Saw palmetto extract is a dietary supplement derived from the fruit of Serenoa repens, a plant originally found in the southeastern United States. According to Dr. Teri L. Wadsworth in the July 2004 issue of "Endocrinology," saw palmetto extract is commonly used as a self-treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH, a non-malignant growth of the prostate that affects older men. BPH is regulated by hormonal signaling, growth factors and inflammation. Consult your doctor before using.
Growth Factors
Insulin-like growth factor-1, or IGF-1, is a tightly regulated cellular protein that controls cell growth. Under normal circumstances, IGF-1 and other similar proteins are very highly controlled by the cells. In BPH, IGF-1 signaling can go haywire, playing an important role in the excessive growth of prostate cells. According to Dr. Wadsworth in the July 2004 issue of "Endocrinology," saw palmetto extract can block the growth effects of IGF-1 in human BPH cell lines. This indicates one possible mechanism by which saw palmetto may block BPH progression.
5-alpha reductase
According to the August 2010 issue of "Advances in Therapy," Dr. Pilar Pais found that saw palmetto extract can inhibit the activity of 5-alpha reductase, an important enzyme that converts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone, or DHT. DHT has an important role in the progression of BPH. According to these authors, by blocking this enzyme, DHT levels may decrease, ultimately decreasing prostate growth.
Inflammation
Increased inflammation can play an important role in BPH progression. More specifically, chronic activation of important inflammatory proteins can increase the rampant growth of prostate cells. According to the January 2011 issue of "Urology," administration of saw palmetto extract to rats was found to decrease the expression of important inflammatory proteins, ultimately decreasing inflammation -- another indication that saw palmetto may be useful for BPH treatment.
Clinical Trials
In two separate clinical trials published in the August 2003 of the "BJU International," and the April 2009 issue of "Cochrane Database of Systemic Reviews," saw palmetto extract did exhibit a significant effect on BPH compared to placebo controls. The data is still limited, and it is difficult to say for certain if saw palmetto is actually useful as an alternative BPH treatment. More research is necessary to determine the safety and effectiveness of saw palmetto against BPH.
References
- MedlinePlus: Saw Palmetto
- "Endocrinology"; Saw Palmetto Extract Suppresses Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I Signaling and Induces Stress-Activated Protein Kinase/c-Jun N-Terminal Kinase Phosphorylation in Human Prostate Epithelial Cells Teri L. Wadsworth, Julie M. Carroll, Rebecca A. Mallinson, Charles T. Roberts, Jr. and Charles E. Roselli; July 2004
- "Advances in Therapy," Potency of a Novel Saw Palmetto Ethanol Extract, SPET-085, for Inhibition of 5α-reductase II; Pilar Pais; August 2010
- Effect of Serenoa repens, lyocopene, and selenium on proinflammatory IκB-α phenotype activation: an in vitro and in vivo comparison study; Bonvissuto G, Minutoli L, Morgia G, Bitto A, Polito F; January 2011
- "BJU International"; Serenoa Repens Extract for Benign Prostate Hyperplasia: a Randomized Controlled Trial; K.E. Willetts, M.S. Clements S. Champion, S. Ehsman, and J.A. Eden; August 2003
- "Cochrane Database of Systemic Reviews"; Serenoa Repens for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia; James Tacklind, Roderick MacDonald, Indy Rutks, and Timothy J Wilt; April 2009
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