More About Saw palmetto
Saw palmetto is most commonly used for urinary problems associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) (stages I and II) — a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate — or as an anti-inflammatory. Saw palmetto does not shrink an enlarged prostate. Saw palmetto is commonly used to relieve the symptoms of an enlarged prostate, such as painful urination (though the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine says no strong scientific evidence exists to support this claim). If taken at the first signs of illness, echinacea seems to boost the immune system and may help lessen the duration of colds and the flu. Saw palmetto is useful for urinary tract infection.
Saw palmetto is one of the few Western herbs that are considered to be anabolic (strengthening and building body tissue and encouraging weight gain. The fruit pulp, or a tincture, is given to those suffering from wasting disease, general debility and failure to thrive. Saw Palmetto is widely researched and used in Europe, and is now gaining popularity in North America, and being used for its benefits for the urinary tract. Saw palmetto is available in a capsule formulation. Other forms of saw palmetto may also be available, such as teas, tinctures, and topical forms.
Saw palmetto is less likely than finasteride to cause difficulty in getting an erection. Saw palmetto is available as an herbal supplement as well as in teas. However, it does not dissolve well in tea, as the extract is an oil extracted from the tree’s berries, and the oil does not blend well into water. Saw palmetto is unique in the sense that it is one of the widely used Western medicines that is anabolic in nature and helps to develop body tissues from simple molecules. Hence, it is an ideal tonic to enhance strength, vitality and weight.
Saw Palmetto is used to tone and strengthen male and female reproductive systems. It relieves testicular inflammation, inhibits the hormone responsible for prostate enlargement, and reduces breast tenderness related to breast feeding and menstruation. Saw palmetto is a type of dwarf palm whose berries are used medicinally, most often in the form of an extract. Among clinically tested saw palmetto extract products, at least 85% of the extract’s weight have been attributable to specific fatty acids and sterols. Saw palmetto is an acceptable option for treatment of BPH symptoms; several brands are approved by Health Canada. However, there is no evidence that saw palmetto has any effect on prostate cancer .
BPH can only be diagnosed by a physician (preferably a urologist). Use of saw palmetto extract for BPH should only occur after a thorough workup and diagnosis by a doctor. BPH affects about half of men who are 60 or older and 80% of men who are 80 or older. It is considered to be related to aging because most men older than 45 have some prostate enlargement. BPH is an overgrowth of the cells in the prostate gland, possibly due to changes in hormone levels that occur with age. It affects many men over age 40 and more than half of men over 60.
Saw palmetto is thought to work by preventing testosterone from breaking down into another form of the hormone associated with prostate tissue growth. In 1998, researchers with the Department of Veterans Affairs reviewed more than a dozen studies involving saw palmetto and concluded that the herb appears to be as effective as the medication finasteride (Proscar) in reducing the size of an enlarged prostate. Saw palmetto is usually distributed as a crushed berry or an extract. Most of the substances are effective in treating benign prostatic enlargement and are found in the extract form. Saw Palmetto is an herb widely grown in the southern portions of the United States and, in fact, around the world. It is readily available and not an expensive herb to buy.
