Over time, the bladder works increasingly harder to force urine through the narrow urethra. A prostatectomy involves cutting out the excessive glandular tissue. While highly effective, potentially serious side effects include impotence and incontinence. The gland tends to enlarge with age due to blood levels of testosterone gradually drop, while estrogen levels increase. The combination of high levels of DHT and increased estrogen stimulates the growth of prostate tissue.
Dietary changes can help.
Conversely, increased consumption of fruits appears to lower the risk. Incidence of BPH is much lower in Asian countries where the diet contains a lot of soy and other legumes, which are rich in a group of chemicals called isoflavones. Saw Palmetto is the most well known for prostate problems. It is native to the West Indies and south-eastern coastal United States. Most modern research on saw palmetto has been performed by medical doctors in Germany, France, and Italy.