Posted 3/16/07 |
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| NAME: |
Saw Palmetto
Saw Palmetto is the common name for the palm species Serenoa repens. It is also called American dwarf palm tree, cabbage palm, among others. |
 Saw Palmetto Serenoa repens |
| DESCRIPTION: |
Botanical extact
Saw palmetto is a low, scrubby palm, native to the coastal regions of the southern U.S., from South Carolina to Florida and in southern California. |
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| FUNCTION: |
Saw palmetto is used by over 2 million men in the United States for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
The prostate gland surrounds men's bladders and when it enlarges, can cause constriction and difficulty in urinating. This problem arises due to difficulties in metabolizing testosterone and is called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Saw palmetto appears to work partly by blocking the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone. |
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| SOURCES: | Extract of the berries of serenoa repens, which are rich in fatty acids and phytosterols. | |
| DOSAGE: | A dose of 320 milligrams daily, in one dose or two divided doses by mouth (80% to 90% liposterolic content), has been used in numerous studies. | |
| DATA: | Several controlled studies have shown that supplementation with extracts of saw palmetto berries resulted in significant improvement (such as reduced urinary frequency and prostate size). Make sure to get a definitive diagnosis of an enlarged prostate.
A 2002 review noted that “Based on the information available today... botanical therapies can be used for treatment of a number of objective and subjective symptoms in patients with BPH, stages I and II” (see Ann Pharmacother. 2002 Sep;36(9):1443-1452). The particular herbs referred to in the article include Saw Palmetto, Pygeum, Urtica dioica and Cucurbita peponis seeds. Several earlier studies showed that although saw palmetto didn't shrink the prostate, it eased urinary symptoms somewhat. In one study, it relieved symptoms as well as finasteride, a drug which doctors prescribe for BHP (under the brand names Propecia and Proscar). The National Library of Medicine and the National Intstitues of Health's MedlinePlus website gave research studying saw palmetto's effectiveness on BPH a grade of "A" - denoting "strong scientific evidence for this use." However, there have been two recent studies casting doubt at to saw pametto's effectiveness in treating BPH: In the February 9, 2007 New England Journal of Medicine, scientists report some disappointing news: 112 men with BPH who took two capsules of saw palmetto extract daily for a year still had symptoms similar to those reported by 113 men with BPH who were administered a placebo. In 2006, a large study of 225 men with moderate-to-severe BPH found no improvement with 320 mg saw palmetto daily for 1 year versus placebo. NCCAM cofunded the study with the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Conclusion: more studies are in needed. |
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| CAUTIONS: | Make sure to get a definitive diagnosis of an enlarged prostate. Note that the S. officinalis often found in stores is the wrong species. May cause mild side effects, including stomach discomfort. |
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| FOR MORE INFORMATION: |
New England Journal of Medicine on PubMed: "Saw palmetto for benign prostatic hyperplasia."
MedlinePlus (a project of the National Library of Medicine and the National Intstitues of Health) entry on saw palmetto. |
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| RELATED PRODUCTS: |
Saw Palmetto (Jarrow Formulas) Each softgel 160 mg, an extract of the berry along with 50 mg of phytosterols and 160 mg of pumpkin seed oil.
Ultra Saw Palmetto + Pygeum (Jarrow Formulas) Each bottle, 60 softgels. Each softgel contains 150 mg of Saw Palmetto berry extract, 50 mg of the bark of Pygeum africanum, 200 mg of lecithin and 2.5 mg of gamma tocopherol. |
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| PRODUCT NOTES: | This saw palmetto berry extract used in these products is standardized to contain 85-95% of the active fatty acids and sterols, which support prostate health. Jarrow Formulas' Saw Palmetto is a CO2 extract which yields higher, biologically active free fatty acids than ethanolic extracts.
Jarrow's "Ultra" formula combines saw palmetto with an extract of the African evergreen Pygeum, also thought to be effective in treating enlarged prostrate (see, e.g., Urologe A. 2002 Sep;41(5):447-451 and J Urol. 2004 Nov;172(5 Pt 1):1792-1799). One study showed that pygeum helped to reduce urinary frequency, urgency and flow rate. |
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| DISCLAIMER | These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. | |
