Q. Just a note you might pass on to takers of this Prostate Power Rx supplement: My husband has been taking this for over four years and notices a great difference in the less frequency of going to the bathroom. However, he now sees that it appears to be less effective than when he began taking it in the first place. What he has found out (by accident when he went on a trip and forgot to take the capsules with him) is that if he stops taking them for two weeks every once in a while, and then begins again, the effectiveness of the supplement goes back to its original strength for a period of months. We love your web site!
   A. This is very interesting, thank you for letting us know. Please keep us updated.

Q. I have been using Prostate Miracle which contains 300 mg of beta sitosterol. There formula contains: 300 Beta sitosterol with 15mg zinc and 100 mcg of selenium. I take 1 in the AM and 1 PM everyday. Is that considered too much?
I've read the ingredients in Prorstate Power Rx, 275 Beta sitosterols. What is exactly the other 75 mg?( Is a plant-derived sterol. Plant sterols or phytosterols are common components of plant foods, especially plant oils, seeds and nuts, cereals and legumes. I wish to know if this is considered a prostate formula? I see you have Prostate Power with very little beta sitosterol.
   A. The use of herbs and herbal extracts for prostate health is not a hard science and science does not know at this time the ideal combinations and dosages of various herbs, extracts, and nutrients that would make a good prostate formula. The best option, at this time, is to try different prostate formulas to see which one works better for you. It is not hard science. One product may work for one person, another product may work for someone else. Prostate Power Rx focuses on saw palmetto, pygeum, stinging nettle and a few plant sterols while another product may emphasize another group of herbs or extracts used for prostate health. Those who wish to take additional beta sitosterol can take a supplement.

Q. I am 70 yrs old, uncircumcised and have not produced smegma for a long, long time which is normal as the body ages. However, after 1 to 1/2 weeks of taking 'Prostate Power Rx', I started producing smegma again.

Q. Whenever I am looking for thoughtful, well-supported natural health information, I often come to your website. I have tried a couple of your products myself and found them to be useful. I also have one of your books, and with the information in it, I've achieved some great results. My question is, will Prostate Power Rx and Passion Rx work well taken together and if so, how do you recommend mixing them? I'm investigating these supplements for my father who has prostate issues that apparently are affecting my parents' sex life.
   A. Many people do find that Passion Rx and Prostate Power Rx work well together, but they should be taken on separate days. As a general guideline, Passion Rx can be taken 2 or 3 days a week whereas Prostate Power Rx can be taken on the days when Passion Rx is taken. It may be a good idea to have one day a week or one day every two weeks when no supplements are taken.

Q. I would like to say that I'm very happy with Prostate Power Rx as in the last 5 years my PSA has ranged from 0.6 to 0.9. A PSA below 2.0 is best for any age, while at my age of 64, less than 4.5 is considered good.

Prostate Research
A mix of dietary supplements including antioxidants and plant-based estrogens may slow the rise of a biomarker for prostate cancer progression in some men. The study of 37 men with the disease found that 6 weeks on the supplements generally lowered patients' levels of male sex hormones, which fuel prostate cancer growth, and, in some patients, put the brakes on rising levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA).] PSA is a protein produced by the prostate gland; rising PSA levels in a man's blood can signal cancer or, in men already diagnosed with the disease, cancer progression. However, the PSA effects seen in this study do not necessarily mean the supplement was hindering the men's tumors from growing, according to the study authors. The question of whether the change in patients' PSA rise translates into a change in tumor size "remains unresolved," they report in the International Journal of Cancer. But more "thought-provoking" is the possibility that diet changes could help lower a man's risk of developing prostate cancer, said lead study author Dr. Ries Kranse, of Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam in the Netherlands. The supplement mixture he and his colleagues studied included a powder-based drink that contained green tea extract, a soy extract supplying estrogen-like compounds called phytoestrogens, and antioxidants such as lycopene. Patients also used margarine spiked with cholesterol-fighting plant sterols and the antioxidants vitamin E and selenium. The men in the study, all of whom had prostate cancer and rising PSA levels, used the supplements for 6 weeks; each also used inactive, or placebo, supplements for another 6 weeks. Kranse and his colleagues found that the patients' male hormone levels were lower when they were on the supplement compared with when they were taking the placebo. In the 21 men who showed a dip in a hormone measure called the free androgen index, the supplement also appeared to slow rising PSA levels. When these men were on the placebo, it took an average of 36 weeks for their PSA levels to double, versus 115 weeks with the supplement. This finding, according to Kranse, suggests that if the supplement proves capable of slowing or stopping tumor growth, it would be through the hormonal effects of the estrogen-like compounds. If this is the case, he said, a "dietary intervention" could eventually serve as an alternative to certain hormone-suppressing drugs used in prostate cancer treatment. The current findings are in line with studies of the general population that suggest diets rich in antioxidants and phytoestrogens may lower the risk of prostate cancer. Fruits and vegetables are prime antioxidant sources, while phytoestrogens are found in foods such as soybeans and soy products, whole grains and flaxseed. SOURCE: International Journal of Cancer, February 20, 2005.

On the legal front with Prostate Rx and Prostate Power Rx
In April, 2006, Saw Palmetto Berries Co-Op of Naples, Florida, led by Gregory Zaino, retained an attorney, Rakesh Amin, who sent Physician Formulas a letter. The letter by Rakesh Amin alleges that Physician Formulas, by promoting a product called "Prostate Power Rx", has violated the trademark "Prostate Rx" held by Saw Palmetto Berries Co-Op of Florida and Greg Zaino. Apparently, this company promotes a product called Prostate Rx which has saw palmetto as the primary ingredient. To the best of my knowledge, Gregory Zaino is the president of the company and owns the trademark Prostate Rx.
   However, there is no valid case here. The trademark only applies to the use of Prostate Rx, and no other variations. To make this clear, the United States Trademark and Patent office has already granted the use of a another trademark "Prostate Health Rx" to another company called Eniva. Having done so, the USPTO has already made it quite clear that they do not see any variations of Prostate Rx to infringe on the Prostate Rx trademark. Therefore, if they granted Prostate Health Rx a trademark, then Prostate Power Rx should be perfectly fine. In addition, there is another product called "Prostate Rx" promoted by a company called Bio-Tech.
   This is a clear case of a company wasting their hard earned dollars on legal fees or trying to intimidate other companies just because they can. It's a shame that they are wasting their time on this frivolous issue. Their trademark only applies and is limited to Prostate Rx. You would think Rakesh Amin, the lawyer they hired, would be straightforward with the Saw Palmetto Berries Co-Op company CEO and officers and advise their client that they have no valid case.
   A search in google reveals that Rakesh Amin had previously represented a now defunct Multi Level Marketing company called Nutrition for Life. According to his website Amin Law, Rakesh Amin is a registered pharmacist, has a Juris Doctor and a Masters degree in Health Law and teaches FDA Law at DePaul University College of Law. Rakesh Amin also reports that Amin Law has registered USPTO patent attorneys. Therefore, with all this experience, why hasn't Rakesh Amin informed his client that they have no valid case? Rakesh Amin should know that "Prostate Rx" is generic and descriptive, hence is an extremely weak mark, even without the argument that the USPTO has already determined that variations of "Prostate Rx" as in "Prostate Health Rx" are perfectly acceptable. "Prostate Rx" is not an arbitrary and fanciful mark.
   If Rakesh Amin seeks to regain his integrity, he should apologize to Saw Palmetto Berries Co-op for not letting them know they have no case, and Rakesh Amin should also send a letter of apology to Physician Formulas. In the future, Rakesh Amin may be well advised to take cases that are legit instead of wasting everyone's time and creating more negative energy on this planet. Gregory Zaino should also send a letter of apology to Physician Formulas. Doesn't he have anything better to do than to create more confrontation and negative energy on this planet?
   Addendum: In 2007 Physician Formulas was granted a trademark for the use of Prostate Power Rx.