Force Factor Prostate Explained: The Supplement's Potential Benefits And Drawbacks

Men might not think much about their prostate health when they're younger, but they need to be a little more concerned about it as they get older. Men with an average risk of prostate cancer should begin getting screened at age 55, and some men need prostate cancer screenings as early as age 40. Even though an enlarged prostate, also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), isn't linked to prostate cancer, about half of men will have symptoms of an enlarged prostate by age 60.

While exercise, proper hydration, stress management, and a diet rich in vegetables and low in red meat can naturally boost your prostate health, men turn to specific prostate supplements to keep them healthy. Force Factor Prostate has 15 milligrams of zinc (135% of your daily value), selenium, copper, and molybdenum. Force Factor Prostate Advanced adds more than twice your daily recommended vitamin D. The advanced formula also has twice the amount of Force Factor's proprietary blends that claim to support a healthy prostate.

Some of the herbal extracts in Force Factor Prostate have been found to improve urinary symptoms associated with an enlarged prostate, and others might be linked to a reduced risk of prostate cancer. Many of these extracts have side effects such as stomach issues and diarrhea, which might explain why some users of Force Factor Prostate have experienced these same side effects.

Force Factor's Prostate Advanced has 629 milligrams of a proprietary blend that includes saw palmetto, tocotrienol (Vitamin E), lycopene, vanadium, and boron. 

Saw palmetto is a popular herbal extract found in many prostate supplements. A 2022 systematic review in the Journal of Current Medical Research and Opinion found that saw palmetto can reduce nighttime urination and improve urinary flow. People had side effects such as dizziness, headache, nausea, and diarrhea while taking saw palmetto. Most of the studies had people taking 320 milligrams of saw palmetto a day, so it's not clear how much saw palmetto is in Force Factor Prostate or the advanced formula.

One way to screen for prostate cancer is to monitor for high levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Although a 2022 review in Complementary Therapies in Medicine found that lycopene (found in tomatoes) did not affect PSA levels, a 2017 review in Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases found that consuming more lycopene through your diet (not supplements) was linked to a lower risk of prostate cancer.

Vitamin E doesn't significantly reduce your risk of prostate cancer, says a 2023 meta-analysis in Nutrients. However, some European studies found it could reduce your risk by 19%. 

Vanadium is a mineral that might help with bone health, but it can cause side effects such as stomach pain, diarrhea, and nausea. Vanadium isn't for people taking blood thinners or diabetes medication.

Force Factor's Maximum Flow Amplification Matrix has 305 milligrams of a proprietary blend of beta-sitosterol, stinging nettle, pumpkin seed extract, and African plum tree extract in the advanced formula. 

Beta-sitosterol is the plant sterol found in saw palmetto, and it blocks an enzyme that causes the prostate to grow, according to a 2023 article in the American Journal of Clinical and Experimental Urology. Beta-sitosterol can improve urinary symptoms associated with BPH and encourage prostate cancer cell death.

A 2022 study in the Journal of Herbal Medicine found that taking 300 milligrams of stinging nettle twice a day lowered urinary frequency, urgency, and nighttime bathroom visits. Stinging nettle can cause side effects such as stomach upset, fluid retention, and diarrhea. 

Research is mixed about the effectiveness of African plum tree extract in relieving BPH symptoms, but pumpkin seed extracts and oils can improve symptoms of BPH, according to a 2021 review in Molecules. Both these botanicals can cause stomach and gastrointestinal problems.

One ingredient added to Force Factor Prostate Advanced that's not found in Force Factor Prostate's urinary flow complex is 250 milligrams of cranberry extract. You wouldn't think that cranberry would be included in a prostate health supplement, but urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the complications of BPH. A 2016 pilot study in the European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences had men with BPH take 120 milligrams of cranberry for 60 days. They had fewer UTIs than the men who took a placebo (by the way, cranberry can't treat a UTI).

Force Factor also adds 5 milligrams of BioPerine black pepper fruit extract to its advanced prostate blend as a "bioavailability booster." Black pepper has piperine that might help your body absorb nutrients and reduce inflammation. A 2017 pilot study in Molecules found that black pepper extracts might slow the growth of prostate cancer cells. However, this study was conducted on the cells themselves and not on humans.

Although there is no published research on the effectiveness of Force Factor Prostate, many of the individual ingredients have science-backed research supporting their benefits on prostate health. People who bought Force Factor Prostate at CVS gave it five stars, saying it helped with their prostate issues, particularly when they took it in combination with other prostate medications. Force Factor Prostate pills come in soft gels, which make the supplement easy to swallow, according to one reviewer.

Walmart reviewers said the product reduced the number of nightly trips to the bathroom, which helped them get a good night's sleep. Others said Force Factor Prostate made it easier for them to start and stop urinating while improving their urine flow. About 60% of Walmart reviewers gave the product five stars.

More than 60% of users gave Force Factor Prostate Advanced a five-star rating on Amazon. One user said it worked better than one that's advertised on television in helping him fully empty his bladder (here are other reasons why your bladder isn't emptying). Another user said he took Force Factor Prostate Advanced with tomato juice and additional saw palmetto and his PSA levels dropped to 4.3 from a high of 5.7.

Although some users like Force Factor Prostate for the easy-to-swallow soft gels, an Amazon user of Force Factor Prostate Advanced said this formula was difficult to swallow. The advanced formula comes in large tablets, and you take three tablets a day. One user said the tablets caused a burning sensation from his throat to his stomach due to the coating on the tablets. Other users said the product didn't work for them or preferred Force Factor Prostate over Force Factor Advanced.

Some Force Factor Prostate users from CVS say they experienced side effects, such as stomach problems and diarrhea. Others said they suffered from acid reflux during the day and night. One Walmart user said he became incontinent after taking the product for 90 days, and another reported feeling dizzy. These potential side effects aren't listed on the bottle, but they are some of the same side effects reported in studies about stinging nettle, pumpkin seed extract, saw palmetto, and vanadium.

If you're experiencing mild urinary problems, it's important to see a doctor about your prostate health and rule out other conditions such as type 2 diabetes or prostate cancer. Many of the urinary tract symptoms associated with BPH are similar to prostate cancer, so your doctor may conduct a prostate cancer screening. If you're diagnosed with an enlarged prostate, your doctor can also monitor the size of your prostate so you can decide what other interventions or treatments are needed.