05.31.12
ConsumerLab.com, White Plains, NY, conducted an extensive review of prostate supplements containing saw palmetto and/or beta-sitosterol, concluding that few are likely to reduce the symptoms of prostate enlargement in men. While investigating the evidence behind prostate supplements and testing the quality of the products, ConsumerLab.com said it found supplements with a certain amount of beta-sitosterol (a type of phytosterol) may reduce symptoms of BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia) but “the latest and most reliable studies show no benefit for saw palmetto supplements.” It deemed neither ingredient useful in treating prostate cancer. Analytical tests found several supplements with levels of beta-sitosterol likely to be effective, but ConsumerLab.com discovered that one beta-sitosterol supplement would not properly break apart and might not fully release its ingredients. Most saw palmetto supplements contained their listed amounts of the herb, while the labels of two “prostate formulas”—consisting of multiple ingredients—made disease treatment claims on their labels, which violate FDA regulations.