Can Supplements Help Shrink Your Prostate? Here’s What We Know – Health Digest

Saw palmetto has been used to treat various conditions associated with the urinary tract and the prostate. A 2015 article in the Pharmacy and Pharmacology International Journal said that the many clinical trials on the efficacy of saw palmetto have been mixed, and researchers aren’t sure why saw palmetto might work in those diagnosed with an enlarged prostate. The medium-chain fatty acids found in saw palmetto could possibly reduce inflammation of the prostate.

According to a 2019 article in Food Science and Biotechnology, the problem with supplements and why there have been inconsistent results is that there isn’t a way to standardize the saw palmetto supplements. There are specific fatty acids in saw palmetto extract that could prevent BPH, and other substances can reduce inflammation in the prostate. Yet it’s difficult for researchers to study the effects of saw palmetto extract because of the different formulations available.

A plant sterol called beta-sitosterol might be a key substance in saw palmetto that could treat an enlarged prostate. Conventional saw palmetto oil can have a range of 0.2% to 0.3% beta-sitosterol in it. A 2020 study in BMC Urology had men aged 40 to 65 who had symptoms of BPH take either saw palmetto oil enriched with 3% beta-sitosterol, conventional saw palmetto oil, or a placebo for 12 weeks. Compared to the placebo, those taking the enriched saw palmetto oil had reduced their symptoms of BPH.