Saw Palmetto for benign prostatic hyperplasia
What saw palmetto is good for
The use of herbal medication is increasingly becoming more popular. One such herb is Saw Palmetto which until recently was among one of the top 10 selling herbal products in the USA (2018). So, why the interest in Saw Palmetto, what are the special health benefits it offers, is saw palmetto good for benign prostatic hyperplasia, etc?
Saw Palmetto
The other names of Saw Palmetto are American dwarf tree, cabbage palm, fan palm, sabal, and serenoa. Traditionally, this herb was used to treat impotence and male infertility and urogenital irritations. Between 1926 and 1950, Saw Palmetto was considered in the National Formulary as a treatment for urogenital ailments until pharmaceutical drugs became more popular for these treatments.
Saw palmetto is an important plant that provides food and cover for many animals such as black bears, raccoons, fish, and birds. The fruits of saw palmetto are similar in size and shape to olives with a large hard seed inside the pulp. The fleshy part of the fruit contains high levels of lipids, starches, polysaccharides, sugars, and mannitol. The lipids found in saw palmetto reportedly contains about 75% free fatty acids and 25% neutral fats.
Saw Palmetto for benign prostatic hyperplasia
Saw Palmetto for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) – Saw palmetto is popular for its medicinal effects in prostate health and help relieve symptoms of the lower urinary tract that are associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). This condition is common among men over 50 years old and it is a condition that is used to describe a noncancerous enlarged prostate which affects how you pass urine. If this happens, additional pressure is placed on the bladder and urethra, the tube which allows urine to pass. It results in difficulty to start peeing, frequently having to pee and difficulty in fully emptying the bladder. The primary cause of benign prostatic hyperplasia is unknown; however, it is believed to be linked to hormonal changes that happen to a man’s body as he ages.
Some clinical trials have been carried out to evaluate the benefits of Saw palmetto on the prostate and BPH. There is undeniable evidence that suggests that saw palmetto is effective for treating stages 1 and 2 of BPH. Generally, these trials have been carried out using a dose of about 320mg per day. The most recent structured, evidence-based meta-analysis of clinical trials of standardized lipophilic saw palmetto extracts has shown that they provide good symptomatic relief, with few side effects, in men with mild to moderate BPH symptoms at doses of 320 mg/day.[4] Although saw palmetto may give relief as early as 4–6 weeks, 3 months or more of use is ideal before the effects are felt.
The clinical trials that have been carried out have demonstrated some reasonable positive effects of urinary symptoms and urine flow rates in patients that is better to that provided by the placebo. In fact, in two separate studies, Saw palmetto was seen to have comparable effects on urinary symptoms scores just as finasteride (Proscar). It was also noted that Saw palmetto had fewer side effects than finasteride including impotence which is the most frequent side effect for Proscar.
Conclusion
All the data available which includes the chemistry, scientific research, and published clinical data, appears to suggest that Saw palmetto is a safe dietary supplement that can be used by men in helping relieve symptoms of the lower urinary tract that is associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia.
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References
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/188142
https://www.aafp.org/afp/2003/0315/p1281.html
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S009042950101442X
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/saw-palmetto#safety
https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-1548-167/finasteride-oral/finasteride-oral/details
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/prostate-enlargement/
Betz, J., Blackman, M., Coates, P., Cragg, G., Levine, M., Moss, J. and White, J., n.d. Encyclopedia Of Dietary Supplements.
Braun, L. and Cohen, M., n.d. Essential Herbs & Natural Supplements.
Winston, D., 2000. Saw Palmetto For Men & Women. Pownal, Vt.: Storey.
