Saw palmetto's medicinal use dates back to the time of the Native Americans of the southeastern United States, and it continues to be used today for various conditions, particularly those involving the prostate. In fact, saw palmetto is the leading natural treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH. However, scientific evidence of saw palmetto's effectiveness is insufficient to recommend it for any use. Consult with your physician before using saw palmetto medicinally.
BPH
If you have an enlarged prostate or BPH, saw palmetto may offer some benefits. According to the National Institutes of Health or NIH, many research studies show that saw palmetto may help relieve certain symptoms of BPH, such as needing to urinate at night. In fact, some studies have shown saw palmetto to be as effective as some prescription medicines for treating BPH. Other trials showed only little or no benefit of using saw palmetto for this purpose.
Other Prostate Conditions
Saw palmetto is purported to treat some types of prostate infections and to decrease swelling and inflammation from prostatitis. However, preliminary studies do not support the effectiveness of saw palmetto for managing these conditions. Saw palmetto is also occasionally used, in combination with other herbs, to possibly help in the treatment of prostate cancer. Research studies to date have shown that saw palmetto does not help prevent prostate cancer.
Preparations
You can buy saw palmetto as dried berries, powdered capsules, tablets, liquid tinctures, and extracts. When you buy saw palmetto supplements, make sure the saw palmetto is standardized to contain between 85 and 95 percent fatty acids and sterols, which are its active constituents. Buy saw palmetto supplements only from reputable suppliers.
Dosage
Research studies on BPH have used doses of 160 mg twice a day or 320 mg once daily. Other dosage forms have not been studied but are sometimes used. For example, some people take saw palmetto as a tea made with 5 to 6 g of the powdered dried fruit. Others take daily doses of 1 to 2 g ground, non-standardized berry preparations or 5 to 6 mL of liquid extracts.
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