Saw palmetto has become the fifth leading medicinal herb consumed in the U.S. Several small studies suggest that saw palmetto may have clinical benefit, but the methodologic quality of most prior studies has been poor. Saw palmetto ( Serenoa repens ) is the most commonly used herbal preparation in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia. The objective of this study was to determine whether a characterized saw palmetto product affects the activity of cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2D6 or 3A4 in healthy volunteers (6 men and 6 women). Saw palmetto appears to have efficacy similar to that of medications like finasteride, but it is better tolerated and less expensive. There are no known drug interactions with saw palmetto, and reported side effects are minor and rare.

Saw palmetto may interfere with such hormone-related drugs as testosterone and estrogen replacements, including Premarin, Cenestin, Vivelle, Fempatch, and Climara. Anyone on these types of medications should consult their doctor before taking saw palmetto. Saw palmetto has not been thoroughly compared to other types of drugs used for BPH, such as doxazosin (Cardura?) or terazosin (Hytrin?). Most available studies have assessed the standardized saw palmetto product Permixon?. Saw Palmetto also claims to have the same effect on DTH. I don’t know if that is true or not.

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. Saw palmetto may be harmful to an unborn baby. It is not known whether saw palmetto passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Saw Palmetto Berry has an aphrodisiac effect by enhancing sexual functioning and sexual desire.

Saw palmetto is used to increase breast size, to improve sexual vigor, and as an aphrodisiac. It is also used to treat chronic nonbacterial prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome, colds, coughs, irritated mucous membranes, sore throat, asthma, chronic bronchitis, migraines, cancer, and to stimulate hair growth. Saw palmetto appears to have been one of the most important food sources for Florida?s pre-Columbian population, for the later Miccosukee and Seminole tribes, and for subsequent settlers such as the Spanish during the sixteenth century. Even as late as the early 1900s, pioneers used saw palmetto berries to make soft drinks (Bennett and Hicklin 1998). Saw Palmetto can be taken with zinc, vitamin b6, and azelaic acid for a synergistic effect.

Side effects of saw palmetto are rarely more than mild aversions such as,
headache, nausea, and upset stomach. Unlike the 4.9% of men taking prescribed drugs, men

using saw palmetto reported only 1.1% of erectile dysfunction. Side effects
of saw palmetto may include nausea, decreased sex drive, and constipation.
Saw palmetto have mild anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, diuretic, and sedative
properties. Saw palmetto has been also used to treat respiratory tract problems,
including coughs and colds, bronchitis, and asthma. Saw palmetto grows best in
warm-temperate, or humid-subtropical climates. Average rainfall within its range
is approximately 100 ? 163 cm (39 ? 64 inches) per year, and average temperatures
range from -4 to 36? C (25 ? 97 ? F) (Wade and Langdon 1990). Saw palmetto was
introduced to the medical profession by Dr. Read, of Savannah, Georgia who
published a paper on his clinical experience with the plant in the April, 1879
issue of the American Journal of Pharmacy .

Saw Palmetto, best known today for easing prostate discomfort, has been
used for generations to treat a vast array of ailments in men & women.
This powerful herb boosts the immune & endocrine systems & combats
male & female infertility, ovarian pain & cysts, urinary tract &
lung problems, weak libido, anorexia, cystic acne–even male baldness.
Saw palmetto has become the fifth leading medicinal herb consumed in
the U.S. Several small studies suggest that saw palmetto may have clinical
benefit, but the methodologic quality of most prior studies has been poor.
Saw palmetto is less likely than finasteride to cause difficulty in getting an erection.

Saw palmetto as used herein is obtained from the natural product, Serenoa repens ,
or from saw palmetto berry’s as an extract, using known methods for extracting
the products (e.g., U.S. Saw palmetto is a plant (dwarf palm tree) native to the United States.
It has been used medicinally for over a century. Saw palmetto is also a very popular
herb used to treat symptoms in the male genital and urinary system, ranging from erectile
dysfunction to low sperm motility.

Saw Palmetto *is* a potent modulator of your hormones, and it can cause side effects
(both good and bad), but just because something can inhibit DHT does not automatically
mean it can stop hair loss. Saw Palmetto Berry has been used to treat urinary tract and
bladder infections. Saw Palmetto Berry has an aphrodisiac effect by enhancing sexual
functioning and sexual desire. Saw palmetto also caused fewer and milder side effects
than finasteride. Whether or not these effects are long-lasting is unclear.

Side effects of saw palmetto are rarely more than mild aversions such as,
headache, nausea, and upset stomach. Unlike the 4.9% of men taking prescribed drugs, men

using saw palmetto reported only 1.1% of erectile dysfunction. Side effects
of saw palmetto may include nausea, decreased sex drive, and constipation.
Saw palmetto have mild anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, diuretic, and sedative
properties. Saw palmetto has been also used to treat respiratory tract problems,
including coughs and colds, bronchitis, and asthma. Saw palmetto grows best in
warm-temperate, or humid-subtropical climates. Average rainfall within its range
is approximately 100 ? 163 cm (39 ? 64 inches) per year, and average temperatures
range from -4 to 36? C (25 ? 97 ? F) (Wade and Langdon 1990). Saw palmetto was
introduced to the medical profession by Dr. Read, of Savannah, Georgia who
published a paper on his clinical experience with the plant in the April, 1879
issue of the American Journal of Pharmacy .

Saw Palmetto, best known today for easing prostate discomfort, has been
used for generations to treat a vast array of ailments in men & women.
This powerful herb boosts the immune & endocrine systems & combats
male & female infertility, ovarian pain & cysts, urinary tract &
lung problems, weak libido, anorexia, cystic acne–even male baldness.
Saw palmetto has become the fifth leading medicinal herb consumed in
the U.S. Several small studies suggest that saw palmetto may have clinical
benefit, but the methodologic quality of most prior studies has been poor.
Saw palmetto is less likely than finasteride to cause difficulty in getting an erection.

Saw palmetto as used herein is obtained from the natural product, Serenoa repens ,
or from saw palmetto berry’s as an extract, using known methods for extracting
the products (e.g., U.S. Saw palmetto is a plant (dwarf palm tree) native to the United States.
It has been used medicinally for over a century. Saw palmetto is also a very popular
herb used to treat symptoms in the male genital and urinary system, ranging from erectile
dysfunction to low sperm motility.

Saw Palmetto *is* a potent modulator of your hormones, and it can cause side effects
(both good and bad), but just because something can inhibit DHT does not automatically
mean it can stop hair loss. Saw Palmetto Berry has been used to treat urinary tract and
bladder infections. Saw Palmetto Berry has an aphrodisiac effect by enhancing sexual
functioning and sexual desire. Saw palmetto also caused fewer and milder side effects
than finasteride. Whether or not these effects are long-lasting is unclear.

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.