Incorporating cocoyam into men’s diets promotes overall prostate health

Experts think cocoyam could be a safe meal for the prevention and treatment of enlarged prostates, especially in light of the rising prevalence of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) worldwide and the promising potential of nutraceuticals as complementary therapies in reducing its burden.

According to a recent study, because it has fewer adverse effects and can lower prostate weight, total protein, and prostate-specific antigen levels, cocoyam, a food that is frequently consumed, may offer better options for the management and/or prevention of an enlarged prostate.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common term used to describe an enlarged prostate. It is a medical condition that is more prevalent as people age, not cancer. A little gland called the prostate aids in the production of semen. Located directly beneath the bladder, it frequently enlarges as a man ages.

It can cause symptoms such as blocking urine flow out of the bladder. It also can cause a frequent or urgent need to urinate, urinating more often at night, problems starting to urinate, dribbling after urination, a weak urine stream, or a stream that stops and begins.

Many treatments can help with prostate enlargement. These consist of medications, surgeries, and other treatments. However, factors including the prostate’s size, symptoms, and other comorbid conditions will determine the best course of action.

These treatment options are associated with severe side effects, including but not limited to organ toxicity and s3xual dysfunction.

Cocoyam (Colocasia esculenta) is an important tropical root crop grown purposely for its starchy corms or underground stems. It is considered one of the most important staple crops in the Pacific Islands, Asia, and Africa.

Various ethnic groups in Nigeria have different names for cocoyam, which attests to its nationwide distribution and use. It is known as ede/akaso/uli in Ibo, guaza in Hausa, and koko pupa in Yoruba.

It has been used for the treatment of various ailments, including asthma, arthritis, diarrhoea, internal haemorrhage, neurological disorders, and skin disorders. A decoction of the leaves is drunk to promote menstruation and relieve stomach problems.

In New Guinea, the leaves are heated over a fire and are applied as a poultice to boil and the sap of the leaf stalk is used in treating conjunctivitis.

The researchers at the Ebonyi State University, in collaboration with their Ugandan contemporaries, have looked at the safety and how constituents of cocoyam caused a reduction in prostate weight, total protein, as well as prostate-specific antigen level. They said cocoyam protection against prostate enlargement is comparable to finasteride.

The report was in the June edition of the journal, BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies.

Finasteride is the conventional medicine used to treat men with an enlarged prostate. It can help ease symptoms of an enlarged prostate, like difficulty urinating or urinating urgently or frequently more often. For instance, it is known to decrease the size of the prostate gland by about 25 percent.

In this study, 45 male albino rats were randomly assigned to nine groups of five rats each. Group 1 (normal control) received olive oil and normal saline. Group 2 (BPH untreated group) received 3 mg/kg of testosterone propionate (TP) and normal saline, and Group 3 (positive control) received 3 mg/kg of TP and 5 mg/kg of finasteride.

Treatment groups four, five, six, seven, eight, and nine received 3 mg/kg of TP and a middle dose (200 mg/kg) of LD50 of ethanol crude tuber extract of C. esculenta (ECTECE) or hexane, dichloromethane, butanone, ethyl acetate, and aqueous fractions of ECTECE, respectively for 28 days.

Afterwards, vital organs like the liver, kidney, heart, prostate and testes were collected as well as blood samples from the animals for tests.

In general, cocoyam’s protection against prostate enlargement is comparable to finasteride. There was a significant increase in mean relative prostate weight (approximately five times) as well as a reduction in the relative weight of the testes approximately 1.4 times less). There was no significant difference in the average relative weights of most vital organs: liver, kidneys and heart.

Also, there was no significant difference in red blood cells, haemoglobin, platelet counts and other blood parameters. The cocoyam fractions induced changes in total serum (the liquid portion of the blood) that were comparable to the standard treatment (finasteride).

According to the researchers, “Data from the biochemical and haematological parameters of our study do not show evidence of toxicity. However, we observed a decrease in body weights of the treatment group. This is suggestive of a potential cellular response to arrest prostate enlargement through the breakdown of tissue proteins.”

Also, they suggested that the relatively lower prostate weights in some of the groups of animals indicate that these treatments may be able to reduce the enlargement in the prostate at the lower doses utilised in this investigation.

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