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ConsumerLab.com finds many prostate supplements have correct ingredients, but four fail review -- New report on 19 saw palmetto and beta-sitosterol supplements
White Plains, New York — Tuesday, September 15,2009 — ConsumerLab.com announced test results today from its newest Product Review of Prostate Supplements. Saw palmetto remains one of the most popular herbal supplements due to its ability to improve urinary symptoms in men with prostate enlargement. Beta-sitosterol, a plant sterol, can also provide benefit. ConsumerLab.com's testing found most supplements to provide their claimed amounts of saw palmetto or beta-sitosterol and to meet other quality standards. However, one supplement appeared to contain none of its claimed saw palmetto; one provided only 69.2% of its beta-sitosterol, and two saw palmetto products failed FDA labeling requirements by not indicating the part of the plant used. ConsumerLab.com also noted that the suggested serving sizes on some products were different from what is known to work from clinical trials.
According to the National Institutes of Health, more than half of men in their sixties and as many as 90% in their seventies and eighties have some symptoms of enlarged prostate, also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). These symptoms include frequent urination, difficulty in starting urination, and fullness in the bladder after urination. U.S. sales of saw palmetto supplements were $125 million in 2007 according to Nutrition Business Journal.
The Product Review of Prostate Supplements is found at https://www.consumerlab.com/reviews/prostate_supplements_saw_palmetto_and_beta-sitosterol/sawpalmetto/. It provides findings for twelve products that ConsumerLab.com selected for testing and seven additional products that passed the same testing through ConsumerLab.com's Voluntary Certification Program. It also includes information about three products similar to those tested. Brands included in the report are Baywood, Finest Natural (Walgreen), Flora, Gaia, GNC, Health Resources, Metabolic Maintenance, Nature's Bounty, Nature's Way, New Chapter, New Vitality, Pharmanex, Physician Formulas, Planetary Herbals, Puritan's Pride, TruNature, Vitamin Shoppe, and Vitamin World.
In addition to providing test results, the report also compares the amounts of saw palmetto and/or beta-sitosterol and other ingredients in the products. Reviews of other popular types of supplements are available from www.consumerlab.com.
ConsumerLab.com is a leading provider of consumer information and independent evaluations of products that affect health and nutrition. Subscription to ConsumerLab.com is available online. The company is privately held and based in Westchester, New York. It has no ownership from, or interest in, companies that manufacture, distribute, or sell consumer products.
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According to the National Institutes of Health, more than half of men in their sixties and as many as 90% in their seventies and eighties have some symptoms of enlarged prostate, also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). These symptoms include frequent urination, difficulty in starting urination, and fullness in the bladder after urination. U.S. sales of saw palmetto supplements were $125 million in 2007 according to Nutrition Business Journal.
The Product Review of Prostate Supplements is found at https://www.consumerlab.com/reviews/prostate_supplements_saw_palmetto_and_beta-sitosterol/sawpalmetto/. It provides findings for twelve products that ConsumerLab.com selected for testing and seven additional products that passed the same testing through ConsumerLab.com's Voluntary Certification Program. It also includes information about three products similar to those tested. Brands included in the report are Baywood, Finest Natural (Walgreen), Flora, Gaia, GNC, Health Resources, Metabolic Maintenance, Nature's Bounty, Nature's Way, New Chapter, New Vitality, Pharmanex, Physician Formulas, Planetary Herbals, Puritan's Pride, TruNature, Vitamin Shoppe, and Vitamin World.
In addition to providing test results, the report also compares the amounts of saw palmetto and/or beta-sitosterol and other ingredients in the products. Reviews of other popular types of supplements are available from www.consumerlab.com.
ConsumerLab.com is a leading provider of consumer information and independent evaluations of products that affect health and nutrition. Subscription to ConsumerLab.com is available online. The company is privately held and based in Westchester, New York. It has no ownership from, or interest in, companies that manufacture, distribute, or sell consumer products.
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Members of the media contact may contact media@consumerlab.com or call the ConsumerLab.com main number (914-722-9149). Please include the name of your news organization when contacting us.
