SAW PALMETTO: Partnering With The Prostate



Men are tough, but it doesn't mean that their prostate is. No matter how healthy a man is, how many pounds they can bench-press or how big their muscles are, many men do not give their prostate the medical attention it needs, until there is an immediate problem they need to rectify immediately. Enter saw palmetto, an herbal ingredient that, through numerous scientific studies, has been linked to healthy prostate.

Saw palmetto is best known for helping reduce enlarged prostates. Recent studies have also highlighted its ability to help men with urinary problems, often caused by an enlarged prostate.

Serenoa repens, the saw palmetto berry, is the sole species currently classified in the genus Serenoa. Its name sounds familiar to its look in nature; the saw palmetto is a small fan palm, and grows popular in the southeastern US. The petiole is armed with fine, sharp teeth-like points, hence the name "saw." The reddish-black fruits on the saw palmetto are high in fatty acids and phytosterols and have been used in studies and research for the treatment of urinary tract infections in men.

In particular, studies have also been done to examine the effect of saw palmetto extract on prostatic hyperplasia. According to a 2003 study in American Family Physician, "Saw palmetto appears to have efficacy similar to that of medications like finasteride, but it is better tolerated and less expensive."

There are still critics of the effectiveness of saw palmetto as some studies have shown it to be ineffective or less effective than originally thought. According to a 2006 saw palmetto study in The New England Journal of Medicine, saw palmetto is used by over 2 million men in the US in connection with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). In this double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 225 men, over 49 years of age, who had moderate-to-severe symptoms of BPH were chosen at random.

One group was given a year of supplementation with saw palmetto extract (160 mg twice a day), the other, a placebo. The study measured changes in the scores on the American Urological Association Symptom Index (AUASI) and maximum rate of flowing urine. Prostate size, residual urinary volume, quality of life and adverse effects were also studied. The study concluded there was no significant difference between the experiment and control group.

In a study published June 1, 2005 in the online issue of World Journal of Urology, saw palmetto extract (along with nettle root) helped to reduce urinary problems in older men. In the study, 129 men who took the supplement for 24 weeks had a "substantially higher reduction in symptoms" than the placebo. This trial also demonstrated a high degree of safety for the herb combination. Adverse effects were the same for both the herb group and the placebo group.

In its years of study and clinical trails, saw palmetto has had both positive and neutral outcomes. There are saw palmetto followers who believe heavily in the small palm plant, and those who believe the plant is no better than a simple placebo. But Saw palmetto might just be the best thing going for a man's prostate, given its easy tolerance and lack of major adverse events associated with it.