Saw palmetto is a palm-like tree or shrub with berries used to make medication that purportedly aids the treatment of prostate diseases, including prostatitis, benign prostatic hypertrophy and prostate cancer. The abundant green leaves spread out from thorny stems and have white flowers and yellow berries. The berries, which change from yellow to a bluish-black color when ripe, are dried for herbal medicines. Consult a doctor before using saw palmetto to treat a condition.
History
Common to the southeast coastal areas of the United States, saw palmetto can be found from Louisiana to Florida and up to South Carolina. Saw palmetto's history includes use by the Seminole Indian Tribe of Florida as a food and a medicine. Since the early 20th century, saw palmetto berries, the source for herbal medication, were used for urinary tract infections.
Prostate Diseases
The urethral tube empties urine from the bladder and the prostate encircles the urethra. With enlargement or inflammation of the prostate, urination becomes difficult. Symptoms include frequent urination, difficulty with initiating or sustaining a urine stream, and night-time urgency. Saw palmetto might be useful for these symptoms. A mixture of saw palmetto with other herbs has been used to treat prostate cancer. However, consult your doctor before using saw palmetto to treat a condition.
Components
The active ingredients of saw palmetto include fatty acids; steroids; carotenes, which are the forerunners of vitamin A; lipase, which is an enzyme that breaks down starches; and polysaccharides, which are sugars. It is believed that these components might decrease inflammation or improve the immune system.
Side Effects and Interactions
Side effects from saw palmetto are usually mild, but they can include headaches, dizziness, constipation, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. Using saw palmetto might cause blood clotting problems as well as additional bleeding during and after surgical procedures. It may increase the effects of anticoagulants or blood thinners such as aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen and warfarin.
Additional Uses
Saw palmetto is also used to treat cough, colds and sore throat as well as chronic respiratory disorders such as asthma and chronic bronchitis. Migraine headaches, chronic pelvic pain and sedation are also noted as disorders treated with saw palmetto.
Herbal Treatment Warning
Herbal therapies are classified as supplements and not controlled by the FDA. The FDA does require manufacturers to refrain from claiming a curative value for an herbal therapy and a particular disease. Herbal supplements can vary in quality and content between manufacturers and within batches from the same company. Herbal therapy might alter lab test results such as the prostate-specific antigen test used for evaluation of prostate diseases. Consult a doctor before using saw palmetto to treat a condition.
References
- MedlinePlus: Saw Palmetto
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Saw Palmetto
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center: Saw Palmetto
- National Center for Complementary Alternative Medicine: Herbs at a Glance: Saw Palmetto
- University of Florida: Florida Forest Plants
- OncoLink: Herbal Treatments May Affect the Screening Test for Prostate Cancer
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