Saw palmetto is a bushy, palm-like plant native to the coastal regions of the southeastern United States. Also known locally as shrub palmetto, the berries of this plant are a traditional remedy for urinary tract disorders in men. Today, the herb has gained a reputation as a complementary botanical therapy for enlarged prostate, also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH. Since compounds in saw palmetto appear to reduce inflammation in the prostate, they may also benefit people with chronic inflammatory disorders, like arthritis. Consult your physician before taking this herb, however, especially if you take other medications because of potential side effects.
Chemical Composition
According to the "Physicians' Desk Reference for Herbal Medicines," only the fruit of saw palmetto is used in herbal medicine, which consists of single seed-containing berries that are deep purple to black in color. The plant sterols found in the berries include beta-sitosterol and its glycosides, the flavonoids isoquercetin and kaempferol, various free fatty acids and water-soluble polysaccharides.
Anti-inflammatory Effects
Saw palmetto extracts block the pathways of two pro-inflammatory enzymes produced in the body called cyclooxygenase-2 and 5-lypoxygenase, also known as COX-2 and 5-LOX, respectively. These enzymes are required to convert arachidonic acid into prostaglandins and leukotrienes, lipid compounds directly involved in producing inflammation and pain. This same process occurs whenever you take aspirin to reduce pain and swelling and is the reason saw palmetto is under investigation as a possible treatment for BPH. In a study published in the January 2011 issue of "Urology," researchers from the University of Catania in Italy reported that saw palmetto also inhibits inducible nitric oxide synthase, or iNOS, another agent involved in the inflammatory cascade along with COX-2 and 5-LOX.
Effects on Arthritis
Although there is clinical evidence that saw palmetto has anti-inflammatory qualities, research has focused on this effect as it applies to BPH and not arthritis. However, many supplement manufacturers and natural health advocates claim that this herb does indeed benefit people with arthritis. The primary reason for this theory is its role in reducing leukotrienes. According to the Arthritis Foundation, the presence of leukotrienes in the synovial tissue and fluid that surround and cushion the joints is a characteristic of arthritis. In a study published in the April 17, 2006, issue of "Journal of Experimental Medicine," Mei Chen, M.D., Ph.D., and fellow researchers concluded that leukotriene B4, specifically, is necessary for the onset and progression of inflammatory arthritis to occur. This is significant because a study published nearly a decade earlier showed that saw palmetto extract inhibits several 5-lipoxygenase metabolites, including leukotriene B4.
Safety Considerations
The University of Maryland Medical Center warns that saw palmetto may increase the effects of blood-thinning medications and the risk of bleeding. This herb may produce hormonal effects, so check with your doctor before using saw palmetto if you take oral contraceptives. You should not use this herb if you have a history of a hormone-driven cancer or use finasteride or similar medications to treat BPH.
References
- "Physicians' Desk Reference for Herbal Medicines"; Thomas Brendler, et al.; 2007
- "Urology"; Effect of Serenoa Repens, Lycopene, and Selenium on Proinflammatory Phenotype Activation: An In Vitro and In Vivo Comparison Study; G. Bonvissuto, et al.; 2011
- Arthritis Foundation: The Role of Leukotriene B4 in Inflammatory Arthritis; July-August 2006
- "Journal of Experimental Medicine"; Neutrophil-derived Leukotriene B4 Is Required for Inflammatory Arthritis; M. Chen, et al.; 2006
- "Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids"; Effect of the Lipidic Lipidosterolic Extract of Serenoa Repens (Permixon) on the Lonophore A23187-Stimulated Production of Leukotriene B4 (LTB4) From Human Polymorphonuclear Neutrophils; M. Paubert-Braquet, et al.; 1997
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Saw Palmetto
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