Beta-Sitosterol Quality Not Equal in Prostate Formulas

Many prostate supplements have got the message that beta-sitosterol is the key to a better product.  However many are taking beta-sitosterol quality short cuts to save money.  The customer, in the end, is left with an inferior product.

This information from the medical literature is what points to Beta-sitosterol as the right ingredient:whybeta

What make’s Best Prostate the BEST?

These two images show the beta-sitosterol quality being used in prostate supplements.    Best Prostate first and for many years has been using a soy-free non-GMO beta-sitosterol.  In addition Best Prostate uses actual Beta-sitosterol and not a phytosterol complex.  Visually this is what that means:
beta_best_prostateweb
98% of Prostate Formulas that claim and tell you that you are getting Beta-sitosterol in there prostate formula: Visually this can be seen below:
other_productsweb

Why settle — there is only one Best Prostate ………

Best Prostate ®Formula bottle                                      Get Your BEST PROSTATE – CLICK HERE

Best Prostate Safety and Consumer Safety Supplement Access

Best Prostate Safety

Do supplements work? Does it really do what it says? I heard it on TV. If you have ever searched for a supplement on the internet then it is likely you have been exposed to some form of false advertising. One area that is truly bad is prostate supplements or prostate formulas. Beware sights that offer comparison reviews and then selectively claim that this product is # 1. Almost all of these sites receive compensation from the makers of the products recommended. The staff and/or website owners have no credentials or qualifications to review or perform any form of quantitative analysis. If you like the freedom to purchase supplements, without a prescription, then it’s time to step up and actually help the organizations in this article to do a better job at protecting all consumers from false advertising, false treatment claims, and misleading representations and information. If we fail then legislators will have no choice but to restrict everyone’s access to all supplements as a group.
This article applies to all supplements that consumers’ freely access in the market place. This article is brought to you by IMS Supplements, Inc. the manufacturer of the Best Prostate ® Formula. Due to this, prostate supplements will be used in our examples. For anyone who has ever purchased a prostate supplement from an advertisement or has performed a search on the internet it is most likely you were exposed to misinformation.
Every day people all across the North American continent are exposed to celebrities claiming this or that supplement will change your life. We witness actors in lab coats whom appear to be doctors. We are enticed to call now and as a result promised a free bottle of this miracle prostate product. Often the free product promised is not free because consumers are signed up to be automatically billed and shipped product. In order to do this, businesses store the consumer’s credit card information. Before you buy any supplement over the internet or on the television it is best to check if other consumers have complained about the product or the company. Most of us are familiar with the non-profit organization the Better Business Bureau (BBB). It is important to look at the number of complaints that have been filed against a specific business. Often businesses can have an “A” rating yet have hundreds of consumer complaints. An extremely popular website ComplaintsBoard.com allows users to search on a product name and users can read the complaints that have been filed.
In the background there are multiple organizations that do their best to protect consumers. One of these organizations is the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) and another is the National Advertising Division® (NAD®) of the Council of Better Business Bureaus. Recently the Advertising Self-Regulatory Council, the Council for Responsible Nutrition was notably active in the activities of a famous celebrity television physician and the United States Congress. Another organization, National Advertising Division® or NAD® reviews national advertising for truthfulness and accuracy. Their policies are established by the Advertising Self-Regulatory Council (ASRC). This organization reviews national advertising on broadcast or cable television, in radio, magazines and newspapers, on the Internet (websites) or commercial on-line services, or advertising provided direct to the home or office. This organization focuses on product performance claims, superiority claims against competitive products and all kinds of scientific and technical claims. In March of 2009, the manufacturer of the product Best Prostate was contacted to participate in a voluntary review of its website www.bestprostate.com . Every sentence on the website was examined for product claims, superiority claims, scientific claims and or technical claims. This review process was a 6 to 9 month process. We are thankful to have participated in this process and feel that all manufacturers’ product websites should go through this process in the interest of consumer safety and truth in advertising. If this was the case then consumer freedom to access dietary supplements would not be in jeopardy. It’s about Best Prostate safety and the consumer.
The National Products Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation, is also actively involved in consumer safety and truth in advertising. The organization also promotes research and education related to natural products. In 2013, this organization reviewed 275 advertising cases, mailed 150 warning letters, and referred 40 cases to the FTC and the FDA.
In severe cases supplement manufacturers make actual treatment claims for a disease state. This is illegal. When the claim can actually cause harm the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will actually send a warning letter or enforcement action to the manufacturer. These are readily available to consumers by doing a simple search on the internet. If you are ingesting or swallowing a tablet, capsule, or any fluid, it is important to know who you are buying from, and if they have a history of, or have received enforcement actions from the FDA. There are two very easy ways to check this. The first way is to do a search and enter “product name” and then “FDA” on the same line. Then perform the search. You can also substitute the “product name” and use the “Company Name” and then “FDA” and perform the search. If the search shows an entry from “www.fda.gov” then you really have to consider the integrity and honesty of the manufacturer. When it comes to consumer safety manufacturers have a responsibility to be straightforward and honest.
In 2008 it was estimated that approximately 30 percent of men in North America diagnosed with a prostate disease used some complementary or alternative therapy primarily herbal agents, vitamins, supplements, and/or dietary intervention. It is now six years later and that number has increased significantly. This is partially due to the FDA warning issued in 2011 which found that in two large clinical trials with (5-alpha reductase inhibitors) prescription prostate medications that actually showed an increased incidence of high-grade prostate cancer. In addition every night our televisions tell us of yet another prescription medication with a dangerous side effect and that if you or a loved one experienced this or died you need to please contact the law firm. Who wouldn’t be a bit distrustful? Then the next commercial promotes the next latest and greatest prescription medication only to have a laundry list of side effects that is quickly read to us and then we are encouraged to ask our physician to prescribe it. It is no wonder why more and more consumers are embracing complementary or alternative therapies.
North American urologists and physicians in general have been slower than their European colleagues to use or even understand these complementary or alternative therapies. In Italy, 50% of the medications used by physicians for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) are (plant-based) phyto therapies. While in Germany and other European countries, phyto therapies are first-line treatment for mild-to-moderate enlarged prostate or benign prostatic hyperplasia/lower urinary tract symptoms (BPH/LUTS).1
Despite the positive benefits of using the phytosterols (ex. Beta-sitosterol ) and/or other complementary or alternative therapies, the use of some nutraceuticals in prostate disease have had less desirable consequences, showing lack of efficacy, adulteration, and/or severe side effects or drug interactions. The AUA (American Urological Association) has encouraged studies of the supplements being used by consumers. Despite this some physicians simply dismiss complementary and alternative therapies. In addition studies of phytosterols, with respect to an enlarged prostate, have been published in the same medical journals as their prescription counterparts. Examples: Lancet, British Journal of Urology, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. This can be confirmed by visiting NIH.GOV and simply entering the “ingredient” (beta-sitosterol) followed by “problem or disease state” (example: BPH). Respectfully with prescription medications the FDA requires adequate safety data for marketing, yet the number of estimated deaths for all adverse drug reactions and medication errors make these the 5th leading cause of death here in the United States. 2
Although many in the medical community here in North America level charges against complementary and alternative therapies and allege that they are unsafe. Statistics actually support that traditional prescription medications are guilty of being unsafe despite the submission of safety data to the FDA. With respect to prostate problems urologists do not necessarily treat BPH or prostatitis pharmaceutically based only on objective parameters. In fact, it is acknowledged that typically they treat these conditions by observation. For physicians to truly understand the benefits derived from nutraceuticals or alternative therapies in terms of enlarged prostate symptom improvements (or other medical condition) they must be aware and familiar with the published literature.
As we acknowledge the 20th anniversary of Congress passing the DSHEA, the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act. With this, Congress definitively stated that dietary supplements are a category of food, and not subject to FDA pre-approval thereby allowing your freedom to access complementary and alternative therapies. What is important is that consumers not assume that all supplement manufacturers practice truth in advertising. It is important to verify and look at the product’s reputation and the manufacturer’s reputation through the use of objective sources. Always consult and inform your health care provider when you initiate any complementary or alternative therapy. The information contained this article is designed to provide accurate information in regard to the subject matter presented. It is provided with the understanding that IMS Supplements, Inc. is not engaged in rendering medical advice. If expert assistance is required, the services of a competent medical professional should be sought. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Any products discussed or mentioned are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The author wishes to acknowledge the following resources used in writing this article.
1 Dreikorn K. Complementary and alternative medicine in urology. BJU Int. 2005;96:1177–1184.
2 CDC/NCHS National Vital Statistics System 2007, authors. Deaths, percent of total deaths, and death rates for the 15 leading causes of death: United States and each state, 1999–2003. [Accessed January 25, 2007].
Nickel JC, Shoskes D, Roehrborn CG, Moyad M. Nutraceuticals in Prostate Disease: The Urologist’s Role. Rev Urol. 2008;10(3):192–206.
This article was adapted from an original article published at ezine articles by the author.

Beta-sitosterol and Prostate Supplements

More and more I see other manufacturers attempting to come out with a beta-sitosterol prostate supplement.  Even some big names.  What is amazing is that some of them do not get what consumers want.  Look at the laundry list of other ingredients in small print below the supplement facts table.  Magnesium stearate, Silica, Silicon dioxide, Di-calcium Phosphate.  These are not natural or something consumers want to consume.
Worse is the beta-sitosterol from soybeans.  “Round-Up Ready – Soybeans” to boot.  If GMOs are important and unnatural other ingredients are important, then consumers have Best Prostate Formula from IMS Supplements.  Each capsule still has 310 mg on non-GMO pine sourced beta-sitosterol in an all vegetable capsule.  There are 60 capsules per bottle and not 30 like some manufacturers.  Get the best, Best Prostate Formula from IMS Supplements, Inc.   www.bestprostate.com

Prostate Health non-GMO non-Soy Beta-sitosterol

We all want what is best for prostate healthProstate health is one of the top ten medical searches performed on the internet.  With so many products to choose from and all the confusion it’s truly hard to make sense of all the prostate health products.   The best way to check out any supplement is to go to www.bestprostatereview.com.  There are 5 tools on the right that allow consumers to navigate these muddy waters.  All you need is the product name and the name of the manufacturer.  In addition you can use these tools for other supplement products and many people bookmark the site or save it as a favorite.
If you’re ready to try the Best Prostate product. Then use this special offer code ID2013 incentive to save $5.00  (min order $15.00).  This coupon code can be used by everyone.  This code is now expired.
prostate health
 
This message is brought to you by the makers of Best Prostate. IMS Supplements, Inc.  888-768-3836

Super Prostate Formula, Beta Sitosterol Prostate and Prostate Pill Reports and Reviews

Get the truth about super prostate supplements. How popular are they? How to recognize illegal treatment claims. What are the important ingredients in a prostate supplement? False pill reports and prostate pill reviews. How to protect yourself from false claims and miss-information.
Wow, an internet search today is truly confusing when it comes to prostate supplements or formulas. One is the super beta prostate formula and another is a super prostate product yet others claim to be a miracle prostate formula.
Many of these products make actual claims of efficacy for their respective product when in fact the claim is really in reference to a particular ingredient that has demonstrated the respected efficacy. Other products boldly state that their product will shrink your prostate which is actually an illegal statement and is truly false advertising. Legally only a product that has been through clinical studies and that has been submitted to the FDA and received an approval can make such a treatment claim. Beware all these false and unproven “treatment” claims. If the word treatment is used this should be a clue that the site is making a false claims.
Well then do these natural products help your prostate? The answer is “yes” some do but it truly depends on the ingredients. One of the most studied ingredients is beta-sitosterol which would be inclusive of saw palmetto. The key to remember is that beta-sitosterol is the key ingredient found in saw palmetto. Saw palmetto itself contains the phytosterol beta-sitosterol however the amount of saw palmetto that you would have to ingest or take to get the benefits of beta-sitosterol might actually make you sick. It is projected that it takes 100 capsules of saw palmetto to achieve the amount of beta-sitosterol that you could find in one 300 mg capsule of beta-sitosterol. Other ingredients that have substantial clinical data with respect to prostate health would include both zinc and selenium. Outside of these key ingredients is a host of additional ingredients such as Vitamin E, Vitamin D, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Green Tea Extract, Cranberry Extract, Lycopene, Calcium Carbonate, Gelatin, Magnesium Stearate (lubricant), calcium silicate, croscarmellose sodium, silicon dioxide, Di-Calcium Phosphate, Cellulose,Stearic Acid, Silica, etc., etc., etc. that have little if any clinical data that has been published in a reputable medical journal that benefits your prostate in a statistical significant way. Many of these extras are nothing more than a way to make a product cheaper to manufacture and increase the profit margin for the respective maker. If you want a multi-vitamin, then buy a good one, you surely should not be relying on a prostate supplement as a multi-vitamin. Supplements with a laundry list of ingredients do not work better. I guess manufacturers who include all of these ingredients think that this shotgun approach might lead to greater customer satisfaction in addition to the increased profit margin.
It is also amazing to see many prostate pill reviews, prostate pill reports, and comparisons by respective manufacturers that lend themselves to miss-informing the public and presenting themselves as experts or even institutes that do not exist. Another venue is a manufacturer that outright attacks other manufacturers with libelous and defamatory statements. The best advice when it comes to choosing the best prostate supplement is to look for a product that contains the important key ingredients. Choose a manufacturer that has integrity that doesn’t need to use libelous and defamatory statements to sell their product in desperation. Avoid the obvious pill reviews and reports that obviously direct you to buy an expensive product that benefits the profit margin of the company behind the comparison website. A comparison website should not be selling or for that matter require the necessity of a disclosure statement that states it is sponsored by or receives compensation for products reviewed on the site.
Common sense and logic is your best defense when looking for the best prostate supplement. If a site claims to be an expert then look for the substantiating credentials – many websites provide none. Another unique internet tool can be used to discern how popular a website is on the internet. This strips away all the false claims about this or that product being rated as number 1. What is this tool? It is called Alexa. Out of the hundreds of millions of websites on the internet this company is a website information company that actually ranks websites globally and then if the site is very popular by Country. Alexa offers a toolbar that actually shows the ranking of the website that you are presently visiting. By clicking on the ranking number in the toolbar you are provided with additional statistics such as popularity within a specific Country or even local geography. I have found that this is one toolbar that I cannot live without as it truly tells the story about the actual popularity of a product website without the hype. This Alexa toolbar can be found by doing a search for the Alexa toolbar.
This information is provided by the maker of Best Prostate ®. We believe that the informed consumer will make the best choice when it comes to choosing a truly super prostate formula. A free trial should not include giving someone your credit card so that they can sign you up for an auto-ship and auto-billing plan. Look for a manufacturer that offers and honest guarantee and better yet visit the Better Business Bureau website: http://www.bbb.org and enter the company’s name to see how many problems other consumers have had. The maker of Best Prostate ® truly wishes you the best when choosing the best prostate formula for your prostate symptoms.
A new website actually gives you tools to research both product and respective companies (or manufacturers). Visit www.bestprostatereview.com you can also leave a review about a company or product that you are familiar with.
For information about Prostate Health visit www.bestprostatehealth.com For comparison information visit www.compareprostateformulas.com To report a website for misinformation or false advertising visit the Natural Products Foundation Truth in Advertising or Federal Trade Commission.

Physicians and Supplements?

http://ezinearticles.com/?Supplements-and-My-Physician&id=6695162

Supplements and My Physician

Health and Fitness: Supplements • Published: November 18, 2011
Many physicians use and recommend supplements to their patients. Despite this, the general population of, health care providers have limited formal training and education with respect to supplement ingredients. The importance of clinical references with respect to supplement ingredients should be a priority for consumers. It is important to tell your health care provider when you initiate any supplement. It is also important to ascertain your health care provider’s knowledge of the supplement ingredients that you are discussing. Don’t assume.

SOY Prostate and testosterone?

Here’s my story. Five years ago my physician performed a simple blood test. Upon return of the results he informed me that I had the testosterone level of a field mouse. He was concerned so he prescribed testosterone which initially involved an injection of testosterone in his office. I left the office and I noticed a surge in my energy level in addition to a return in my sex drive. This lasted for about one week. In addition I experienced an increased level of aggression. I was told to return in a month and I explained the results to my doctor. He then said that he would use less testosterone and give me injections more frequently. I was given another injection and told to return in two weeks. Once again I experienced a surge in my sex drive and energy level though the duration of this did not last as long. Unfortunately I also experienced an increased amount of aggression. I returned to my physician and he said that he would reduce the dosage and increase the frequency to weekly injections. This change did offer some benefit however it was short-lived due to the fact that my PPO insurance plan said that they would not cover weekly visits and injections at my physicians office. I was then prescribed a prescription gel to rub on my body every day. This went on for several months and the gel was everywhere including on my hands, on my clothes, and god forbid if I was allowed to come into contact with other people as they could possibly absorb some of this testosterone.
The icing on the cake was when I learned that using all of this exogeneous testosterone actually leads to a decrease or a shut down of natural testosterone production within the body. Concerned as I was I decided that the benefits of all this testosterone supplementation had drawbacks and was not the answer for me.
This is where the SOY comes in. Research shows that prior to the 21st Century soy was rarely if ever used in the production of food for human consumption. Even in the Asian culture soy usage was limited to times of extreme food shortages. When it was used Asians carefully prepared the soy by using a long fermentation process (6 to 9months) to remove soy toxins. In 1998 soy consumption by Asians was validated and it was found that Asian men consumed 8.00 ± 4.95 g of soy/day and that Asian women consumed 6.88 ± 4.06 g of soy/day (Nagata C, Takatsuka N, Kurisu Y, Shimizu H; J Nutr 1998, 128:209-13). The soy products consumed were tofu (plain, fried, deep-fried, or dried), miso, fermented soybeans, soy milk, and boiled soybeans. Soy consumption today in English speaking countries is approaching 220 G of soy/day which far exceeds what Asians typically consume. How did this happen and why be concerned? Well soy use in food production is now in almost everything so it seems. In addition clinical research has shown that soy decreases testosterone levels. In one study a 76% reduction in testosterone production in men was documented (Zhong, et al. “Effects of dietary supplement of soy protein isolate and low fat diet on prostate cancer.” FASEB J 2000;14(4):a531.11). Another study by Nagata C, et al. “Inverse association of soy product intake with serum androgen and estrogen concentrations in Japanese men.” Nutr Cancer 2000;36(1):14-8. This study in Japanese men showed that increased soy intake was related to decreased testosterone levels. An additional study in healthy adult males compared a diet containing soy to one using meat as a source of protein. Testosterone levels were significantly lower in the group with a soy diet. In addition the amount of “free” testosterone was reduced by 7% in the soy diet group (Habito RC, et al. “Effects of replacing meat with soyabean in the diet on sex hormone concentrations in healthy adult males.” Br J Nutr 2000 Oct;84(4):557-63). No wonder unfermented soy is reserved for cheating spouses in the Asian culture. A visit to a food market in Tokyo you will not find shoppers loading up on soy milk, soy cheese, soy yogurt, soy burgers, soy chicken, soy chips, and or soy lasagna. I wonder why?
Testosterone levels and prostate enlargement. Well it is known that men produce both testosterone, an important male hormone, and small amounts of estrogen, a female hormone. When men age, the amount of active testosterone in the blood decreases, leaving a higher proportion of estrogen. Studies done on animals have suggested that prostate enlargement may occur because of the higher amount of estrogen within the gland actually increase the activity of substances that promote cell growth. Another theory from scientists suggest that dihydrotestosterone (DHT), derived from testosterone in the prostate, may help control prostate enlargement. Some research has indicated that even with a decrease in the blood’s testosterone level, older men continue to produce and accumulate high levels of DHT in the prostate. This increased DHT may encourage the growth of prostate cells. This is important as scientists have also noted that men who do not produce DHT do not develop an enlarged prostate. DHT is a biologically active metabolite of the hormone testosterone. DHT is produced primarily in the prostate gland, testes, hair follicles, and adrenal glands.
In light of the above I started to look at my consumption of soy. Wow it’s in everything these days. Cereal, salad dressing, non-dairy creamer, pancake mix, and even some breads. Shopping at local health food markets will not save you either. Somewhere these markets have no issue with soy. Despite the fact that 91 percent of soy grown in the US is genetically modified (GM) many health food markets actually ignore this ingredient when they offer it for sale on the shelves. I actually believed that so called “health food markets” did not allow GMO or genetically modified ingredients. This is obviously not the case. One store (un-named) carried eight prostate supplements all with soy as an ingredient. Obviously these prostate supplements were for men. And the chance that the soy used in manufacturing was or is actually fermented for 6 to 9 months is extremely remote.
Ironically and subsequently I have continued to have blood work performed by my physician and for some reason my testosterone levels are no longer on the radar screen or even mentioned in the results. He knows that I am not on testosterone prescriptions or he would be authorizing refills with my pharmacy. What are the changes – hmmmm well I have been making a real effort to reduce soy consumption. It’s important for me to tell you that this article in no way suggests that it is authoritative and/or that it is giving or providing any type of medical advise. As always it is best to consult your medical or health care provider. However I do encourage you to research the facts about prostate health, soy, and testosterone. The following reference provides some information about soy in the USA from 1766-1900. It seems that 1979 was the first introduction of soy milk into the United States reference. At present it is now estimated that 583,000 tons of soy is used each year for human consumption. Soy food sales have increased from $300 million to over $4 billion from 1992 to 2006. The goal is obvious and that is for food processors to use soy to produce more while spending less. Soy use offers benefits including extending shelf-life, reducing crumbling, whitening breads and browning pancakes, and has the added benefit of bringing down production costs. I often wonder if we will see a law firm advertisement in the future that is similar to all these prescription medication cases that are now known to have caused this or that years and years later. It really is up to you the consumer to determine your comfort with this wonder ingredient. It is also up to you the consumer to discern the related concerns to genetically modified ingredients in your diet. Food for thought?
http://www.daily-chronicle.com/2011/01/06/monsanto-returns-to-profitability/ato5m42/

Plant Sterols

Nutritionists recognize two classes of phytosterols: (1) sterols, which have a double bond in the sterol ring; and (2) stanols, which lack a double bond in the sterol ring .
A mixed Phytosterol complex contains the following distinct plant sterols:
1) Beta-sitosterol
2) Campesterol
3) Stigmasterol
There are distinct structural differences between the above three plant sterols.
In the case of prostate health, it is beta-sitosterol that has been studied and reported to provide relief with respect to the symptoms associated with an enlarged prostate.