Male Health

Herbs listed below may be helpful with male health issues such as prostatic hyperplasia and sperm count.

Recipes for Men

Roasted Pumpkin Seed Recipe

Spicy Bay Men’s Cologne Recipe

Blog Articles

RESEARCH

The listings of research below represent a compilation of scientific articles found on the topic, with a very brief overview description of each article/study.  This compilation of research articles does not necessarily imply that there are adequate results to demonstrate safe and/or effective human use of any herb listed.

Prostate

• In a double blind study, a Saw palmetto herbal blend that included pumpkin seed was safe and effective for men with moderately symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia.  From:  Marks, L. S., Partin, A. W., Epstein, J. I., Tyler, V. E., Simon, I., Macairan, M. L., … & Santos, P. B. C. (2000). Effects of a saw palmetto herbal blend in men with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia. The Journal of urology, 163(5), 1451-1456. 
• The phytosterol curbicin, as found in pumpkins seeds and the dwarf palm plant, improved symptoms of prostatic hyperplasia in a double blind study.  From:  CARBIN, B. E., Larsson, B., & Lindahl, O. (1990). Treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia with phytosterols. BJU International, 66(6), 639-641. 
• An herbal product containing pumpkin seed oil, saw palmetto, nettle root, lemon bioflavonoid, and vitamin A reduced symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia in a large double blind study.  From:  Friederich, M., Theurer, C., & Schiebel-Schlosser, G. (2000). Prosta Fink Forte®-Kapseln in der Behandlung der benignen Prostatahyperplasie. Eine multizentrische Anwendungsbeobachtung an 2245 Patienten. Forschende Komplementärmedizin/Research in Complementary Medicine, 7(4), 200-204. 
• In a double blind study, Korean men showed reduced symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia with the use of pumpkin seed and saw palmetto oil.  From:  Hong, H., Kim, C. S., & Maeng, S. (2009). Effects of pumpkin seed oil and saw palmetto oil in Korean men with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia. Nutrition research and practice, 3 (4), 323-327.
• This case study comparing green tea drinkers to non-green tea drinkers demonstrated that drinking green tea regularly reduced the likelihood of prostate cancer.  From:  Jian, L., Xie, L. P., Lee, A. H., & Binns, C. W. (2004). Protective effect of green tea against prostate cancer: a case‐control study in southeast China. International journal of cancer, 108(1), 130-135.
• Extract of Vitex agnus-castus inhibited prostate epithelial cell growth and induced apoptosis; being a potential treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia and human prostate cancer.  From:  Weisskopf, M., Schaffner, W., Jundt, G., Sulser, T., Wyler, S., & Tullberg-Reinert, H. (2005). A Vitex agnus-castus extract inhibits cell growth and induces apoptosis in prostate epithelial cell lines. Planta medica, 71(10), 910-916. 
• Red clover  isoflavones reduced non-malignant prostatic growth in mice by acting as anti-androgenic agents. From:  Jarred, R. A., McPherson, S. J., Jones, M. E., Simpson, E. R., & Risbridger, G. P. (2003). Anti‐androgenic action by red clover‐derived dietary isoflavones reduces non‐malignant prostate enlargement in aromatase knockout (arko) mice. The Prostate, 56(1), 54-64.
• In a one year study with 1,431 men ages 50-80 with urinary tract symptoms suggestive of benign prostatic hyperplasia, taking a pumpkin seed extract, symptoms were significantly reduced compared to the placebo without side effects.  From:  Vahlensieck, W., Theurer, C., Pfitzer, E., Patz, B., Banik, N., & Engelmann, U. (2015). Effects of pumpkin seed in men with lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic hyperplasia in the one-year, randomized, placebo-controlled GRANU study. Urologia internationalis, 94(3), 286-295.
• Pumpkin seed oil inhibited testosterone-induced hyperplasia of the prostate in rats. From: Gossell-Williams, M., Davis, A., & O’connor, N. (2006). Inhibition of testosterone-induced hyperplasia of the prostate of sprague-dawley rats by pumpkin seed oil. Journal of Medicinal Food, 9(2), 284-286.  
• In a review of research, including 4 clinical studies, Cucurbita was effective in reducing urinary tract symptoms related to benign prostatic hyperplasia; more research is warranted.  From:  Damiano, R., Cai, T., Fornara, P., Franzese, C. A., Leonardi, R., & Mirone, V. (2016). The role of Cucurbita pepo in the management of patients affected by lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic hyperplasia: A narrative review. Archivio Italiano di Urologia e Andrologia, 88(2), 136-143.
• This article provided a review of research on the use of pumpkin seed oil for benign prostatic hyperplasia.  From:  Đorđević, I., Milutinović, M., Kostić, M., Đorđević, B., Dimitrijević, M., Stošić, N., … & Kitić, D. (2016). Phytotherapeutic approach to benign prostatic hyperplasia treatment by pumpkin seed (Cucurbita pepo L., Cucurbitaceae). Acta Medica Medianae, 55(3), 76-84.

Urinary System

• In a study of 45 male volunteers with urinary disfunction related to an overactive bladder, taking a pumpkin seed oil extract for 12 weeks helped reduced symptoms.  From:  Nishimura, M., Ohkawara, T., Sato, H., Takeda, H., & Nishihira, J. (2014). Pumpkin seed oil extracted from Cucurbita maxima improves urinary disorder in human overactive bladder. Journal of traditional and complementary medicine, 4(1), 72-74.

Sperm Count

• Withania somnifera reduced oxidative stress and improved sperm count and motility in 75 men with fertility issues.  From:  Ahmad, M. K., Mahdi, A. A., Shukla, K. K., Islam, N., Rajender, S., Madhukar, D., … & Ahmad, S. (2010). Withania somnifera improves semen quality by regulating reproductive hormone levels and oxidative stress in seminal plasma of infertile males. Fertility and sterility, 94(3), 989-996. 
• In a study of 80 male patients, taking a fenugreek supplement significantly increased sperm counts and pregnancy rate.  From:  Al-khalisy, M. H. (2015). Treatment of Men Infertility using Low doses of Fenugreek Oil Extract. Group, 29.
  
• Forty-six male patients with oligospermia taking ashwagandha for three times a day for 90 days showed a 167% increase in sperm count, 53% increase in semen volume , and 57% increase in sperm motility.  From:  Ambiye, V. R., Langade, D., Dongre, S., Aptikar, P., Kulkarni, M., & Dongre, A. (2013). Clinical evaluation of the spermatogenic activity of the root extract of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) in oligospermic males: a pilot study. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2013. 
• Foods high in zinc, such as pumpkin seeds, may help improve male fertility.  A study of male semen and plasma samples found a possible coorelation between sperm count and zinc levels.  From:  Colagar, A. H., Marzony, E. T., & Chaichi, M. J. (2009). Zinc levels in seminal plasma are associated with sperm quality in fertile and infertile men. Nutrition Research, 29(2), 82-88.
• A 100 daily mg ingestion of black pepper reduced fertility in mice. From: Mishra, R. K., & Singh, S. K. (2009). Antispermatogenic and antifertility effects of fruits of Piper nigrum L. in mice.

Athletic Performance

• Physical performance improved without side effects in 60 male subjects who took a fenugreek supplement over 8 weeks.  From:  Wankhede, S., Mohan, V., & Thakurdesai, P. (2016). Beneficial effects of fenugreek glycoside supplementation in male subjects during resistance training: A randomized controlled pilot study. Journal of Sport and Health Science, 5(2), 176-182.

Testosterone

• In a 16 week study with 43 overweight men ages 40-70, taking an ashwagandha supplement increased testosterone levels compared to the placebo.  There were not significant differences in cortisol or estradiol levels.  From:  Lopresti, A. L., Drummond, P. D., & Smith, S. J. (2019). A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study examining the hormonal and vitality effects of ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) in aging, overweight males. American journal of men’s health, 13(2), 1557988319835985.

Erectile Disfunction

• A review of the uses of Panax ginseng is provided. Systematic reviews have shown it reduces a cold and helps with erectile disfunction. Nonsystematic reviews suggest it may help reduce cancer, cancer fatigue, and viral myocarditis. From: Ernst, E. (2010). Panax ginseng: an overview of the clinical evidence. Journal of Ginseng Research, 34(4), 259-263.

Compiled by: Kathy Sadowski

Updated: 11/19/19