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.

Low Testosterone in Men Causes and the Relationship to an Enlarged Prostate


Many men do not realize but a low testosterone level can be an indicator of an enlarged prostate. The primary reason that their testosterone level is low is due to the fact that the testosterone being produced in their body is being converted to a secondary hormone called DHT or dihydrotestosterone.
This occurs when an enzyme (5-alpha reductase) converts the testosterone into DHT. Typically men notice a loss of libido and a lowered energy level. Often this is detected during blood work at their physician’s office. Since 2008 the annual sales of testosterone prescriptions have more than doubled and last year alone the testosterone market is a $2 billion dollar market.
Unfortunately a testosterone prescription can actually cause a prostate to enlarge as it provides fuel for the fire to actually cause even higher levels of DHT. Testosterone has come under a lot of fire and it is not as safe as the manufacturers have lead physicians to believe. Now days we see television commercials for law firms warning us that in fact testosterone can double the risk of having a heart attack.
Another problem with taking a testosterone prescription is that it does cause you to have a large amount of circulating testosterone but this in fact tells the boys down stairs (a man’s gonads) to actually stop producing testosterone. So the quick fix is actually causing a secondary action and that would be a shutdown of normal testosterone by the testis. If you have ever visited a fertility physician and ask them if they prescribe testosterone they will tell you that “no, they do not”. What they do use is HCG or human chorionic gonadotropic hormone. This is typically administered by injection by a physician. The HCG actually causes the testis to start producing testosterone. This appears to be a better alternative than shutting down all normal testosterone production with a testosterone prescription.
As quiet as it is kept another reason that we have seen an exponential increase in the number of fertility specialists since 1960 could heavily correlate to the introduction of soybeans into the diet of humans. Soybeans are high in estrogens (phytoestrogens or plant based estrogens). The estrogens in soy have been shown to decrease testosterone levels in clinical studies despite the strength of the soybean lobby and erroneous reports on Wikipedia. I have reviewed the Wikipedia information regarding soybeans and it is obviously data that I consider to be tainted by the likes of a multi-national corporation that produces 93% of all soybeans in North America. These soybeans are the one and only Round-Up Ready Soybeans which is a registered trademark of the Monsanto Corporation. Even more troubling is the fact that they are GMO (genetically modified) and are being sprayed with the herbicide Round-Up or glyphosate. Recent studies of both urine samples and breast milk actually document the presence of glyphosate in these bodily fluids.
Most of us think our soy consumption is low but in fact it is high. Soy consumption in North America is approaching 200 grams per day due to the fact that 75% of the items in a typical grocery store contain soy. Remember prior to 1960 there was zero soy in the human diet and the soy that was fed to animals was not GMO or being sprayed with glyphosate.
In light of the above it is wise to consider your diet as another reason that you have low testosterone. Personally I believe that men should opt for almond milk versus soy milk if they cannot tolerate or do not consume regular milk. I no longer purchase breads manufactured with soy flour. I do not purchase sardines pack in soybean oils instead a better choice is olive oil.
I believe you have a choice and that there truly is no reason that men need a testosterone prescription. This completely contradicts the sales goals of the pharmaceutical industry that has convinced physicians to immediately prescribe testosterone. Educate yourself and look what you are putting into your body.
If your low T (testosterone) is the result of increased enzyme (5-alpha reductase) then often a physician will immediately prescribe a 5-alpha reductase inhibitor prescription. Again a red flag should be going off and I suggest that you Google and type in the name of what you are prescribed and then type the word lawsuit. Not all of these problems make it to the level of a law firm commercial on the television. A better choice would be a natural product that has shown 5-alpha reductase inhibitory activity in the medical literature and that would be beta-sitosterol. Once again the plant sterol ester beta-sitosterol comes to the rescue. A word of caution though is that the most common forms of beta-sitosterol available are derived from the “Round-up Ready Soybean”. Look for one that is non-GMO and Soy Free.
I hope this article clarifies things and gives you some food for thought regarding your low T problem that has led to a multi-billion dollar industry of testosterone prescriptions.
To learn about soy-free non-GMO beta-sitosterol visit http://www.bestprostate.com. Beta-sitosterol from pine not soy.
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