Doctor Reviews: Prostagenix

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Prostagenix claims to “support urinary flow, improve sleep, and reduce urgency.” While the label doesn’t specifically mention it, these benefits are often related to benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH)—a condition in men where an enlarged prostate leads to frequent urinary issues. A standout feature of Prostagenix is its 1000 mg of plant sterols, but what exactly are plant sterols, and does this supplement live up to its promises?

What are plant sterols?

The plant sterols in Prostagenix come from a proprietary blend of natural compounds called phytosterols. These are found in the cell membranes of many plants, including fruits, grains, legumes, vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds. Structurally similar to cholesterol, plant sterols compete with cholesterol for absorption in your digestive system, which helps lower cholesterol levels. This makes them popular for supporting heart health—but do they also work for BPH?

Benefits of plant sterols

The main plant sterol in Prostagenix is beta-sitosterol, which is thought to help manage BPH symptoms by blocking the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase. This enzyme converts testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a hormone that can contribute to prostate enlargement. By reducing DHT levels, beta-sitosterol may help ease symptoms of BPH. Plus, it has anti-inflammatory properties that can help reduce inflammation in the prostate.

Research shows that taking beta-sitosterol for up to 18 months can improve symptoms related to BPH, such as frequent urination or difficulty starting urination. However, it’s important to note that it doesn’t actually shrink the prostate. For men with more severe BPH, using beta-sitosterol for just 3 months didn’t make a significant difference in most symptoms compared to a placebo.

This suggests that beta-sitosterol works best for milder BPH symptoms and is more effective when taken for longer periods—usually more than 3 months. It’s important to understand that it won’t prevent the prostate from continuing to grow. So, while it may provide relief, it doesn’t address the underlying enlargement, meaning you may need to keep using it to maintain symptom control. If your prostate continues to enlarge, you might still need standard medical treatments.

As for the other plant sterols in Prostagenix, such as campesterol and stigmasterol, they haven’t been studied as much. While they help with lowering cholesterol, there’s no strong evidence that these sterols offer the same benefits for BPH as beta-sitosterol does.

Ingredients of Prostagenix

Let’s take a closer look at the other ingredients in Prostagenix—vitamin D, zinc, and selenium—and see if they offer any real benefits for BPH or other prostate issues.

Vitamin D, Zinc, Selenium

Despite their inclusion in Prostagenix, there’s no solid evidence that vitamin D, zinc, or selenium supplementation can improve BPH symptoms. These nutrients have been studied more for their potential impact on more severe prostate conditions, like prostate cancer, but the results aren’t promising.

For vitamin D, a meta-analysis of clinical trials found that high-dose supplementation doesn’t slow the progression or reduce the mortality rates in men with prostate cancer.

Similarly, when it comes to zinc, a large meta-analysis of population studies didn’t find any connection between zinc intake and a reduced risk of prostate cancer.

The story is the same with selenium. A major clinical trial involving over 20,000 participants revealed that taking selenium supplements for up to 5 years didn’t lower the risk of developing prostate cancer. Even when the study followed up after 7 to 14 years, there was still no protective benefit.

Interestingly, some observational studies suggest that men with higher selenium levels in their blood tend to have a lower risk of prostate cancer. However, it’s crucial to note that these studies only show an association between high blood selenium levels and reduced risk—not that taking selenium supplements causes this effect.

The likely explanation is that men with healthier diets naturally had higher selenium levels because they consumed selenium-rich foods like lean meats, nuts, and seeds. This dietary factor, rather than supplementation, probably played a role in lowering prostate cancer risks.

In short, while having adequate selenium from your diet is beneficial, simply adding selenium supplements doesn’t appear to provide the same level of protection against prostate conditions like cancer or BPH.

Other minerals

Prostagenix contains several minerals like iodine, copper, manganese, chromium, molybdenum, silicon, and boron. However, there is no evidence that these minerals offer any specific benefits for BPH or other prostate-related issues.

Grape seed extract

One of the key antioxidants in Prostagenix is grape seed extract. Antioxidants are often linked to reducing inflammation, a component of BPH, but it’s important to examine human studies to see if supplementation truly makes a difference.

In clinical research involving middle-aged and older men with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS)—often related to BPH—drinking 240 mL of Concord grape juice daily for 3 months did not significantly improve symptoms when compared to a placebo. This suggests that grape seed extract may not have a noticeable effect on BPH symptoms.

Pomegranate

Pomegranate is another ingredient often promoted for prostate health because of its high antioxidant content. While pomegranate has been studied more for its potential impact on prostate cancer than BPH, early research suggested it might slow the rise of PSA levels in men with prostate neoplasms. However, it’s important to note that many of the researchers in this study had connections to the company producing the pomegranate extract.

A more reliable, independent study later showed that pomegranate didn’t actually slow PSA levels in men with prostate neoplasms. Additionally, the doses used in these studies ranged from 1 to 3 grams per day, far higher than what is provided in Prostagenix.

Quercetin

Quercetin is a flavonoid found in foods like onions, apples, berries, teas, and red wine. While it hasn’t been specifically studied for BPH, it has been weakly researched in other urinary conditions.

For example, in cases of chronic prostatitis, some preliminary studies showed that taking 500 mg of quercetin twice daily for a month reduced pain and improved quality of life. However, it didn’t seem to improve urinary symptoms compared to a placebo. Moreover, the dose of quercetin in Prostagenix is much lower than the amounts used in these studies.

Is Prostagenix Effective?

Let’s break down the key points. First, we can set aside minerals like iodine, copper, manganese, chromium, molybdenum, silicon, and boron, as they don’t offer any proven benefits for prostate health.

Next, we’ll look at the other nutrients and antioxidants, such as vitamin D, zinc, selenium, grape seed extract, pomegranate extract, and quercetin. While some of these ingredients have been studied for prostate health, none have consistently shown real benefits for improving urinary issues related to BPH.

The only ingredient that stands out in Prostagenix is beta-sitosterol. This plant sterol has been shown to help with urinary symptoms related to BPH, such as frequent urination or weak flow. So, in essence, Prostagenix is primarily an overpriced beta-sitosterol supplement. You’re unlikely to see more benefits from it than you would from a generic beta-sitosterol supplement.

Is Prostagenix worth it?

Prostagenix costs about $45 per month. If you want to get the same benefit, you could simply take a beta-sitosterol supplement alongside a multivitamin. Generic beta-sitosterol supplements cost around $5-6 per month, and a basic multivitamin will run you about $4-5 per month. In total, that’s only about $9-11 per month—a much more cost-effective option for managing BPH symptoms.

Overall rating

Rating Prostagenix by effectiveness for improving BPH symptoms, I’m giving it a C. It may be useful for treating mild BPH symptoms thanks to the beta-sitosterol it contains.

Rating it by cost, I’m giving it an D. It can be easily replicated at a far cheaper cost.

Rating it for safety, I’m giving it a B. The ingredients and doses used are unlikely to cause concern.

Overall rating, I’m giving a C. If you suffer from mild BPH, Prostagenix may be helpful for your symptoms, but it is not much more effective than generic beta-sitosterol supplements, which are much cheaper.

Top alternatives to SUPPLEMENT

• Beta-sitosterol (generic) – 2 caps / day
• Beta-sitosterol (Prostagenix) – 3 caps / day
• Multivitamin (men) – 1 cap / day
• Multivitamin (women) – 1 cap / day

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