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Head-to-head evidence comparison — which supplement is right for you?
Beta-Sitosterol vs Saw Palmetto: Beta-Sitosterol has the stronger overall evidence (5 vs 4/10); they're alternatives for prostate health — the best pick depends on your goals. Take the 60-second quiz for a pick tailored to your goals.
Beta-Sitosterol wins 1 of 3 categories. Both are solid choices — the best pick depends on your specific goals.
Verdict
Too few graded studies
Top outcomes
Verdict
Too few graded studies
1 of 2 studies with measurable effects showed benefit.
Top outcomes
Shared outcomes (1)
Outcomes where both Beta-Sitosterol and Saw Palmetto have evidence — compare verdict strength side-by-side.
60 to 130 mg a day for BPH urinary symptoms, the doses of the two six-month placebo-controlled trials: 20 mg three times a day, and 130 mg of free beta-sitosterol once a day. Both used phytosterol extracts with beta-sitosterol as the main component, so check the label for the beta-sitosterol content. For lowering cholesterol, gram doses of plant sterols or stanols are a different product: see the Plant Sterols & Stanols entry.
Once daily or in divided doses
Phytosterol extract standardised to beta-sitosterol
320mg standardized extract (85-95% fatty acids) (no cited trial states the dose it used)
With meals
Liposterolic extract (standardized to 85-95% fatty acids)
4-8 weeks
4-12 weeks
4-12 weeks
Efficacy and mechanisms of Xiangsha Liujunzi Decoction for gastroesophageal reflux disease: A study integrating meta-analysis, network pharmacology and molecular docking
Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology (2026) · Meta analysis · n=646
Eight RCTs (n = 646) showed that XSLJZD significantly improved clinical outcomes compared with controls, demonstrating superior overall efficacy and reduced recurrence.
Efficacy and mechanism of Qianjinweijing Decoction for asthma: Integrating systematic review with meta-analysis and network pharmacology
Medicine (2025) · Meta analysis · n=1200
Systematic review and meta-analysis of 14 studies in 1,200 people with asthma, comparing Qianjinweijing Decoction, a four-herb traditional Chinese medicine, with routine drug treatment.
Treatment of gouty arthritis with traditional Chinese medicine decoction: Meta-analysis, network pharmacology analysis, and molecular docking
Medicine (2024) · Meta analysis · n=7151
TCMD could be a satisfactory complementary and alternative therapy for GA.
Clinical Efficacy of Serenoa repens Versus Placebo Versus Alpha-blockers for the Treatment of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms/Benign Prostatic Enlargement: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis of Randomized Placebo-controlled Clinical Trials
European urology focus (2021) · Meta analysis · n=8564
In this network meta-analysis, we demonstrated that SeR did not show clinically meaningful improvement in LUTS and PF.
Efficacy and safety of a hexanic extract of Serenoa repens (Permixon) for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (LUTS/BPH): systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials and observational studies
BJU International (2018) · Meta analysis · n=5800
Data from 27 studies (15 RCTs and 12 observational studies) were included for meta-analysis. Articles studying S. repens extracts other than Permixon were excluded.
Serenoa repens for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic enlargement.
The Cochrane database of systematic reviews (2023) · Systematic review · n=4656
We included 27 studies (of which 9 were new) involving a total of 4656 participants, 19 studies comparing Serenoa repens with placebo, and 8 studies comparing Serenoa repens in combination with other phytotherapeutic agents versus placebo.
All points come from the CAMUS trial in 369 men with urinary symptoms from an enlarged prostate, which raised an ethanolic extract from 320 to 640 to 960 mg a day over 72 weeks (PMID 21954478). At no dose was saw palmetto better than placebo for the symptom score or any secondary outcome, peak urinary flow included, so every point is plotted as no effect. The same trial found no toxicity and no dose-related adverse effects up to 960 mg a day over 18 months (PMID 23063633). A meta-analysis limited to the hexanic extract Permixon reported a higher peak flow than placebo (PMID 29694707), a different extract from the one CAMUS tested.
AI-estimated from published studies. Interpret as directional guidance.
Beta-Sitosterol has a higher evidence score (5/10 vs 4/10) and wins in 1 of 3 categories.
For prostate health, Beta-Sitosterol has a higher relevance score (80 vs 32).
No documented interaction was found in the data searched. This does not establish that this exact combination is safe.
The right pick depends on your goals. Answer a few quick questions for a personalised recommendation — or dig into the full evidence on each.