Saw palmetto has long been used medicinally by Native Americans in the southeastern United States, and it continues to be most commonly used today for conditions involving the prostate. The main use of saw palmetto is to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH, which is a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate gland characterized by frequent urination. As with any herb, consult with your doctor before using saw palmetto.
About BPH
BPH is a common condition characterized by an enlarged prostate that causes a variety of urinary symptoms. The chance of developing BPH increases with age, and about 50 percent of all men aged 50 have BPH. If you have BPH, you will have to urinate frequently, especially at night, but the urination is less forceful and often develops into dribbling. Self-care activities to help manage BPH include increasing your physical activity and taking supplements such as saw palmetto.
How It Works
The active components of saw palmetto include fatty acids, plant sterols and flavonoids. Saw palmetto may work by inhibiting the actions of growth factors and inflammatory substances that possibly contribute to BPH. According to the National Institutes of Health or NIH, saw palmetto does not reduce the overall size of the prostate; rather, it shrinks the inner lining of the prostate that puts pressure on the tubes carrying urine.
Preparations and Dosage
Saw palmetto supplements are available as dried berries, powdered capsules, tablets, liquid tinctures and extracts. When buying these supplements, make sure that the saw palmetto is standardized to contain between 85 to 95 percent fatty acids and sterols, which are the active constituents in saw palmetto. Standardized saw palmetto is used in daily doses of 320 mg for BPH. Liquid extracts in daily doses of 5 to 6 ml may also be taken.
Effectiveness
According to the NIH, various research studies have shown that saw palmetto may help to relieve certain symptoms of BPH, such as frequent nighttime urination. A study published in the "Journal of the American Medical Association" in 1998 evaluated the results of 18 trials of saw palmetto involving 2,939 men with BPH. The authors concluded that the evidence supported the benefits of saw palmetto for improving urinary symptoms and urine flow in BPH.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Saw Palmetto
- Palo Alto Medical Foundation.org: BPH
- Palo Alto Medical Foundation: Saw Palmetto
- National Institutes of Health: Saw Palmetto
- "Journal of the American Medical Association": Saw Palmetto Extracts for Treatment of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia; TJ Wilt, et al; November 1998
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