The Research

• “In this double-blind placebo-controlled study, we have demonstrated the improvement in BPH symptoms and androgen deficiency as a function of higher β-sitosterol content. β-sitosterol has been previously reported to have profound influence on the prostate health. Berges et al. have published their research findings on β-sitosterol wherein a 6-month administration of 20 mg of the compound significantly reduced the prostate size, increased the urine flow rate, and improved the mean voiding time and quality of life score in BPH patients.”

  — Sudeep, H.V., Thomas, J.V. & Shyamprasad, K. A double blind, placebo-controlled randomized comparative study on the efficacy of phytosterol-enriched and conventional saw palmetto oil in mitigating benign prostate hyperplasia and androgen deficiency. BMC Urol 20, 86 (2020).

  

• “Saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) is recognized by more and more people in the following aspects: (a) people are dissatisfied with traditional treatment methods. (b) The study found that the treatment of Serenoa repens had no negative effects on male sexual function, especially in ejaculation. At the same time, the drug is extracted from berries without any obvious toxicity. (c) In many countries, people can use without a prescription, which greatly increases the awareness rate of this drug. It has become the first-line therapy in many countries.”

  “This study indicated that Serenoa repens had the same effect in treating BPH compared with tamsulosin [risky prescription drug] in terms of International Prostate Symptom Score and Quality of Life after at least 6-month treatment cycle, however, the latter had a greater improvement in Prostate Volume compared with the former. And Serenoa repens did not increase the risk of adverse events especially with respect to ejaculation disorders and libido decrease.”

  — Cai T, Cui Y, Yu S, Li Q, Zhou Z, Gao Z. Comparison of Serenoa repens With Tamsulosin in the Treatment of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Am J Mens Health. 2020 Mar-Apr;14(2)

  

• “Saw Palmetto berry extracts (SPBE), a common herbal supplement taken by men with enlarged prostates, may also have anticancer properties. Led by Dr. C. Pal Sharma of Boston Bioproducts in Milford, MA 01757, the research team analyzed the effect of SPBE on cancer cells. They exposed prostate cancer cells and a common cancer cell line to different concentrations of berry extract and monitored their growth in the laboratory.

  They found that a much smaller amount of SPBE was required for prostate cancer cells than for common cancer cells, suggesting that SPBE is very specific to prostate cancer cells, even though the expression of COX-2 protein was similarly reduced in both types of cancer cells after SPBE exposure. In addition, the same research group later identified eight sterol components, of which beta-sitosterol and stigmasterol inhibit prostate cancer growth by increasing p53 protein expression and reduce carcinogenesis in DU145 cells by decreasing p21 and p27 protein expression. These findings demonstrated the potential of sterols from SPBE as potential antitumor agents.”

  — Wolfgang H. Goldman. Saw Palmetto may fight prostate cancer.  Cell Biology International. 20 June 2023.

  

• "We found that SP supplementation reduced body weight gain by decreasing visceral and epididymal fat weights and the levels of serum triglycerides, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein/very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. In addition, SP supplementation increased muscle endurance, sperm counts, and testosterone biosynthesis through hormonal regulation.

  In Leydig cells under hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress, SP treatment directly induced testosterone biosynthesis by activating the mRNA expression of the genes encoding 17,20-desmolase and 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 4. In conclusion, our results suggest that supplementation of saw palmetto may be useful for alleviating the symptoms of andropause via direct and indirect regulation of testosterone biosynthesis.”

  — Jeong Moon Yun, Minhee Lee, Dakyung Kim, K. Shyam Prasad, Sangwon Eun, Ok-Kyung Kim, and Jeongmin Lee.  Standardized Saw Palmetto Extract Directly and Indirectly Affects Testosterone Biosynthesis and Spermatogenesis. Journal of Medicinal Food. Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers, and Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition. Volume 24. Issue 26.

  

• "One of the promising candidates for cancer prevention is ginseng. People who consume ginseng preparations are at lower risk of cancers in the stomach, lung, liver, pancreas, ovaries, colon, and oral cavity (Yun 2003). P. ginseng, P. quinquefolius, and other related plants including Panax japonicus are frequently used for medicinal purposes. Although a complex mixture of compounds is present in these plants, the ginsenosides are mostly responsible for the pharmacological effects…”

  — Wee JJ, Mee Park K, Chung AS. Biological Activities of Ginseng and Its Application to Human Health. In: Benzie IFF, Wachtel-Galor S, editors. Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects. 2nd edition. Boca Raton (FL): CRC Press/Taylor & Francis; 2011. Chapter 8.