Prostate.net

Chronic Prostatitis Treatment

Foods to Avoid for Prostatitis


Medically reviewed by Dr. Paul Song M.D

It is hard to make the connection between what you put in your mouth and your prostate health. But if you have been suffering from chronic prostatitis, with symptoms that come and go but never get completely get resolved, you might consider the foods you
eat. You may be able to manage or resolve your chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) symptoms by learning what foods to avoid for prostatitis.

It can be frustrating to suffer for months or years without knowing the cause of your prostate pain, but studies have uncovered certain foods that can cause or exacerbate CP/CPPS symptoms in some men or increase inflammation in the body. Many causes of
CP/CPPS stem from problems that originate outside of the prostate itself, and that is why improving diet and intestinal health can affect your prostate and pelvic health.

Researchers conducted a study to determine the prevalence of perceived food sensitivity in 286 men with CP/CPPS. The men filled out a questionnaire about the effects that food, beverages, and supplements had on their pelvic pain symptoms. Of the 95 men
who returned the surveys, 47.4% reported that consuming certain substances aggravated their symptoms.

The common foods that have been found to exacerbate prostatitis symptoms include the following (in order of most commonly associated to less commonly associated with exacerbating prostatitis symptoms):

Spicy foods
Coffee
Hot peppers
Alcoholic beverages
Tea
Chili
Other ingestibles or foods that exacerbate symptoms in some men include:

Acidic foods
Wheat
Gluten
Caffeine
The substances that most alleviated symptoms of the men in the study included:

Docusate
Psyllium
Water
Herbal teas
Polycarbophil
The researchers concluded, “Many patients with CP/CPPS have demonstrable food, beverage, and dietary supplement sensitivities. Dietary changes should be considered in the treatment of these patients.”

You might have noticed that bowel health and prostatitis seem to be connected. It is important to avoid constipation and “keep thing moving” when it comes to prostate issues, which is why many men find that some of the above fiber and stool softening
ingredients help. Hot peppers, which appear on the exacerbation list, get their spiciness from capsaicin, which is known to increase rectal sensitivity in people with irritable bowel syndrome. Irritable bowel is one of the conditions that is frequently
found in men who also have CP/CPPS. Eating foods that promote intestinal health (like foods containing probiotics) or taking quality probiotic supplements should be part of an every day healthy diet for supporting your digestive health and your prostate
health. Probiotics are the beneficial, or helpful, gut microflora that include yeasts and bacteria that normally reside in balance with other bacteria in the intestinal tract. To further support your intestinal health you’ll also want to increase your
fiber intake and stay well hydrated.

There are other foods that have been known to increase inflammation in the body and affect arthritis patients and people with inflammatory disease. Avoiding foods that are generally associated with causing inflammation or pain in the body can be a good
idea. Some common culprits include vegetables in the nightshade family such as potatoes, eggplant, all peppers, and tomatoes. Other inflammation-causing foods and ingredients include sugar, aspartame, trans fats, mono-sodium glutamate (MSG), omega-6
fatty acids, and casein (dairy proteins). You might try avoiding those inflammation-causing foods for three months to see if your pain improves.

A zinc deficiency could be another dietary cause for prostatitis. Other dietary causes could be related to or ingesting environmental pollutants such as bisphenol-A (BPA), which seeps into the food from plastic products, food containers, and canned foods.
Try to avoid water bottles and food packaging made with BPA.

Your diet is one of the most important aspects of your health. Eating certain foods and even eating foods that you have allergies to or intolerances for can create reactions in your body that cause inflammation, and this inflammation can contribute to
pelvic pain and tension.
When you are diagnosing and treating CP/CPPS it is important to look into your possible dietary triggers and how your body reacts to certain foods to help you figure out which foods to avoid for prostatitis symptom relief. Your doctor may suggest a wheat-
free diet, a gluten-free diet, or an elimination diet to check for other foods that could be triggering your symptoms.

Taking a closer look at your diet and learning what foods to avoid for prostatitis are both part of the holistic NPAT treatment program for CP/CPPS. The letters of NPAT stand for:

Natural treatments (ALCAT, elimination diets, and wheat-free diets) Phytotherapy (pollen and quercetin together with probiotics)
Alternative Treatments (acupuncture, prostate massage, pelvic rehabilitation and therapy)
Total body (exercise, chronic stress management, lifestyle)
Successfully treating CP/CPPS requires a multimodal and whole-body approach. Diet is just one lifestyle component of this whole picture. Some men find that wheat-free diets for prostatitis help their symptoms. You may also want to consider trying other
natural treatments like taking supplements and probiotics. There are many alternative treatments men find helpful in addition to diet and nutrition. Treatments like acupuncture, physiotherapy, sitz baths, and stress management techniques all help men
with their various causes and types of prostatitis symptoms. By trying several treatment methods, including avoiding foods that make your symptoms worse, you can approach your prostatitis holistically and different angles to finally find relief.

Reference:

Herati, A. S., et al. Effects of Foods and Beverages on the Symptoms of Chronic Prostatitis/Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome. UROLOGY 82 (6), 2013. 1376-1380.


http://prostate.net/health-centers/prostatitis/chronic-prostatitis-treatment/foods-avoid-prostatitis/

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)