Ingredient Research
Saw Palmetto
"The [prostate] inflammatory hypothesis was tested in humans. Our pilot study shows a significant reduction of some inflammatory parameters in prostatic tissues of patients treated with [saw palmetto]. These biological findings justify a pharmacological effect [...] on the inflammatory status of the adenoma. A correlation with clinical improvement was observed."
Paubert-Braquet M, Mencia Huerta JM, Cousse H, Braquet P.
Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 1997 Sep;57(3):299-304.
Breu W, Hagenlocher M, Redl K, Tittel G, Stadler F, Wagner H.
Arzneimittelforschung. 1992 Apr;42(4):547-51.
Iehlé C, Délos S, Guirou O, Tate R, Raynaud JP, Martin PM.
J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 1995 Sep;54(5-6):273-9.
Beta-Sitosterol
"38 patients who continued beta-sitosterol treatment had stable values for all outcome variables between the end of the double-blind study and after 18 months of follow-up. The 41 patients choosing no further therapy had slightly worse symptom scores and PVR, but no changes in Qmax. Of the former placebo group, 27 patients who started beta-sitosterol after the double-blind trial improved to the same extent as the treated group for all outcome variables. The 18 patients choosing no further therapy showed no signs of improvement."
Wilt T, Ishani A, MacDonald R, Stark G, Mulrow C, Lau J.
Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2000;(2):CD001043.
Berges RR, Windeler J, Trampisch HJ, Senge T.
Lancet. 1995 Jun 17;345(8964):1529-32.
Stinging Nettle
"One group was given nettle and other group placebo [...] similarly and consistently for a period of 8 weeks. [...] No side effects were reported by the patients in the end of the study. According to the results, nettle had a better effect in relieving clinical symptoms in [...] patients compared to placebo."
Nahata A, Dixit VK.
Andrologia. 2012 May;44 Suppl 1:396-409. doi: 10.1111/j.1439-0272.2011.01197.x. Epub 2011 Aug 2.
Pumpkin Seed
"A total of 1,431 men (50-80 years) with [enlarged prostates] were randomly assigned to either pumpkin seed, [...] capsules with pumpkin seed extract [...] or matching placebo. [...] In the case of pumpkin seed [...], the difference compared with placebo [...] was descriptively significant. The study products were well tolerated. Overall, [...] 12 months of treatment with pumpkin seed led to a clinically relevant reduction in IPSS [(International Prostate Symptom Score)] compared with placebo."
Marks LS, Partin AW, Epstein JI, Tyler VE, Simon I, Macairan ML, Chan TL, Dorey FJ, Garris JB, Veltri RW, Santos PB, Stonebrook KA, deKernion JB.
J Urol. 2000 May;163(5):1451-6.
Lycopene
"The results show that lycopene significantly inhibited the growth of [normal human prostate epithelial cells] in a dose-dependent fashion. Flow cytometry revealed a significant cell cycle arrest in the G0/G1 phase. This effect was confirmed by inhibition of cyclin D1 protein expression, whereas cyclin E levels remained unchanged. The results demonstrate that lycopene inhibits growth of nonneoplastic [normal human prostate epithelial cells] in vitro. [...] This might have an effect on prostate development and/or on enlargement of prostate tissue."
Schwarz S1, Obermüller-Jevic UC, Hellmis E, Koch W, Jacobi G, Biesalski HK.
J Nutr. 2008 Jan;138(1):49-53.
Zou Y, Aboshora W, Li J, Xiao T, Zhang L.
Phytother Res. 2017 Aug;31(8):1192-1198. doi: 10.1002/ptr.5838. Epub 2017 Jun 20.
Minutoli L, Bitto A, Squadrito F, Marini H, Irrera N, Morgia G, Passantino A, Altavilla D.
Curr Med Chem. 2013;20(10):1306-12.