The results of the first placebo-controlled, double-blind study on the effectiveness of natural 5-alpha-reductase type II inhibitors, namely beta-sitosterol, were published in the April 8, 2002 issue of the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. Lead researcher Nelson Prager reported that beta-sitosterol promoted significant improvement in six out of 10 male study subjects with mild-to-moderate androgenetic alopecia, or male pattern balding. The Aug. 19, 2009 issue of Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine featured a study that showed that beta-sitosterol, in combination with two anti-inflammatory agents, successfully altered gene expression and inhibited inflammation in cultured human skin cells that simulated the characteristics of androgenetic alopecia.