Product Description
Product Name: Pygeum Bark Extract
Botanical Name: Pygeum Africanum, Prunus africana
Part Used: Bark
Source of Plant: Cameroon
Classification:  Plant / Herb Extracts
Extract Solvent: Water & Ethanol
Assay: Phytosterols 2.5%-15% (HPLC)

Pygeum africanum is a large evergreen tree found in central and southern Africa. Traditionally the bark of the tree has been used for the discomfort of benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) by the Zulu people of Africa. Other peoples of Africa and Madagascar use the bark for generalized urinary-tract troubles, fever, stomach ache, and "madness" and as an aphrodisiac. The hydrocyanic acid content conveys a pleasant almond flavor, and milk-based infusions are sometimes substituted for almond milk (used for drinking and cooking). Numerous clinical studies have recently shown the usefulness of Pygeum bark in the treatment of most prostate and urinary conditions. This includes a reduction in prostate size as well
as the clearance of bladder neck urethral obstruction. Also used for incontinence, urine retention, polyuria or frequent urination, dysuria and cancer of the prostate.Pygeum extracts have been used for more than 30 years in France, Germany, and Austria for patients suffering with prostate enlargement.
Key Active ingredients: Chemical analysis and pharmacological studies indicate that the lipophilic extract of pygeum bark has three categories of active constituents. The phytosterols, including beta-sitosterol, have anti-inflammatory effects by interfering with the formation of pro-inflammatory prostaglandins that tend to accumulate in the Prostate of men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a nonmalignant enlargement of the prostate that occurs in most men over 60, can lead to urinary frequency and nocturia (waking up at night to go to the bathroom). Frequent interruption of sleep leads to daytime tiredness . The pentacyclic terpenes, such as ursolic and oleanic acids, have an anti-edema or decongesting effect. The last group are the ferulic esters, particularly the ferulic esters of docosanol and tetracosanol. These constituents reduce levels of the hormone prolactin and also block cholesterol in the prostate. Prolactin increases uptake of testosterone in the prostate, and cholesterol increases binding sites for testosterone and its more active form dihydrotestosterone.















BPH is identified through biopsy in up to 80% of men over 60 years of age. Only half of men with symptoms of BPH ever seek medical treatment. One survey found that 20% of men older than 60 had BPH symptoms equivalent to those of men undergoing prostate surgery. The symptoms associated with enlargement of the prostate gland may be obstructive (decrease in the force of the urinary stream, difficulty in beginning or maintaining a urinary stream, inability to completely empty the bladder, and post-micturitional dribbling) or irritative (urgency and urge incontinence, dysuria, and increased frequency during the day and at night). Some obstructive symptoms tend to be a direct result of urethral constriction, while others result more from increased muscle excitability, leading to bladder instability, or weakening of the detrusor muscle. Growth of the prostate gland is thought to be affected by androgens, especially dihydrotes-tosterone. Estradiol, synthesized from testosterone via the aromatase pathway, may also be implicated in initiating hyperplasia in the prostatic stroma and epithelium.
Amount to take: The accepted form of pygeum used in Europe for treatment of BPH is a lipophilic extract standardized to 13% total sterols (typically calculated as beta-sitosterol). The recommended dose is 50-100 mg two times per day. Pygeum should be monitored over at least a six- to nine-month period to determine efficacy. As is the case with all BPH treatments, close medical supervision is of the utmost importance.
Side effects or interactions: Side effects to the lipophilic extract of pygeum are rare. In clinical studies, there were very rare reports of mild gastrointestinal irritation in some patients.