Reduce Nighttime Bathroom Visits

At least half of all men over age 50 wake up once or more during the night to urinate.¹

The need to urinate twice or more nightly increases with age, affecting up to 62% of those aged 70-80.²

Known as nocturia, waking to use the bathroom at night is one of the most common lower urinary tract symptoms in older men. It disrupts sleep and can leave people exhausted and irritable.³

Many men assume it's an inevitable part of aging. But it doesn't have to be.

A clinical study by Life Extension scientists combined five compounds that have shown beneficial effects on nocturia and other urinary tract issues.

At the end of the study, not a single participant was left waking at night more than once. And the number of men suffering from nocturia at all dropped by an astonishing 64%.⁴

Nocturia and Other Male Urinary Symptoms

Prevalence of nocturia increases with age.³

It is just one of many urinary problems, known as lower urinary tract symptoms (or LUTS), that plague men as they age.⁵

Others include increased urinary frequency, urgency, incontinence, incomplete bladder emptying, hesitancy, prolonged urination, dribbling, and a weak urine stream.⁵

Many changes that occur with age drive these symptoms, including enlargement of the prostate gland or overactive bladder.⁵

Five Helpful Compounds

Some drugs are meant to control bladder overactivity and urine-flow problems. However, they are more effective in controlling daytime symptoms and have little impact on nocturia.⁶

To identify a possible solution, Life Extension scientists reviewed substances previously shown to help reduce nocturia.

They selected five ingredients with the most potential to help men with nocturia:⁴

• Beta-sitosterol,
• Pygeum bark extract,
• Lycopene,
• Boron, and
• Melatonin.

Beta-Sitosterol

The compound beta-sitosterol is isolated from certain nut and vegetable oils.

Preclinical evidence shows that it has a broad range of anti-inflammatory properties.^7-10

In animal studies, beta-sitosterol inhibits an enzyme in the prostate gland that converts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone, a growth-promoting hormone that drives prostate enlargement.¹¹

In a study of men with enlarged prostates, beta-sitosterol:¹²

• Reduced urinary symptom severity by 50%, and
• Improved quality-of-life scores by 42%.

Pygeum Bark Extract

The bark of the African cherry tree, or Pygeum africanum, has been used to improve urinary symptoms and bladder discomfort.

Since the 1970s, men in France with benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH), enlargement of the prostate, have been given pygeum extract.13 It is used today to treat BPH-related lower urinary tract symptoms.¹⁴

Studies show that pygeum bark extract helps:^13,15-19

• Control bladder overactivity,
• Reduce prostate enlargement, and
• Improve nocturia.

In one clinical trial, pygeum extract led to a 32% reduction in the frequency of nighttime urination.²⁰

Lycopene

A carotenoid pigment found in tomatoes and some other plants, lycopene is a well-known anti-inflammatory and antioxidant.²¹

By naturally concentrating in the prostate gland, lycopene can deliver its anti-inflammatory effects exactly where needed to help reduce nocturia.²²

Preclinical evidence suggests that lycopene may inhibit prostate enlargement due to its antiproliferative properties, which help prevent abnormal growth of cells. Lab studies show that lycopene slows down prostate-cell division.²³

Other preclinical research has shown that lycopene may benefit prostate health by improving androgen receptor signaling.²⁴

In a clinical trial, giving lycopene-rich tomato products to prostate cancer patients significantly decreased PSA (prostate-specific antigen) levels. These levels rise as the prostate enlarges or develops malignant cells.²⁵

Boron

The mineral boron offers layers of protection by:

• Reducing markers of inflammation,²⁶
• Modulating sex-hormone production and reducing the impact of growth factors that may contribute to prostate enlargement,²⁶ and
• Blocking growth factors necessary for tumor development.²⁷

Boron given to mice in which human prostate tumors had been implanted reduced those tumors by 38% and lowered serum PSA levels by 89%.²⁷

Compared to those with the lowest dietary boron intake, men with the highest intake have a 54% lower risk of prostate cancer.²⁸

Melatonin

The hormone melatonin is often taken to improve sleep.²⁹

While a need to urinate can cause men to wake up, men occasionally get up to urinate simply because their sleep is already disrupted.³⁰

Melatonin also has potent anti-inflammatory effects and may reduce oxidative stress and blood pressure.^31-33

In men suffering from severe nocturia, defined as waking on average three times a night to urinate, 2 mg of melatonin before bed improved symptoms.³⁴ In one study, it reduced frequency of nighttime urination from an average of 3.4 times to 2.6 times.³⁵

An Effective Combination

Life Extension scientists conducted a pilot clinical study to test whether a combination of these compounds could reduce nighttime urination.⁴

Results were published in the journal Global Advances in Health and Medicine.

Every night before bedtime, 30 healthy men with mild lower urinary tract symptoms, aged 45 to 75 years, took a single capsule that contained a blend of:

• Beta-sitosterol (180 mg),
• Pygeum bark extract (100 mg),
• Lycopene (from 15 mg of natural tomato fruit extract),
• Boron (10 mg), and
• Melatonin (2 mg).

At baseline, 87% of participants reported some degree of nocturia. After 60 days of treatment, only 23% still reported any nocturia—a reduction of 64%.

Even in the 37% of men with severe nocturia – those who, before treatment, were waking two to three times nightly – the formula reduced the symptoms so that they were at a mild level only. That means all men suffering from severe nocturia had a substantial reduction in symptoms.

In fact, after treatment, no participants in the study woke up more than once a night.

This study demonstrated how powerful this nutrient combination is for reducing or relieving nocturia symptoms in men, leading to a dramatic improvement in sleep and quality of life.

Summary

Nocturia is a major quality-of-life issue in aging men.

In a clinical study, a blend of beta-sitosterol, pygeum bark extract, lycopene, boron, and melatonin significantly reduced the frequency of nighttime urination.

The number of men suffering from nocturia at all was reduced by 64%, and no one was left waking more than once a night.

If you have any questions on the scientific content of this article, please call a Life Extension Wellness Specialist at 1-866-864-3027.

References

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