An enlarged prostate can make nighttime bathroom trips frustrating. Many men wake several times during the night to urinate, struggle to start their stream, or feel as though their bladder never completely empties.
This has led to many online claims that a simple kitchen ingredient—such as onion—can dramatically shrink the prostate and eliminate nighttime urination within an hour.
The reality is more complicated.
Onions are nutritious and contain compounds that may have interesting biological effects, but there is no good clinical evidence that eating onion or drinking onion water can shrink an enlarged prostate to normal size or eliminate nighttime urination within one hour.
Still, there are several useful things men should know about prostate health and nocturia.
What Is an Enlarged Prostate?
An enlarged prostate is medically known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
The prostate is a small gland located below the bladder. The urethra passes through the prostate, so when the prostate becomes enlarged, it can sometimes interfere with urine flow.
BPH becomes increasingly common as men age.
Importantly, BPH is not prostate cancer, although the two conditions can occur in the same person.
Common Signs of an Enlarged Prostate
Symptoms can develop gradually and may include:
- Needing to urinate frequently
- Waking up several times during the night to urinate
- Difficulty starting urination
- A weak or slow urine stream
- Stopping and starting while urinating
- A feeling that the bladder has not emptied completely
- Urgent need to urinate
- Dribbling after urination
Not every man experiences the same symptoms.
Why Do Men Wake Up at Night to Urinate?
Nighttime urination is called nocturia.
An enlarged prostate can contribute to nocturia, but it isn’t the only possible cause.
Nighttime bathroom trips can also be associated with:
- Drinking large amounts of fluid late in the evening
- Caffeine
- Alcohol
- Certain medications
- Diabetes
- Sleep disorders
- Heart or kidney problems
- Overactive bladder
- Age-related changes in urine production
Therefore, simply assuming that nighttime urination is caused by the prostate can delay diagnosis of another condition.
What About Onions?
Onions contain compounds such as quercetin and sulfur-containing compounds, which have been studied for their antioxidant and other biological properties.
This makes onions a healthy addition to many diets.
However, laboratory or preliminary research does not mean that eating onion produces an immediate therapeutic effect on an enlarged prostate.
There is no established evidence that a particular onion preparation can:
- Shrink an enlarged prostate in one hour
- Stop nighttime urination immediately
- Cure BPH
- Replace prescribed prostate treatment
So the claim in the viral image should not be presented as a proven treatment.
A Better Way to Reduce Nighttime Bathroom Trips
See more on the next page
