Current medical treatments for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) leave a lot to be desired. Although the most popular BPH medications, drugs like Proscar (finasteride), alleviate BPH symptoms (lower urinary tract symptoms, or LUTS), they are apt to produce loss of libido, ejaculatory disorders and impotence as side effects. Meanwhile, surgery doesn’t always work, and its risks—infections, loss of sexual function (up to 30% of the time), and scar tissue, which can make the problem surgery was supposed to correct even worse by further narrowing the urethra—make it a less than inspiring option. Fortunately, BPH is not a new disease. It’s been around for thousands of years, and it’s been treated successfully for just about as long with herbs that alleviate symptoms without the major side effects associated with drugs. Botanist and integrative practitioner, Dr. Andrew Weil explains why herbs are so often superior to drugs. He notes that whole plants contain many different compound…