indicate that this strategy actually works.
Dehydration stresses the gland.
Add soybeans to your diet to reduce the risk of both prostatic enlargement and prostate cancer. A fatty diet increases testosterone, which in turn elevates the risks both BPH and cancer, so eat less fat. Eat plenty of tomatoes. Results of a major study in 1995 concluded that the risk of developing prostate cancer was 34 percent lower than normal among men who ate just two servings of cooked tomatoes a week. Some fat needs to be present for the beneficial element, lycopene, to be absorbed.