PygeumPrunus africana bark extract
African cherry bark extract with a long history in European urology and a Cochrane review that found modest symptom improvement. Frequently named in forum threads about nighttime urination.
- Dose used in trials
- 100 to 200 mg/day of standardized bark extract
- Time to effect
- 6 to 8 weeks
What the evidence says
A Cochrane review of 18 trials (1,562 men) found men taking pygeum were about twice as likely to report symptom improvement, with fewer nighttime trips and better flow. The trials were short, small and mostly old, and none reported prostate volume.
What it is
Bark extract from Prunus africana, used in France and Germany as a prescription-grade phytotherapy for decades. It contains phytosterols and ferulic acid esters thought to reduce prostate inflammation and swelling.
What the trials found
Nighttime urination fell by about 19 percent and peak flow rose by about 23 percent in the pooled Cochrane data. Those are real but modest numbers, in trials of a few weeks to a few months.
It is one of the supplements Reddit users most often credit with fewer nighttime trips. Anecdote, again, but consistent with the trials.
Side effects
- Mild stomach upset in a small minority
- Otherwise a placebo-like safety profile in trials
Interactions
- None documented; no reports with tamsulosin or finasteride
NOW Pygeum and Saw Palmetto with pumpkin seed oil, 120 softgels
Choose a standardized extract with a milligram figure. Wild-harvested pygeum is a conservation concern, so prefer brands that state cultivated sourcing.
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Frequently asked questions
- Pygeum or saw palmetto?
- Pygeum's trial record is more consistently positive; saw palmetto's is larger but split. Neither shrinks the prostate.
Other prostate ingredients
This article is for information only and is not medical advice. Statements about supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA. Do not start, stop or combine supplements with prescription medication without talking to your doctor or pharmacist. If you cannot pass urine, or have chest pain, confusion or fainting, seek emergency care.
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