Comprehensive Prostate Formula
90 Tablets
Ingredients
Comprehensive Prostate Formula is a complete
nutritional program for supporting prostate health with herbs,
vitamins, minerals and other nutrients known to benefit the
prostate gland.
Herbs:
Saw palmetto extract--The Saw
palmetto in Comprehensive Prostate Formula is standardized to
contain 85 to 90% fatty acids, which are the active ingredients
in the Saw palmetto berry that promote prostate health. Three
tablets supplies 320 mg, the daily dose used for prostate
therapy in clinical studies.1
Pygeum extract--Pygeum is an
evergreen tree native to the high plateaus of southern Africa.
Pygeum bark contains phytosterols, beta sitosterol and other
sitosterols, natural sterols that have been shown to normalize
the prostate.2 Clinical trials establish 100 mg per as a highly
effective dose of Pygeum extract, especially in combination with
Nettle root.3
Nettle root extract--Nettle, also known as
"Stinging Nettle," grows wild in forests and fields throughout
North America and Europe. Nettle root has been researched in
European studies and shown to benefit the prostate and urinary
tract. While the specific active ingredients in Nettle for
prostate support have not been positively identified, Nettle's
effect on the prostate may stem from its content of
polysaccharides and isolectin.4 300 mg per day is a clinically
effective dose of Nettle root extract.3
Amino acids--The
combination of L-alanine, glutamic acid and glycine were first
used for prostate support in 1958. Two medical doctors
administered the amino acids to allergy patients who reported
improvement in urinary function.5
Lycopene--Tomatoes are
rich in carotenes, natural pigments responsible for the rich
variety of colors in fruits and vegetables. Lycopene gives the
tomato fruit its red color. Recent research suggests that
lycopene may help reduce the risk of prostate cancer.6 (These
findings, however, are strictly preliminary and await
confirmation through further research.)
Minerals--The human
prostate contains a high concentration of zinc, which is known
to be a key mineral for prostate health.7 Selenium, an essential
trace mineral, may play a role in cancer risk reduction.8,9
Recent work by Harvard University researchers showed that men
with the highest levels of selenium were less likely to develop
prostate cancer than those with the lowest selenium levels.
Copper is added to balance zinc. When supplementing with zinc,
it is advised to take a small amount of additional copper to
prevent copper deficiency.
Vitamins--Vitamin E is added as
an antioxidant and support for the reproductive system. Vitamin
B6 may benefit the prostate by reducing excess levels of the
hormone prolactin.10
Benefits
Helps maintain a healthy
prostate gland.
Supports normal urinary function.
Comprehensive Prostate Formula-the Clinical Studies
Saw
palmetto Extract
Saw palmetto extract is one of the world's
leading herbal products for prostate support. Widely-cited
clinical studies conducted over the last fifteen years suggest
Saw palmetto extract can produce major improvements in
prostate-related urinary function. In clinical studies, Saw
palmetto extract has produced measurable improvements in urinary
functions and prostate size. Quality of life scores have also
improved. The results with Saw palmetto extract have been
duplicated in open trials and controlled, double-blind
studies.11,12,13
For example, in a large open trial, 505 men
took 320 mg of Saw palmetto extract daily for three months.1 The
results were evaluated with various measurements such as the
International Prostate Symptom Score, the quality of life score,
urinary flow rates, residual urinary volume, and prostate size.
After 45 days these parameters improved significantly. After 90
days of treatment nearly ninety percent of both the doctors and
patients regarded Saw palmetto extract as effective as therapy
for the prostate.
The changes in prostate health that
accompany middle age are related to the hormone DHT, or
dihydrotestosterone, a metabolite of testosterone. DHT levels
rise, and DHT binds to prostate cells, accelerating growth of
prostate tissue. Saw palmetto extract has been shown to inhibit
5 alpha-reductase, an enzyme that controls conversion of
testosterone to DHT.14 Experimental evidence suggests Saw
palmetto extract blocks the binding of DHT to prostate cells.15
The fatty acids and sterols in Saw palmetto are believed to be
responsible for these actions.14,16 These include oleic acid,
lauric acid, campasterol, stigmasterol, beta-sitosterol and
others. Clinical studies have used extracts containing 85 to 90
percent fatty acids and sterols.
Pygeum Extract
Like Saw
palmetto, Pygeum contains natural sterols and fatty acids.2
Although the mechanisms for its effect have not been clearly
established, animal experiments suggest Pygeum may work by
inhibiting prostate cell proliferation and reducing
inflammation.17,18 In several European trials, Pygeum has
successfully improved urinary function. In a large double-blind,
placebo-controlled study, 263 men were given 100 mg of Pygeum
extract a day for 60 days. Urination improved in 66 percent of
the men taking Pygeum, compared with 31 percent on placebo,
based on subjective and objective tests.19
Nettle Root
Extract
Nettles are approved by the German Commission E as
effective for relieving inflammation in the urinary tract.20 As
far back as 1950, German investigators have observed favorable
effects on the prostate with the use of Nettle root. These
initial findings have been confirmed through case studies, as
well as double-blind studies, published mainly in German medical
journals. In a recent double blind study published in the
journal Clinical Therapeutics, 134 men took a combination of
Nettle root extract and Pygeum extract over a period of 56
days.3 Urination was significantly improved.
L-Alanine,
Glutamic Acid and Glycine
As noted above, Drs. Feinblatt and
Gant discovered that a combination of the amino acids L-alanine,
glutamic acid and glycine has a positive effect on
prostate-related urinary function.5 A controlled study of 45 men
was conducted to follow up on these initial observations.21 The
majority of subjects experienced complete or partial relief in
urinary complaints such as nighttime urination and
urgency.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the
Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to
diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Scientific References
1. Braeckman, J., 'The extract of Serenoa
repens in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia: a
multicenter open study,' Current Therapeutic Research 1994:
55(7):776-85.
2. Lawrence Review of Natural Products. Pygeum.
Jan 1998. Facts and Comparisons, St. Louis, MO.
3. Combined
extracts of Urtica dioica and Pygeum africanum in the treatment
of benign prostatic hyperplasia: double-blind comparison of two
doses Clinical Therapeutics 1993; 15(6):1011-19.
4. Wagner, H.,
Willer, F., Samtleben, R., Boos, G. Search for the antiprostatic
principle of stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) roots Phytomedicine
1994; 1:213-224.
5. Feinblatt, H.M., Gant, J.D. Palliative
treatment of benign prostatic hypertrophy. Journal of the Maine
Medical Association, March 1958:99-124.
6. Giovanni, E., et.
al. Intake of carotenoids and retinol in relation to risk of
prostate cancer. Journal of the National Cancer Institute
1995;87(23):1767-76.
7. Wallace, A.M., Grant, J.K. Effect of
zinc on androgen metabolism in the human hyperplastic prostate.
Biochemical Society Transactions 1975; 3(3):540-42
8. Badmaev,
V., Majeed, M., Passwater, R. Selenium: A quest for better
understanding. Alternative Therapies 1996; 2(4):59-67.
9.
Fouhad, M.T. Selenium and cancer, chromium and diabetes: two
trace elements that have merits as dietary supplements in human
nutrition. Journal of Applied Nutrition 1979:31(1&2):14-17.
10.
Vescovi, P.P., et. al. Pyridoxine (Vit. B6) decreases
opoids-induced hyperprolactinemia. Horm. metabol. Res. 1985;
17:46-47.
11. Tasca, A., et. al. Treatment of obstructive
symptomatology caused by prostatic adenoma with an extract of
Serenoa repens. Double-blind clinical study vs. placebo. Minerva
Urologica e Nefrologica 1985; 37:87-91.
12. Champault, G.,
Bonnard, A.M., Cauquil, J., Patel, J.C. Medical treatment of
prostatic adenoma. A controlled test of PA 109 vs. placebo in
110 patients. Ann. Urol. 1984; 18(6):407-410.
13. Crimi, A.,
Russo, A. The use of Serenoa repens extract in the treatment of
functional disturbances caused by prostate hypertrophy. Med.
Praxis 1983; 4:47-51.
14. NiederprŸm, H.J., Schweikert. H.U.,
ZŠnker, K.S. Testosterone 5 alpha-reductase inhibition by free
fatty acids from Sabal serrulata fruits. Phytomedicine 1994;
1:127-133.
15. Sultan, C., et. al. Inhibition of androgen
metabolism and binding of liposterolic extract of Serenoa repens
B in human foreskin fibroblasts. J. Steroid Biochem. 1984;
20(1):515-519.
16. Weissner, H., et. al. Effects of the Sabal
serrulata extract IDS 9 and its subfractions on 5
alpha-reductase activity in human benign prostatic hyperplasia.
The Prostate 1996;28:300-06.
17. Yablonsky, F. Nicolas, V.,
Riffaud, J.P., Bellamy, F. Antiproliferative effect of Pygeum
africanum on rat prostatic fibroblasts. J. of Urology 1997;
157:2381-87.
18. Marconi, M. et. al. Anti-inflammatory action
of Pygeum extract in the rat. Farmaci. & Terapia. 1986;
3:135.
19. Barlet, A, et. al. Efficacy of Pygeum africanum
extract in the treatment of micturational disorders due to
benign prostatic hyperplasia. Evaluation of objective and
subjective parameters. A multicenter, randomized, double-blind
trial. Wien. Klin. Wocheschr. 1990; 22:667-73.
20. The Complete
German Commission E Monographs. 1998, Blumenthal, M., ed.,
(p.216) Austin, TX: American Botanical Council.
21. Damrau, F.
Benign prostatic hypertrophy: amino acid therapy for symptomatic
relief. American Journal of Geriatrics 1962; 10:426-30.
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