I know that when I drink coffee, I feel like crap with my BPH and when I stop and drink mainly water, I feel pretty good, almost normal. Coffee definitely irritates the prostate and causes pains and discomforts.
Food and beverage intake is one of those fields where every expert has a different opinion. Personally, I think coffee probably helps some people with bph because of its diuretic and stimulative action, and probably works against others for the same reasons. I'd let your body be your guide on this one. If you tolerate it well, and your symptons don't get worse than I'd drink it.
I agree with Jim. I tried it both ways and could not feel any different. Since now they come out with "coffee is good for you, for sure this time", I started again with 2 cups a day. I think it gives me more energy and makes my head clearer. Hank
Since I curtailed my tea and coffee intake, I've been able to cease Tamsulosin. My prostate isn't very enlarged, but I was having repeated UTIs that have caused kidney damage. I've been advised that decaf is just as bad for me because of the chemical process involved in decaffeinating tea and coffee. I've found one cup of half-caff at breakfast is OK, then I have a little milk with hot water the rest of the day. Have had just one UTI in two years on this regime. I have non-spreading cancer, Gleason 3+3, active surveillance.
Hi Bruno. I drink green tea by the bucket load and the occasional brown tea and coffee and the one thing they all have in common is that they are all decaffinated.
I suffered from BPH for years and tried everything to slow the growth down and reduce the symptoms i.e. UTIs, bladder stone formation, retention, etc and like yourself the only cure for me was a HoLEP.
One thing I was aware of in the early stages of my BPH journey was that drinking anything with caffeine in it would result in a need to pee more often (not good when you've got problems peeing already) and would help inflame the bladder. I saw the results of bladder inflammation first hand when I was undergoing a cystoscopy for an unrelated issue and the entire surface of my bladder was red and inflamed and the Urologist performing the procedure asking if I drank a lot of tea or coffee, to which I replied "tea by the bucket load". He told me to change to decaf immediately as with no underlying problem as the cause for the inflammation other than some slight retention, he was confident that the caffeine in my tea and I do like it strong, was the cause.
Having had my bladder subsequently go through even more trauma when I began to get UTIs and bladder stones over the ensuing years, I stuck to decaf drinks and after the HoLEP have continued to do so. I see no reason why I should risk damaging my bladder even after having a procedure which now allows me to pee normally and freely.
Incidentally, as well as going non dairy, I drink pomegranate juice daily, plus VitD3 and Selinium and have been doing so for a decade and when my prostate cancer was discovered during the HoLEP, I believe my prior 10 year dietary regime played a big part in keeping the cancer at bay and a low grade (Gleason 6). Also, almost 2 years since the HoLEP and diagnosis my PSA has remained unchanged (1.1) and two MRIs also confirm no change in the cancer.
Sorry I strayed from the subject matter "caffeine" but sharing experiences does give others the chance to explore other options rather than the accepted ones endorsed by the medical professionals.
If it works for me, it may work for others but do your own research first and be guided by that. Just remember one thing, many of the gainsayers on here will always be calling for evidence that these alternatives work but that will always be difficult when the medical profession will always cast doubt on any research funded by anyone other than the pharmaceutical companies or medical establishments of great repute. I recall some years ago when a pomegranate juice manufacturer published their own evidence of how pomegranate juice (not their's in particular) could be effective in combating the development and progression of prostate cancer. They were well and truly slated by the medical profession who virtually accused them of seeking to profit from the research which is exactly what the pharmaceutical companies are doing on a daily basis and no one bats an eyelid when they do it.
I had Green Light Laser surgery that proved to be successful after several months of recovery. I was told coffee is a bladder irritant because it is highly acidic. They recommended either weak green tea or a low acidic coffee. I found Puroast Low Acidic House Blend on Amazon and have been drinking it ever since. I am tolerating it well, but like anything we ingest everyone is different in terms of reaction.
I am a believer in the life style, and what we eat, how much stress we have.
I am interested, if there is a link between dairy products, or red meat and prostate cancer.
The role of dark leaf vegetables.
It would be interesting to know, if herbicides and pesticides in vegetables can actually counter the benefits,
and maybe even contribute to prostate cancer.
I wonder if the pomegranate is unique, or if other fruit can have similar effect. Like cranberries, or currents (red and black) or rosehip or blueberries, raspberries, blackberries.
If soy products are good or bad.
When I shop in a supermarket, I have noticed, that people who load up on processed food look healthier
than people who have only healthy food. Actually, the least healthy-looking people I noticed were in a health food store.
How strange Bruno. Whenever I go to the supermarket the people frequenting the aisles that contain the unhealthy food tend to be obese, have skin covered in spots and have difficulty in walking and breathing.
@Bruno Actually, the least healthy-looking people I noticed were in a health food store.
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It used to be that way, but now not so much. I think it had to do more with the demographics (age and health) of the shoppers. When you're young and healthy, easy to get away with smoking and pizza. When you get older and lose your health, you go to the health food store to heal.
The other thing is that shopping "health foods" and vegetarian restaurants and the like, can be very unhealthy unless you have a plan. As one example, a local healthy/trendy juice bar loads up on the sugars in their drinks unless you ask otherwise. I looked at one of their "healthy" vegetarian soups, and the fat and sodium content was through the roof! You would be hard pressed to find a low fat, low sodium meal in most vegetarian restaurants. I'm sure Jenny Craig is healthier!