Beta-Sitosterol Protects the Prostate and Relieves Prostate Symptoms

Now you can get it almost overnight using a little-known, side effect-free natural plant fat

The following scene is actually quite typical—in fact, it may have even happened to you or someone you know. Read on …

“Mommy,” the little boy said in a typically loud five-year old’s voice, “Why does grampa pee himself right after he goes to the bathroom?”
Fortunately, the man—a well-dressed, athletic-looking, white-haired man in his late 60s or early 70s—had left the table to pay for the meal. He hadn’t heard the little boy’s innocent question.

Fortunately, the man wouldn’t have to heap shame upon the embarrassment he already must feel about the unavoidable “pee spot” that’s a signpost of prostate problems.

And fortunately for you if you’re a man 40 years or older, the problems, the embarrassment, the discomfort this man faces everyday of his life—waking and sleeping—can be eased or eliminated in as little as a week’s time or sooner … with a safe, food-based plant fat called beta-sitosterol.

Live long enough and you have a 9 in 10 chance of developing a prostate problem

Beta-sitosterol’s power to prevent and relieve prostate symptoms has been “tested” for thousands of years in Asia and the Mediterranean where the incidence of prostate problems—including prostate cancer—is considerably lower than in the United States and Canada.

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The key is in what is known as the Mediterranean Diet … and most particularly, beta-sitosterol.

“If you do not follow the Mediterranean Diet or have a diet high enough in beta-sitosterol, you are denying yourself relief … and risking serious prostate problems.”

But the sobering truth is this. If you do not follow the Mediterranean Diet or have a diet high enough in beta-sitosterol, you are denying yourself relief … and risking serious prostate problems.

You’ve heard the figures: Prostate problems—ranging in severity from mild discomfort to life threatening cancer—affect 60% of all men between the ages of 40 to 60. And a full 90% of men 80 and older will have to face these same frightening, embarrassing problems.

And there’s a good chance you’re already experiencing the symptoms. And if you’re not now, you probably will suffer from:

  • Reduced urinary flow and speed of voiding
  • Having to urinate again soon after urinating (called urinary retention because there’s a significant amount of urine left in your bladder after going the first time)
  • Having to urinate three, four, or more times at night
  • Painful urination
  • Blood in the urine
  • Uncontrollable dribbling of urine, especially with a full bladder or right after urinating (the embarrassing “pee spot” the little boy’s grandfather experienced)
  • Discomfort when sitting
  • Feminization of your body, and
  • Reduced sexual interest and performance

These symptoms result from a number of conditions. The three most common are BPH (Benign Prostate Hypertrophy—a medical term for non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate), inflammation of the prostate (prostatitis), and prostate cancer.

But regardless of what causes the symptoms, when it’s you who are suffering from them, you have one paramount thought … to get relief.

We’ll get back to this in a moment … and how a little known plant fat called beta-sitosterol can reduce and eliminate prostate symptoms due to all three of these causes.1

But first, let’s look at the reasonable concern you have about prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer: potentially the most serious prostate problem

Prostate cancer is potentially the most serious of these conditions. It can present itself with some or all of the symptoms you see here. Or it can be entirely without any symptoms at all. That’s why it’s crucial that you get a PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) test for prostate cancer regularly once you hit 40.

Beta-sitosterol can relieve symptoms due to prostate cancer—which is especially important for men who have it but have decided to adopt watchful waiting as their approach to living with it.

We’ll get into the power this naturally occurring plant substance holds for all types of prostate problems in a moment. But first, an increasing amount of study has shown that …

Giving yourself real, safe, fast relief … the only way to win the prostate battle

When your doctor tells you that you have BPH, your mind immediately goes to the most extreme consequence: prostate cancer … even though BPH seldom develops into aggressive cancer. But the fear is there plus the discomfort and embarrassment BPH brings by itself.

So you look for a “cure.” Your doctor starts you on medication … the less extreme of your options. He prescribes the most common anti-BPH drug—Proscar® (generic finasteride) or one of the others like it.

It may help, but at a very serious cost. Proscar’s side effects include: breast enlargement and tenderness, skin rash, swelling of lips, abdominal pain, back pain, decreased interest in sex, decreased amount of semen, diarrhea, dizziness, headache, and impotence.

Oh yes … and testicular pain.

And do not let pregnant women handle the pills … especially if they are crushed or broken. The active ingredients can cause birth defects in boys.
What’s more, Proscar is effective in stopping BPH’s progression in just 50% of the cases in which it’s used … and the effect lasts only as long as you take the pills. And Proscar and similar drugs can lose effectiveness over time.

Only 50% chance of success and if drugs fail … do you want to go under the knife?

If drugs won’t take care of the problem, you may opt for surgery. Surgery might reduce the size of your prostate, but it does so with even greater risks than prescription drugs. Risks that can be worse than the problems you’re trying to solve.

About the only time you have to undergo prostate surgery is if your prostate has grown so large that you can’t urinate properly and there’s a chance of kidney or bladder infection.

But barring that severe of a problem, why would any man run these risks?
Quite simply, they do it because the symptoms of prostate problems are embarrassing, painful, and life-limiting. And most men will do anything to alleviate the symptoms.

If you could alleviate the symptoms naturally … if you could rid yourself of the need for medical treatments that are as bad as or worse than the symptoms themselves … wouldn’t you take the safer, faster option?

There is hope … but first you must understand your prostate and its problems

The doughnut-shaped prostate gland surrounds your urethra (the tube that carries urine and semen through the penis) and is located below the bladder. This gland produces semen and aids the bladder in the flow of urine. The prostate also contains smooth muscle tissue, which helps to expel semen during ejaculation. (See Figure 1)

Prostate Ejaculatory Duct
Figure 1

Before puberty, your prostate was the size of a large marble. When you were just hitting puberty, your testicles began producing testosterone, which directed (among other actions) your prostate to produce seminal fluid. In order to accomplish this task, your prostate began enlarging.2

During early adulthood, your prostate grows to about the size of a walnut. But as you approach and pass through your 40s, your body plays a dirty trick on you. Your pituitary gland increases production of the hormone prolactin. Prolactin in turn stimulates production of an enzyme called 5-alpha-reductase. Testosterone is affected by 5-alpha-reductase—it is converted to the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT).

The conversion of testosterone to DHT is responsible for the feminization many men go through in middle age. Feminization includes enlarging of breasts, rounding and broadening of hips, and—sadly for us men—a decreased interest in sex.

“It just isn’t fair: We grow from boy to man and enjoy our masculinity for 30 years. Then as we move up in age, our bodies betray us. We become something “in between.” But there is a way to stop it!”

This feminization happens for a number of complex reasons. But one of the main ones is the decrease in testosterone caused by 5-alpha-reductase. This decrease of the male hormone increases the relativeamount of estrogen in our bodies. When the relative proportion of estrogen increases, we become more female.

It just isn’t fair: We grow from boy to man and enjoy our masculinity for 30 years. Then as we move up in age, our bodies betray us. We become something “in between.” But there is a way to stop it!

The real villain’s M.O.

5-alpha-reductase is not only responsible for feminizing your body, it’s also the main scoundrel in causing your prostate to balloon in size.

It converts your already declining levels of testosterone into excessive amounts of DHT, which causes your prostate cells to increase in number. As the number of prostate cells increases, your prostate gets bigger until serious problems and embarrassing symptoms result.

The cells of an enlarged, donut-shaped prostate grow in all directions. This puts pressure on your urethra so urinary flow is restricted. (See Figure 2)

BPH
Figure 2

It’s a lot like squeezing rubber tubing. The harder you squeeze, the slower the flow. Squeeze hard enough, the flow changes to intermittent squirts and spurts.

Squeeze harder still and there is virtually no flow at all … this is where you’re in the position of risking serious bladder and kidney infection.

In addition, since it takes longer to expel urine, your bladder and prostate muscles fatigue resulting in incomplete urination—and the resulting pee spot or need to urinate shortly after having finished.

SO TO REVIEW:

As you get older, your pituitary produces prolactin. Prolactin stimulates the production of 5-alpha-reductase. 5-alpha-reductase converts testosterone to DHT. DHT stimulates your prostate to swell up. Bang! You’ve got BPH … and its life-demeaning symptoms.

If there were some way to break this chain of events, you could reduce or eliminate the symptoms of prostate problems. This is where beta-sitosterol comes in.

But since beta-sitosterol can help with symptoms of all type of prostate problems, let’s look at one last way your prostate can make your life miserable … prostatitis.

One more way your prostate betrays you

Your prostate is a complex organ composed of glandular and muscular tissue … both of which are susceptible to inflammation (prostatitis). And if you have an inflamed prostate, you may be experiencing exactly the same symptoms as if you had BPH.

If symptoms of BPH hit you suddenly or over a relatively short period of time, you should suspect prostatitis.

Chronic non-bacterial prostatitis (also called chronic pelvic pain syndrome) is a common but poorly understood form of prostatitis. It can be found in men of any age. Symptoms go away and then return without warning.

Theories behind the disease suggest an autoimmune response (similar to that in arthritis) or neurogenic (caused by nerve action) inflammation. In the latter, the local nervous system causes problems due to past traumatic experiences, leading to inflammation.

So an ideal relief-bringing remedy for prostatitis should be a strong—but safe and side effect-free—anti-inflammatory agent. And that describes how beta-sitosterol brings fast, life-long relief.

Beta-sitosterol … fighting for your prostate health

The fact that prostate problems have several different possible causes makes it seem difficult to treat the symptoms with one drug or one approach. And physicians have found this to be true when they try to bring you relief with prescription drugs.

That’s why prescription drugs are largely ineffective. But there is a natural solution … a diet high in the natural plant fat beta-sitosterol can provide you with a symptom-free life … for the rest of your life.

Beta-sitosterol’s powerful prostate relief and protective properties first got noticed when an important epidemiological fact was discovered. Men living in Asia and the Mediterranean have significantly lower incidence of prostate problems (including prostate cancer, BPH, and prostatitis and their symptoms) than men in North America.

And this lower incidence is not genetic. When men from these regions move here and adopt our diet, their incidence of prostate problems shoots right up there next to ours.

So, men living in Asia and the Mediterranean enjoy protection from prostate problems and symptoms because of something other than genetics. After a careful examination of other factors, diet emerged as the number one protective factor for these men. A diet high in phytonutrients … particularly beta-sitosterol.

In addition to being a natural part of these men’s diets, beta-sitosterol is also an active component of many of the natural remedies for prostate problems used throughout the centuries. It’s not surprising that soy beans, African pygeum, stinging nettle, pumpkin seeds, rye pollen, and star grass are all high in beta-sitosterol.

Reduce … eliminate … protect beta-sitosterol’s role in maintaining a symptom-free prostate

Beta-sitosterol works numerous ways to reduce or eliminate embarrassing symptoms of a problem prostate. It’s also been demonstrated to protect your prostate from the conditions that can lead directly to the symptoms in the first place.

Here’s how beta-sitosterol brings you relief almost overnight:

  • It inhibits the action of 5-alpha-reductase so that testosterone does not get converted to DHT. By interrupting the prolactin to prostate symptom pathway, beta-sitosterol reduces the growth of your prostate and the accompanying symptoms.
  • It displays anti-estrogenic activity in prostate tissue. As you age, your prostate begins producing larger amounts of the female hormone, estrogen. Beta-sitosterol restricts this production, allowing you to avoid the feminization that is so common in men over 40.
  • It lowers blood cholesterol. Many researchers believe high cholesterol is an important factor stimulating prostate growth.
  • It appears to inhibit the growth of human prostate cancer cells by replacing some of the cell membrane’s cholesterol. This changes the membrane lipid composition in such a way that it enhances an intracellular signaling system that tells cells not to divide.
  • It demonstrates a strong anti-inflammatory effect, reducing or eliminating prostate symptoms due to prostatitis.

Admittedly, there are several prescription and over-the-counter drugs that have some of these abilities. Proscar works (about 50% of the time) by inhibiting 5-alpha-reductase. And nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can reduce some of the inflammation due to prostatitis.

But prescription and OTC drugs invariably come with side effects, and none seem to have the overwhelming, overall effectiveness and speed of action of beta-sitosterol. And beta-sitosterol comes with no side effects. At all!

Beta-sitosterol’s “side effects”: a healthy prostate … a healthy life … and almost overnight relief

Beta-sitosterol is a plant fat found in some of the world’s most common and healthful foods. It is completely side-effect free as proven by numerous clinical studies and tens of thousands of years of safe use3 … unlike any of the synthetic dugs used to treat BPH and prostatitis.

Beta-sitosterol is similar in structure to cholesterol … but different enough from cholesterol’s structure to deliver a whole host of health benefits. (See Figure 3)
Cholesterol Molecular Structure
Beta Sitosterol Molecular Structure

Other types of prostatitis

There are really three forms of prostatitis, asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis, acute/chronic bacterial prostatitis, and chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome. If you have either asymptomatic or bacterial prostatitis, it is crucial that you get under the care of a physician. However, even while doing so, you should also add the protection and relief-bringing power of beta-sitosterol.

Asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis

In this type of prostatitis there is no pain or discomfort but there are white blood cells in the semen. Doctors usually find this form of prostatitis when looking for causes of infertility or testing for prostate cancer.

Since there are no symptoms of this type of prostatitis, it’s difficult to know if you have it without having had a test and treatment is best left to a physician. But it can, with time, become symptomatic and the symptoms can be treated naturally as described below.

Acute/chronic bacterial prostatitis

Acute prostatitis is relatively easy to diagnose since its symptoms suggest infection. If you have acute prostatitis, you often have chills, fever, pain in the lower back and genital area, urinary frequency and urgency often at night, burning or painful urination, and body aches. In other words, you have the symptoms of BPH, but also feel crummy all over.

You will also have a demonstrable infection of the urinary tract, as evidenced by white blood cells and bacteria in the urine. Acute prostatitis is treated with appropriate antibiotics. If you suspect acute bacterial prostatitis, you should see a doctor immediately. Otherwise, you run the risk of having it become a chronic condition that is more difficult to treat.

Since antibiotics do not readily penetrate the prostate, acute prostatitis can become chronic. The pain symptoms come to the foreground, although episodes of painful urination can still be present. If there is a cyst or abscess causing the infection, surgery may be necessary.

Other benefits of beta-sitosterol

High levels of beta-sitosterol are found in rice bran, wheat germ, corn oils, legumes (including peanuts), nuts, nut oils, olives, unrefined (extra virgin) olive oil, and soybeans.

In addition to its ability to reduce and eliminate prostate symptoms … and its ability to prevent many of the symptoms in the first place … beta-sitosterol also plays a significant role in lowering cholesterol, boosting immunity, reducing inflammation, and normalizing your blood sugar.

Beta-sitosterol and cholesterol reduction4

When consumed with cholesterol, beta-sitosterol effectively blocks cholesterol’s absorption, resulting in lower serum cholesterol levels. Beta-sitosterol has also been shown to improve lipoprotein (HDL/LDL) profiles.

Beta-sitosterol and anti-cancer effects5

Diets high in vegetables and fruits are believed to prevent cancer because they contain powerful anti-cancer phytonutrients including beta-sitosterol. Beta-sitosterol is one of the key compounds that suppress carcinogenesis. Beta-sitosterol has been found to reduce the growth of human prostate and colon cancer cells. It also acts against lymphocytic leukemia.

Beta-sitosterol and immunity6

Beta-sitosterol not only bolsters an under-active immune system, but it also turns off an overactive one. Phytosterols help balance the cells of the immune system so they can function optimally.

Plant fats (phytosterols) have been found to be effective in balancing immune response and useful in the treatment of autoimmune diseases like lupus and multiple sclerosis, as well as infectious diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis, and hepatitis C.

Beta-sitosterol normalizes blood sugar7

Clinical studies have demonstrated that beta-sitosterol normalizes blood sugar and insulin levels in type II (adult onset) diabetes. Reducing blood glucose levels by down-regulation of glucose-6-phosphatase helps delay the onset of diabetes as you get older.

Beta-sitosterol and anti-inflammatory effects8

Beta-sitosterol has the ability to relieve inflammation. It also has anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal agents.

Beta-sitosterol may also give you a boost if you’re a highly competitive athletic person. When you engage in intense training periods and competitions, your immune system can become suppressed. Your inflammatory response can also be suppressed at these times. Beta-sitosterol helps you out by boosting both your immune system and your body’s natural anti-inflammatory abilities.

Not a cure-all … not a miracle but damn fine prostate support

It’s really easy to get caught up in enthusiasm about a natural substance like beta-sitosterol that can accomplish as much as it can. It’s easy to look at all the natural health benefits it brings and think that it can take care of just about any health problem.

Yes, it would be easy to do this. But the reality is that for all its wide-ranging effects on your physical well being, beta-sitosterol is not a miracle cure or panacea.

But following a diet high in beta-sitosterol is a remarkably safe and fast way to relieve the symptoms of prostate problems. It can reduce or eliminate the nagging need to urinate more when the flow has stopped but you know there’s more to go.

A diet rich in beta-sitosterol can reduce the pain and discomfort of non-bacterial prostatitis and BPH.

It can reduce frequent trips to the toilet during the night … when what you crave is a good night’s sleep.

When you faithfully follow the Mediterranean diet—a diet of whole grains, soy, and beta-sitosterol rich nuts and oils—you can put the worry about embarrassing spotting and strangulated urinary flow behind you quickly and safely. BUT …

Your busy life and our depleted foods conspire to keep your prostate sick and you suffering

You no longer live in a world where you can walk down to the market in the town square and buy fresh fruits and vegetables: fruits and vegetables that have been grown organically from start to finish. Foods that have not been sprayed with pesticides … or that have not been stored too cold or too hot … or that have not had all their nutrients processed out of them.

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It’s almost impossible—no make that entirely impossible unless you grow your own food—to get the wholesome, truly beneficial foods that comprise the type of diet that can help you rid yourself of the life-depleting symptoms of prostate problems.

That does not mean you must give-up on beta-sitosterol’s powerful, natural benefits

Even though you live in an age of nutritionally empty foods, it’s still possible to get powerful, fast, long-lasting relief from prostate symptoms that beta-sitosterol can bring into your life.

Certainly, you should try to eat well … a diet with a wide range of phytonutrients like beta-sitosterol … a diet rich in soy, nuts, whole grains, peanuts, nut oils and extra virgin olive oil.

You should try to eat this diet whenever you’re able to. But you should also enhance that diet with a full-spectrum beta-sitosterol nutritional supplement derived from a natural source like yellow soy.

Men who have started on a pathway of supplementation with beta-sitosterol have been amazed at the relief they get … almost overnight.

Nothing … including Proscar and the other side-effect laden prescription drugs … works as fast. Or is as safe.

So for fast relief from agonizing prostate symptoms, start on an effective diet and supplementation plan today. You have absolutely nothing to lose … except the embarrassing, painful symptoms of an out of control prostate.

References

  1. Berges RR, Windeler J, Trampisch HJ, Senge T. Randomized placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial of beta-sitosterol in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia. Beta-sitosterol Study Group. Lancet. 1995; 345; 1529-1532.Klippel KF, Hiltl DM, Schipp B. A multicentric, placebo-controlled,
    double-blind clinical trial of ß-sitosterol (phytosterol) for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia. Br J Urol 1997;80:427–32.Kobayashi Y, Sugaya Y, Tokue A. [Clinical effects of beta-sitosterol (phytosterol) on benign prostatic hyperplasia: preliminary study.] [Article in Japanese.] Hinyokika Kiyo. 1998; 44:865-868.Wilt TJ, Mac Donald R, Ishani A. Beta-sitosterol for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia: a systematic review. BMU Int. 1999; 83:976-983.

  2. http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/prostateenlargement
    The NKUDIC Clearinghouse is a service of the National Institute of
    Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health.

  3. Malini T, Vanithakumari G. Rat toxicity studies with beta-sitosterol. J Ethnopharmacol. 1990 Feb;28(2):221-34.
  4. Grundy SM, Ahrens EH Jr, Davignon J. The interaction of cholesterol absorption and cholesterol synthesis in man. J Lipid Res 1969;10:304-15 [review].Jones PJ, Raeini-Sarjaz M, Ntanios FY, et al. Modulation of plasma lipid levels and cholesterol kinetics by phytosterol versus phytostanol esters. J Lipid Res 2000;41:697-705.Lees AM, Mok HYI, Lee RS, et al. Plant sterols as cholesterol-lowering agents: clinical trials in patients with hypercholesterolemia and studies of sterol balance. Atherosclerosis 1977;28:325-38.Normé n L, Dutta P, Lia A, Andersson H. Soy sterol esters and beta-sitostanol ester as inhibitors of cholesterol absorption in human small bowel. Am J Clin Nutr. 2000; 71:908-913.Pelletier X, Belbraouet S, Mirabel D, et al. A diet moderately enriched in phytosterols lowers plasma cholesterol concentrations in normocholesterolemic humans. Ann Nutr Metab 1995;39:291-5.Richelle M, Enslen M, Hager C, et al. Both free and esterified plant sterols reduce cholesterol absorption and the bioavailability of beta-carotene and alpha-tocopherol in normocholesterolemic humans. Am J Clin Nutr 2004;80:171–7.
  5. Awad AB, Chan KC, Downie AC, Fink CS. Peanuts as a source of ß-sitosterol, a sterol with anticancer properties. Nutr Cancer 2000;36:238–41.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; 32:8-12.
  6. Bouic PJ, Lamprecht JH. Plant sterols and sterolins: a review of their immune-modulating properties. Altern Med Rev. 1999 Jun;4(3):170-7.
  7. Ivorra MD, D’Ocon MP, Paya M, Villar A. Antihyperglycemic and insulin-releasing effects of beta-sitosterol 3-beta-D-glucoside and its aglycone, beta-sitosterol. Arch Int Pharmacodyn Ther. 1988 Nov-Dec;296:224-31.
  8. Navarro A, De las Heras B, Villar A. Anti-inflammatory and immunomodulating properties of a sterol fraction from Sideritis foetens Clem.Biol Pharm Bull. 2001 May;24(5):470-3.