1. Saw Palmetto or Beta-sitosterol?
Answer: Beta-sitosterol - Why? Because beta-sitosterol has been studied in double-blind placebo controlled clinical studies in peer-reviewed medical publications like Lancet, British Journal of Urology, and the Cochrane Reviews Database. Information regarding "Beta-sitosterol in BPH" can be found at the National Institutes of Heath website www.nih.gov. In addition clinical data regarding Saw Palmetto has shown that it is no more effective than a placebo in the New England Journal of Medicine.
2. Is beta-sitosterol all the same from one product to another?
Answer: Not at all. Most prostate formulas use a plant sterol mix and generally they label it as so. Other products use actual beta-sitosterol in a concentrated form that exceeds the 50-55% commonly found in a plant or phyto-sterol complex or mixture.
Most manufacturers use beta-sitosterol from soy as it is common and allows for a increased profit margin. Soy in North America is 93% Monsanto "Round-Up Ready Soybeans" or genetically modified to allow for the spraying of the pesticide "Round-Up". Round-Up® is familiar to most men as it is known as a common pesticide purchased at large chain home improvement stores or small independent hardware stores.
In addition soybeans are high in phyto-estrogen. Estrogen is a female hormone and studies have shown that in the male body testosterone levels are reduced. Which can lead to erectile dysfunction and a loss of sex drive.
A few manufacturers claim that they use sugar cane. However no wholesale source of sugar cane derived beta-sitosterol is available that is sourced in the United States or Canada. Sources are #1 Brazil, #2 India, #3 China.
Then there is non-GMO, non-Soy beta-sitosterol Best Prostate ® sourced from pine.
3. But many prostate formulas have so many other ingredients like: Stinging Nettles, Pumpkin Seed extract , and/or saw palmetto are these important?
Beta-sitosterol is the miraculous common denominator in all of these other ingredients. If a more pure form of beta-sitosterol was used in manufacturing instead of a phytosterol complex these other ingredients would not be necessary that is why I refer to them as unproven fillers. For literally 3 to 4 decades (30 to 40 years) it is beta-sitosterol that physicians in Europe have relied upon for the symptoms of an enlarged prostate and not the other ingredients. The shotgun approach appears impressive but why not just rely on the ingredients that have been studied and published in multiple peer-reviewed medical journals.
Is lycopene important for my prostate?
The Mayo Clinic feels that at this point the data is not sufficient to make this claim. See the link: Mayo Clinic.
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