Dietary therapy is a common approach to managing many health conditions. For individuals with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), several dietary strategies can be beneficial. Elderly BPH patients should maintain a light diet, increase intake of vegetables and fruits, quit smoking, reduce alcohol consumption, limit spicy foods, and ensure regular bowel movements.
The following dietary therapies may assist patients in managing their condition:
1. Codonopsis and Astragalus Winter Melon Soup
Ingredients: 15g Codonopsis pilosula, 20g Astragalus membranaceus, 50g winter melon, MSG, sesame oil, salt to taste.
Preparation: Simmer Codonopsis and Astragalus in a clay pot with water for 15 minutes. Strain to retain the liquid. Add the winter melon while hot and cook until tender. Season to taste. Serve with meals. This soup strengthens the spleen, boosts qi, elevates yang energy, and promotes urination.
2. Cinnamon and Plantain Seed Porridge
Ingredients: 5g cinnamon bark, 30g plantain seeds, 50g japonica rice.
Method: Simmer cinnamon and plantain herb, strain to collect liquid. Add japonica rice and cook until tender. Stir in brown sugar to taste. Consume on an empty stomach. This porridge warms yang and promotes diuresis.
3. Apricot-Pear-Stonewort Drink
Ingredients: 10g bitter apricot kernels, 12g stonewort, 15g plantain herb, 1 large pear, a small amount of rock sugar.
Preparation: Peel and crush the bitter almonds. Core and dice the pear. Simmer with stone rush and plantain herb. Add rock sugar after cooking. Drink as tea. Clears lung fire and promotes diuresis.
4. Diuretic Cucumber Soup
Ingredients: 1 cucumber, 10g knotweed, MSG, salt, sesame oil to taste.
Preparation: First decoct the lonicera and ephedra, strain to remove residue, then bring the liquid to a boil again. Add cucumber slices and seasonings, and consume while warm. This promotes urinary tract function.
Elderly men with benign prostatic hyperplasia should maintain a light diet, consume plenty of vegetables and fruits, quit smoking, reduce alcohol intake, avoid spicy foods, and ensure regular bowel movements.