ConsumerLab.com, White Plains, NY, has announced test results 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% 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 60s and as many as 90% in their 70s and 80s 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.