How Beta-sitosterol Shrinks Enlarged Prostate Problems
An enlarged prostate may not be fatal, but it does make life inconvenient.
Between having the urge to pee frequently… getting up at night multiple times to use the bathroom… leaking, dribbling and failing to fully emptying your bladder… it is easy to see why prostate supplements are so widely used.
One of the most well known natural remedies for an enlarged prostate is beta-sitosterol.
And in this detailed article we will cut straight to the chase, and let you know exactly what beta-sitosterol is…
And how it is one of nature’s most effective methods for resolving your urinary problems.
Here’s exactly what this article will cover:
- What is beta-sitosterol?
- How does beta-sitosterol work to alleviate an enlarged prostate?
- Shrinking an enlarged prostate with beta-sitosterol.
- Side effects and safety concerns with beta-sitosterol.
- Time frame of improvements using beta-sitosterol.
- Daily recommended dosage of beta-sitosterol.
- Using beta-sitosterol with other medicine.
- Additional known benefits of beta-sitosterol.
What is the best beta-sitosterol supplement?
What is beta-sitosterol?
Beta-sitosterol is a chemical present in certain plant food sources like broccoli and spinach, nuts and seeds like pumpkin seeds and pistachio, and fats like olive oil.
Beta-sitosterol was first discovered in the 1930’s, but didn’t gain traction as a treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), also known as an enlarged prostate, until the 1990s when a major landmark study published in the Lancet validated its effectiveness for alleviating BPH symptoms.
Since then, thousands of studies have been published on beta-sitosterol, with many reporting improvements in men suffering an enlarged prostate, some in double blind placebo studies.
How does Beta-Sitosterol Work to Alleviate an Enlarged Prostate?
Studies show that beta-Sitosterol works by addressing the two root causes in most cases of benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH.
For instance 2016 systematic review and meta-analysis published in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition analyzed the results of 24 studies investigating the effects of beta-sitosterol on BPH symptoms.
The researchers concluded that beta-sitosterol supplementation was able to significantly improve urinary symptoms and flow rate compared to placebo.
First, beta-sitosterol helps your enlarged prostate by reducing the body’s production of the enzyme, 5-alpha-reductase—which converts your testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT).
DHT is the hormone that signals your prostate tissue to grow.
Over time, this growth of the prostate tissue begins to crowd into our urethra and bladder.
This causes problems in our urinary system, making urination more difficult- from weaker streams, or stop and go urine flow, or sometimes, struggling to urinate at all.
Hence, beta-sitosterol relieves your urinary issues by stopping your prostate from growing through controlling 5-alpha-reductase.
Beta-sitosterol and 5 alpha-reductase
In short, by lowering 5-alpha-reducatase production, you are also reducing the hormone, DHT, that makes your prostate tissue grow.
Beta-sitosterol and inflammation
Beta-sitosterol also relieves enlarged prostate symptoms by reducing inflammation in your prostate.
Inflammation is an immune response to harmful toxins that enter our body.
Inflammation also occurs if we get hurt or our body is injured or sore.
Through inflammation, our body heals itself.
Overall, inflammation is a good thing.
However, ironically, when inflammation is excessive, it attacks the tissues in our body, including the prostate.
And this can cause the prostate to become inflamed, or enlarged.
Beta-sitosterol has been shown to reduce the inflammation that makes our prostate enlarge by controlling the enzymes that trigger inflammation.
Shrinking an enlarged prostate with beta-sitosterol
Overall, there are a variety of studies show that beta-sitosterol can be successful at increasing urine volume, decreasing nighttime bathroom trips, reduce urges—all symptoms that comes with BPH.
Though effective at decreasing symptoms and improving comfort, what is not certain is whether beta-sitosterol can shrink the prostate.
Studies have been mixed- some reporting it does, while others showing it doesn’t.
In other words, as of right now, beta-sitosterol doesn’t cure BPH… it can be a very useful remedy to reduce the nagging symptoms from it so you can improve your quality of life and manage the frustrating inconveniences of an enlarged prostate.
Additional Known Benefits of Beta-Sitosterol
Beta-sitosterol lowers cholesterol.
Beta-sitosterol is a plant sterol. Because of that, its been proven as a natural remedy for lowering cholesterol levels.
It’s probably why certain plants, vegetables and nuts have been verified in studies to keep cholesterol down.
Beta-sitosterol increases free testosterone.
You’ve probably heard by now how vital testosterone is for the male body.
But what’s lesser known is free testosterone.
In a way, free testosterone is more crucial than overall testosterone.
That’s because free testosterone is your “usable testosterone”.
When testosterone is produced in your body, it has to become “bioavailable” – converting into free testosterone—in order for it to enter into your circulation system for usage.
Problem is that DHT or dihydrotestosterone, blocks this conversion. Beta-sitosterol blocks the formation of DHT, hence increasing the effectiveness of your overall testosterone.
In other words, think of testosterone and free testosterone as cars in a parking lot available for driving.
The parking lot represents the total testosterone in the body, which includes testosterone and free testosterone.
The cars in the parking lot are like testosterone molecules.
Some of these cars are locked or have their wheels clamped… these are testosterone molecules while others are unlocked with the keys inside, ready to be driven (free testosterone).
Even though there are lots of cars in the parking lot, only the unlocked car could be driven.
That’s exactly the same thing with your body’s testosterone.
Much of the testosterone your body produces are locked, and are never used.
It’s only the unlocked or free testosterone that your body is able to use,
Well, beta-sitosterol can unlock and help you increase your free testosterone.
Beta-sitosterol Increases Sexual Function
By increasing your free testosterone, this also increases your manhood- that is your sex drive and erection health.
Free testosterone is associated with virility. And when your free testosterone is low, this can cause erectile dysfunction.
Moreover, some studies indicate that it may increase sperm count and quality.
Beta-sitosterol can protect against male pattern baldness
That’s because male hair loss is caused from the increased production of DHT. DHT, or dihydrotestosterone not only inflates the size of your prostate, it thins your thickness of your hair.
Modern medication work male hair loss works by keeping DHT levels at bay.
Beta-sitosterol uses the same mechanism, reducing the 5-alpha-reductase that causes DHT to run amok, and in the process, slowing down hair loss.
Improves muscle building during workouts
Boosting free testosterone does more than just By lowering muscle damage and inflammation, beta-sitosterol may aid in muscle growth and facilitate better post-exercise recovery.
Besides that, beta-sitosterol lowers cholesterol, which may help muscles grow indirectly by enhancing blood flow and nutrition supply to them.
Even though beta-sitosterol is present in some dietary supplements and herbal supplements sold for muscle development, more research is required to pinpoint its precise effects on muscle mass and strength.
Lowers PSA Levels.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. To diagnose prostate cancer, doctors determine that by conducting PSA tests on patients to measure PSA levels.
Though not definitive, a higher than normal PSA measurement is a sign that further investigation needs to done on a patient for possibility of prostate tumor.
Another study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine in 2017 showed that beta-sitosterol supplements could significantly reduce the PSA (prostate-specific antigen) levels in men with BPH, an indicator of prostate inflammation or cancer risk.
However, more research is needed to determine the long-term safety and effectiveness of beta-sitosterol supplements for BPH.
At the moment, the results on the impact of beta-sitosterol and PSA levels are mixed. Though inconclusive, there is evidence that beta-sitosterol can normalize PSA levels.
Side effects and safety concerns with beta-sitosterol
Beta-sitosterol is well tolerated with low incidence of any reported side effects.
On occasion, there are complaints of gastrointestinal discomfort such: as gas, bloating, and diarrhea when taking beta-sitosterol supplements.
With any food source or medicine, there’s no such thing as one remedy working well for everyone.
In fact, it’s safe to say that no matter how healthful a nutrient has been shown to be, excessive dosage can end up hurting you more than helping you.
So in incidences of side effects with beta-sitosterol, it is likely that dosage is too high.
Excessively high doses of beta-sitosterol supplements maya also interfere with the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamins D, E, and K.
Remember, side effects are few because beta-sitosterol is not a drug.
It is a healthful food source.
In fact, an earlier 2016 study of over 2,000 patients reported no side effects.
Again, that’s because beta-sitosterol is a food compound (natural remedy), not a drug.
Time frame of improvements using beta-sitosterol:
Overall, there are a variety of studies show that beta-sitosterol can be successful at increasing urine volume, decreasing nighttime bathroom trips, reduce urges—all symptoms that comes with BPH.
Though effective at decreasing symptoms and improving comfort, what is not certain is whether beta-sitosterol can shrink the prostate.
Studies have been mixed- some reporting it does, while others showing it doesn’t.
In other words, as of right now, beta-sitosterol doesn’t cure BPH… it can be a very useful remedy to reduce the nagging symptoms from it so you can improve your quality of life and manage the frustrating inconveniences of an enlarged prostate.
Daily Recommended dosage of beta-sitosterol
Like all remedies, whether medicine, drugs, or vitamins, dosage plays a key role in determining the optimal outcome.
Studies using beta-sitosterol for enlarged prostate trials vary in dosages—most ranging between 60 to 130 mg per day.
Using beta-sitosterol with other medicine.
Beta-sitosterol is a food source.
It’s a natural remedy.
Hence, beta-sitosterol is generally well tolerated even if you are using other medications.
In fact, beta-sitosterol has been shown to work even better when combined with other natural prostate nutrients.
What is the best beta-sitosterol supplement?
Beta-Sitosterol is truly a remarkable prostate nutrient with over thousands of studies.
For instance, the most recent study published on this topic was a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials, published in the journal Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases in 2021.
The meta-analysis reviewed data from 25 randomized controlled trials involving 2,082 men with BPH.
The researchers concluded that beta-sitosterol was associated with a significant improvement in urinary symptoms and flow measures, compared to a placebo.
They also found that beta-sitosterol was generally well-tolerated with few adverse effects reported.
Problem is, the internet is loaded with what appears to be an infinitesimal number of choices when it comes to beta-sitosterol supplements.
Is there a difference amongst them?
And how do you distinguish which ones are good and which ones are bad?
Well first, you need to look at the dosage of beta-sitosterol.
Too little and it may not be enough to make a difference on your prostate symptoms.
At the same time, some beta-sitosterol supplements may contain more than that.
But more is not necessarily better.
That’s where the side effects can happen.
And mentioned earlier in studies, a dosage of 65-130mg per day was shown to be effective…. And well tolerated without side effects.
Scientific studies have proven over and over again that how well tolerated a medicine or food source is depends on the dosage.
And usually, you just want to use enough for a remedy to be effective, while minimizing any possibilities of side effects.
Though beta-sitosterol can be used alone, it is believed that combining it with other proven prostate nutrient can optimize results.
As such, studies do show that mixing beta-sitosterol with saw palmetto, pygeum and can produce highly effective relief.
Mixing beta-sitosterol with other prostate nutrients
The second thing you want to pay attention to is what other prostate nutrients are also mixed into the capsule.
While beta-sitosterol alone at the proper dosages have been shown to be helpful at relieving urinary issues, studies show that optimal results are often achieved when combining various prostate vitamins and extracts together into a pill, rather than using just one ingredient.
That certainly makes sense because although beta-sitosterol is one of the most proven prostate relieving solutions out there, there are others that can also work really well.
And since our biology is unique, what works for someone else may not necessarily be as effective for you.
And frankly, doctors and medical scientists have been grappling with this for years, figuring out options for patients if one drug fails.
Well, with natural prostate nutrients, if beta-sitosterol doesn’t’ relieve your urinary symptoms as greatly as you hoped, other ingredients in the pill can help pick up the slack.
Also having more ingredients taken together when it comes to prostate supplements have shown to be more effective than just taking one alone because synergistically, it enhances each other.
Just think of beta-sitosterol as a star quarterback. Sure, that makes your team better, but wouldn’t your team be far better if it had other star players in other positions too?
Well, that’s the same thing with prostate supplements.
Other ingredients you should look for if you are shopping around for a prostate supplement are pygeum, saw palmetto, selenium, zinc and more.
We recommend Prostrox.
And for good reason.
Prostrox not only contains the clinical recommended dosage discussed in this article, it also contains 31 other prostate nutrients, vitamins, minerals and herbs that been validated to help an enlarged prostate.
And its ingredients all of the highest quality.
Prostrox is also manufactured in an FDA registered lab that has been around since 1977.
This is all crucial.
That’s because unfortunately, the supplement industry is deceptive.
You don’t know where your products are made.
Very seldomly does any supplement manufacturer make their own formulas “inhouse”.
That’s because labs need to be operating on a day to day basis under the strictest guidelines.
Any mishandling could lead to a contaminated product, so even the largest and most known brands outsource their manufacturing to a trusted lab.
Prostrox is made in lab that has been assembling supplements since 1977.
And it is also FDA registered, meaning the labs operate under approved guidelines.
That’s why Prostrox is trusted and reliable.
They source high quality ingredients.
Their pills contain the dosages on the labels, where as a lot of supplements don’t’.
And you also know that there is a customer support for an office.
Prostrox has been phone and online support.
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