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Beta Sitosterol

Beta Sitosterol As a Natural Remedy for Prostate Health and BPH

Beta Sitosterol is one of the best natural prostate remedies that support BPH or Benign Prostate Hyperplasia and enhances prostate health. This natural prostate remedy is also beneficial in other disorders like increased blood cholesterol levels, cancer prevention and alopecia.

What is β-sitosterol:

Beta Sitosterol is a type of phytosterols. Phytosterols or plant sterols are ï¿½plant fatsï¿½ that are similar to cholesterol but have an extra ethyl group attached to it. This white and waxy substance is widely distributed in plant and vegetable kingdom like Serenoa repens (saw palmetto), Curcurbita pepo (pumpkin seed), Pygeum africanum, rice bran, wheat germ, corn oils, soybeans, and wolfberries. There are no magic foods with high levels of phytosterols, but they can be inexpensively extracted from sugar cane pulp, soybeans and pine oil.

Traditional Benefits Of β-sitosterol:

This phytosterol is well supported for its beneficial effects on BPH, regulation of cholesterol and LDL levels in blood, as an antioxidant, alopecia, cancer preventing botanical and several other disorders for which it is commonly used as a traditional remedy.

BPH And Beta Sitosterol:

BPH or Benign Prostate Hyperplasia is a non-cancerous growth of prostate gland with associated symptoms like frequency, urgency and difficulty of urination during day and night. Phytosterols, chiefly this one has emerged as an effective and safe alternative medicine for BPH. Europeans use it as a medicine for BPH.

Supporting Clinical Studies:

Dozens of double-blind placebo controlled clinical studies support the role of Beta Sitasterol in BPH. Several standard criteria were used in these studies like AUA BPH symptoms score, International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), Maximum Urinary Flow Rate (Qmax) and Post Void Residual Urine (PVR).

Georgetown University Medical Center conducted a three months study and found the beneficial effect of natural therapies with Saw Palmetto, Beta Sitosterol, Cernitin, Vitamin E. They benefits included ï¿½ reduction in frequency of daytime and night urination, and improvement in overall BPH symptoms as per AUA.

Another review of 18 clinical studies of strong extract of saw palmetto spanning over 31 years was published in JAMA. Reviewers concluded, "The evidence suggests that Serenoa repens extract (saw palmetto) improves urologic symptoms and flow measures.

British Journal of Urology reported about a study at University of Dresden where researchers tested Azuprostat containing 130mg of beta-sitosterol with placebo for 6 months in 177 patients of BPH. This study led to a strong support for its being an effective treatment option for BPH.

Lancet published another study on Beta Sitosterol conducted in Germany on 100 persons. They took this herbal extract for one year. Researchers concluded, "Significant improvement in symptoms and urinary flow parameters show the effectiveness of beta-sitosterol in the treatment of BPH.

Dosage of Beta Sitosterol:

Even though it is available in most dietary products, we get insufficient quantities and need to supplement it with extra dosage. The chief benefit of taking it in a form of supplement is that we can avoid a lot of extra calories that we would have to consume if want to get it through dietary sources alone.

Its dosage ranges from 300-1000 mg per day. 300-600 mg can support immunity boosting effect, 600 mg per day is for BPH and 1000 mg per day is necessary for cholesterol lowering effect.

Safety And Precaution:

No study reported any significant side effect or interaction of any sort. Some persons who took larger dosage complained of nausea. As it acts in our body by interfering with absorption of cholesterol, excessively large dosage of it should not be consumed for prolonged period.

The possibility of BPH or benign prostatic hypertrophy and prostate cancer is so great and frightening that men need to think and act proactively about it.

40 plus men can take several preventive supplements some time of the year. 50 plus person should regularly take such supplements for a period of two to three months every year. The little bucks spent for the preventive therapies will pay rich dividends of enhanced sexual life and safety from prostate disorders that is so common in elderly individuals.

Its benefits for prostate health is affirmed time and again by dozens of studies conducted at reputed medical centers and universities all around the world and by thousands of persons aging users. You can also relieve the troubling symptoms of BPH ï¿½ frequency, urgency and difficulty in urination - naturally and effectively with Beta Sitosterol. Switch over to this natural plant extract to take care of your BPH worries.

Research References Of Beta Sitosterol:

Berges RR, Windeler J, Trampisch HJ, Senge T. Randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial of beta-sitosterol in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia. β-sitosterol Study Group. Lancet. 1995 Jun 17;345(8964):1529-32. PMID 7540705

Berges RR, Kassen A, Senge T. Treatment of symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia with β-sitosterol: an 18-month follow-up. BJU Int. 2000 May;85(7):842-6. PMID 10792163

Klippel KF, Hiltl DM, Schipp B. A multicentric, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial of β-sitosterol (phytosterol) for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia. German BPH-Phyto Study group. Br J Urol. 1997 Sep;80(3):427-32. PMID 9313662

Wilt TJ, MacDonald R, Ishani A. beta-sitosterol for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia: a systematic review. BJU Int. 1999 Jun;83(9):976-83. PMID 10368239

Wilt T, Ishani A, MacDonald R, Stark G, Mulrow C, Lau J. Beta-sitosterols for benign prostatic hyperplasia. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2000;(2):CD001043. PMID 10796740

Von Holtz RL, Fink CS, Awad AB. Beta-Sitosterol activates the sphingomyelin cycle and induces apoptosis in LNCaP human prostate cancer cells. Nutr Cancer. 1998;32(1):8-12. PMID 9824850