17-12-2011, 01:29 PM
Prostate supplement ingredients are not all anti-androgens, in the sense of being 5α-reductase inhibitors:
http://pros-terol.com/prostate/
About half way this ad, there is a list of ingredients with the usual vague description of what they do. This is a shorter rendering of what's in there for a few ingredients I usually list as 5α-reductase inhibitors:
β-Sitosterol: 5α-reductase inhibitor
Zinc: "can help shrink an enlarged prostate"
Stinging nettle root: "prevents estrogen from binding to the prostate"
pumpkin seed: source of zinc
Vitamin B6: along with zinc, "regulates" 5α-reductase
This list suggests that only the β-Sitosterol is a real 5α-reductase inhibitor. The others act in a different way, except maybe for zinc and vitamin B6. I need to check the scientific literature on this, but the above description of the mechanism of action may mean that stinging nettle root is not helpful in NBE.
http://pros-terol.com/prostate/
About half way this ad, there is a list of ingredients with the usual vague description of what they do. This is a shorter rendering of what's in there for a few ingredients I usually list as 5α-reductase inhibitors:
β-Sitosterol: 5α-reductase inhibitor
Zinc: "can help shrink an enlarged prostate"
Stinging nettle root: "prevents estrogen from binding to the prostate"
pumpkin seed: source of zinc
Vitamin B6: along with zinc, "regulates" 5α-reductase
This list suggests that only the β-Sitosterol is a real 5α-reductase inhibitor. The others act in a different way, except maybe for zinc and vitamin B6. I need to check the scientific literature on this, but the above description of the mechanism of action may mean that stinging nettle root is not helpful in NBE.