Secale cereale Health Dictionary

Linn.

Family: Poaceae.

Habitat: Ladakh, Lahul and other north-western Himalayan areas; and as host for cultivation of medicinal ergot (fungus) in Kashmir.

English: Rye Grass.

Action: Grass—used for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), chronic prostatis and prostatodynia.

Rye bread, biscuits, porridge and alcoholic products are available in European countries and the US. Rye grain contains 12.1% protein; made up of 42% gliadin (a prolamine), 42% glutelin, 8% globulin and 8% albumin. The biological value of Rye protein at 5% level of intake is 80.4% and the coefficient of true digestibility 91.0%.

The mineral contents in the grain are: calcium 61, potassium 453, magnesium 155, phosphorus 376, sulphur 146 and iron 4.8 mg/100 g; and small amounts of zinc, copper, manganese and aluminium. The carbohydrates (73.4%) include surcose, pentosans, starch and raffinose.

Medicinally applicable part of Rye Grass is the polan extract. The extract contains beta-sitosterol; relaxes urethral smooth muscle tone and increases bladder muscle contraction. Some evidence suggests that it might affect alpha-adrenergic receptors and relax the internal and external bladder sphincter muscle. The extract does not affect LH, FSH, testosterone or dihydrotestosterone. A specific Rye Grass pollen extract 126 mg three times daily has been used for BHP. (Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, 2007.)

(It is not known if Rye Grass pollen is comparable to finasteride or hytrin. However, it is comparable to Pygeum and Paraprost, a Japanese prostate remedy containing L-glutamic acid, L-alanine and aminoacetic acid.)