No Better Than A Placebo
Now we know that even very high doses of saw palmetto make no difference, says co-author Gerald Andriole Jr., MD, chief of urologic surgery at Washington University School of Medicine and Barnes-Jewish Hospital. Men should not spend their money on this herbal supplement because it clearly does not work any better than a placebo.
The multi-center study involved more than 300 men ages 45 and older who had moderate symptoms suggestive of an enlarged prostate. The men were randomly selected to receive a daily dose of saw palmetto extract, beginning at 320 milligrams, or an identical-looking placebo.
After 24 weeks, the saw palmetto dosage was increased to 640 milligrams a day, and after another 24 weeks, to 960 milligrams a day triple the standard dose. Men took saw palmetto or a placebo for nearly 17 months.
The researchers found that among men who took saw palmetto, prostate problems improved slightly but not more than in men taking a placebo. Saw palmetto had no greater effect than the placebo on BPH symptoms as well as other conditions related to an enlarged prostate such as waking at night to urinate and bladder control.
New Urology Consensus Statements
On June 21, 2022, the journal Uro published an article indicating that a panel of international urology experts has agreed that saw palmetto should be considered when treating male patients with mild-to-moderate cases of BPH and LUTS versus engaging in watchful waiting.
This agreement was provided in the form of seven consensus statements and serves to resolve the guidance differences that have previously existed between the American Urological Association and the European Association of Urology .
Before these consensuses were reached, the AUA held the position that studies involving the saw palmetto plant for LUTS have provided mixed results. Thus, this organization could not provide a positive recommendation for its use. The EAU felt the opposite, citing that there was adequate research-based support for the use of saw palmetto in males with LUTS.
These different positions have affected how much saw palmetto is governed by regulatory agencies in various areas of the world, further impacting what extracts are used. Theyve also created confusion about whether male patients could benefit from this treatment approach.
Saw Palmetto Benefits For The Prostate And Hair Loss
Saw palmetto benefits have been known for a long time. In fact, the saw palmetto plant was used for medicine by the Native Americans of the Southeastern U.S., and in the early 20th century, men used the berries to treat urinary tract problems and increase sperm production in addition to maintaining prostate health.
Today, saw palmetto supplements are some of the most commonly consumed supplements by men with prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia thanks to the numerous saw palmetto benefits. In fact, in 2011, over $18 million in saw palmetto was sold in the U.S., ranking it third among herbal dietary supplements.
Saw palmetto benefits have the power to treat colds, coughs and sore throat, and this supplement works as a natural remedy for asthma, chronic bronchitis, chronic pelvic pain syndrome and migraine headaches.
Its also used to increase urine flow, promote relaxation and enhance sexual drive.
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Research Into Saw Palmetto
Previous research has shown that Saw Palmetto extract is as effective as drug medication for mild to moderate symptoms of BPH.
A 12-month trial using Saw Palmetto capsules for men with lower urinary tract discomfort due to BPH found the efficacy and safety of the Saw Palmetto supplement to be excellent. International Prostate Symptom Score figures and Uroflow measurements improved within the first 6 months of treatment, and continued to improve through the following 6 months. There was no further prostate growth during the treatment period. The therapy was well-tolerated and without the negative side effects often experienced while using pharmaceutical treatments for the same issue.
What Is Saw Palmetto Used For
In alternative medicine, saw palmetto is said to aid in the treatment of conditions such as asthma, colds, coughs, hair loss, migraine, chronic pelvic pain, and sore throat. Saw palmetto is also thought to increase libido as well as alleviate stress.
Saw palmetto is perhaps best known for its use in treating prostate problems. This include benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostatitis ,
Scientific studies have provided limited evidence to support these claims.
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For men, declining prostate health is more common than hair loss.
An estimated 50% of men experience declining prostate health by age 50 and 75% by age 80, and because it is SO common, its become an accepted part of aging when it doesnt have to be.
If youre one of the 14 million Americans suffering from the symptoms of poor prostate health, you know all about the toll it takes on your everyday life:.
- Waking up again and again in the middle of the night to use the restroom , tossing and turning to get back to sleep only to wake up and drag yourself through the rest of the day.
- Standing over the toilet for minutes trying to get things started, not knowing when youre finished, and never feeling like your Prostate is as empty as youd hoped.
- Events as simple as a family picnic or a round of golf become a constant worry over when youll have to use the restroom next.
The nagging inconvenience of it all keeps you from enjoying things the way you used to. No matter how mild or severe your symptoms may be, you want them gone for good, and theres good news:
What used to be an accepted part of aging may now have some very promising solutions, but before we get to that, lets talk about how this problem gets started in the first place
Uses For Saw Palmetto:
In addition to its use as a treatment for BPH, saw palmetto is used to treat colds and coughs, sore throat, asthma, chronic bronchitis, chronic prostatitis / male chronic pelvic pain syndrome, and migraine headache. It is also used as a diuretic to increase urine flow, as a sedative, and as an aphrodisiac. Some men use it as a treatment for baldness. However, experts rate saw palmetto as possibly ineffective for treatment of BPH, and suggest there to be insufficient evidence regarding its utility for prostate infections, chronic pelvic pain syndrome, prostate cancer, baldness, colds and coughs, sore throat, asthma, chronic bronchitis, migraine headache, increasing breast size, or for reducing bleeding after prostate surgery. Evidence from studies on the usefulness of saw palmetto as a treatment for BPH is mixed, with more recent trials suggesting less efficacy than previously believed.
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How Saw Palmetto Could Help Prostate Health
09 Dec 2022
If youâre always getting up to pee in the night, you could have an enlarged prostate. But help could be at hand with a traditional herbal remedy: saw palmetto.
Grey, thinning hair and getting up to pee in the night are all perfectly normal â if annoying â signs of ageing. While itâs easy enough to dye your hair, what can you do about an enlarged prostate?
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Surgery And Bleeding Risk
In a case report, a patient taking saw palmetto extract had increased bleeding time during surgery. Bleeding time returned to normal after stopping taking the herb. One clinical trial pre-treated prostate surgery patients with saw palmetto for five weeks prior to the surgery, because there was evidence from earlier literature that such pre-treatment reduced operative bleeding. The trial reported no improvement compared to placebo. As a general rule surgeons should ask patients to discontinue dietary supplements prior to scheduled surgery.
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What Have We Learned
- Two large, high-quality studies funded by the National Institutes of Health , each using a different preparation of saw palmetto, found it was no more effective than a placebo for BPH symptoms. Saw palmetto products are made in a variety of ways and differ in composition. Some studies of saw palmetto products other than those used in the NIH-sponsored studies have suggested that they might be helpful for BPH symptoms, but many of these studies were of low quality. No saw palmetto product has been conclusively shown to be effective for BPH.
- There isnât enough research on saw palmetto for conditions other than BPH to allow any conclusions to be reached.
Saw Palmetto For Other Conditions
People often use saw palmetto to treat other health conditions, such as:
state that there is no scientific evidence to suggest that saw palmetto is effective for any health condition, despite its popularity as an herbal remedy.
There are more effective treatments for these problems. It is always best to speak to a doctor before taking any herbal medication or supplement.
Saw palmetto causes relatively few side effects. It may occasionally lead to mild symptoms such as digestive upset, bad breath, or headaches.
Even when people take high doses of up to 960 mg, studies show that saw palmetto does not typically trigger severe reactions.
However, there are rare cases of people associating saw palmetto with their liver problems so anyone who has or had liver disease should avoid taking it.
The herb is also unlikely to interact with medications, but there are no studies to prove it is safe. Therefore, individuals who are taking any other medications and wish to try saw palmetto should check with their doctor first. There is some risk of saw palmetto interacting with aspirin or blood-clotting drugs.
Finally, studies to date have focused on males using saw palmetto. There is not much information available on the effects or safety of the herb in females or children.
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Risks Side Effects And Interactions
A systematic review done in 2009 measured the adverse side effects of saw palmetto when used for the treatment of lower urinary tract infections and BPH. After reviewing a number of randomized trials, evidence suggests that adverse events associated with the use of saw palmetto are mild and similar to those with the placebo.
The most frequently reported saw palmetto side effects are abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, fatigue, headache, decreased libido and rhinitis.
Saw palmetto may not be safe to use during pregnancy or when breastfeeding. It acts like a hormone, and this could be dangerous to the pregnancy, so be sure to consult your doctor before use.
Some birth control pills contain estrogen, and saw palmetto might decrease the effects of estrogen in the body. Taking saw palmetto along with birth control pills might decrease the effectiveness of birth control pills.
Serenoa repens may also decrease estrogen levels in the body, so taking saw palmetto along with estrogen pills might decrease the effectiveness of the estrogen pills and affect your hormonal balance.
Saw palmetto might slow blood clotting, so taking saw palmetto along with medications that also slow clotting might increase the chances of bruising and bleeding. Some medications that slow blood clotting include:
If youve never taken saw palmetto before, its wise to discuss your intentions with your health care professional in order to pinpoint an appropriate dosage and to rule out possible interactions.
More About Saw Palmetto
Serenoa repensWHO Monographs on Selected Medicinal PlantsEcon BotSaw Palmetto for Men & WomenSerenoa repensTher Adv UrolSerenoa RepensJ Cutan Aesthet SurgSerenoa repensSerenoa serrulataSabal serrulataJ Prim Health CareActa Pharmacol SinSerenoa repensPhytother ResJ Nat MedSerenoa repensBJU IntSerenoa repensBJU IntJAMAN Eng J MedUrologyHarv Mens Health WatchJ Fam PractTher Adv UrolSerenoa repensArch Ital Urol AndrolPhytother ResSerenoa repensBMC SurgSerenoa repensScand J Urol NephrolUrol Clin North AmProstateSerenoa repensJ UrolSerenoa repensBJU IntBiochem Biophys Res CommunOncology Serenoa repensPediatricsDrugsJ Soc Integr OncolBr J Clin PharmacolProstateSerenoa repensDrug SafComplement Ther MedJ UrolJ Am Geriatr SocPlast Reconstr SurgJ Intern MedBol Asoc Med P RJ Med Case RepSouth Med JJ UOEHSerenoa repensBr J Clin PharmacolJ Cataract Refract SurgEnviron Toxicol PharmacolProc Soc Exp Biol MedJ Am Geriatr SocJ Intern MedSerenoa repensDrug SafPlast Reconstr SurgGinkgo bilobaEchinacea purpureaSerenoa repensJ Altern Complement MedClin Pharmacol TherJ UrolComplement Ther MedSerenoa repensProstateCochrane Database of Syst RevCirculationJ UrolSerenoa repensUrologyJ HepatolDrug SafProstateProstateJAMAEur Urol
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Can Saw Palmetto Shrink The Prostate
Many claims have been made about the ability of saw palmetto , a natural remedy derived from the American dwarf palm tree.
There are many claims it helps to shrink the prostate and relieve symptoms of an enlarged prostate and associated urinary tract problems, as well as showing promise in prostatitis, and perhaps even in fighting prostate cancer.
But is this hype, or does saw palmetto really work to shrink the prostate?
The simple answer to the question is yes, saw palmetto has been shown to be effective in managing BPH symptoms and prostatitis, and its too early to tell how effective it may be in the fight against prostate cancer. But here is why saw palmetto works
One of the main components is beta-sitosterol, a substance that inhibits the activity of an enzyme called 5-alpha-reductase. This enzyme promotes the growth of prostate cells, and thus contributes to an enlarged prostate. Saw palmetto also appears to reduce levels of dihydrotestosterone , a hormone which, at elevated levels, causes the prostate to become enlarged.
To get a better idea of how saw palmetto has performed in men with BPH or prostatitis, here are the highlights of some of the research
Birth Control Pills Interacts With Saw Palmetto
Some birth control pills contain estrogen. Saw palmetto might decrease the effects of estrogen in the body. Taking saw palmetto along with birth control pills might decrease the effectiveness of birth control pills. If you take birth control pills along with saw palmetto, use an additional form of birth control such as a condom.Some birth control pills include ethinyl estradiol and levonorgestrel , ethinyl estradiol and norethindrone , and others.
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Saw Palmetto And Prostate Conditions
Some studies in animals have shown that saw palmetto may help keep tumor cells from growing, raising hopes about its potential as a treatment for prostate cancer. But thereâs no proof yet that it can treat the condition or lower your chances of getting it. More research is needed to understand whether it has any effects on prostate cancer.
But there is some evidence that it might help ease the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia .
A manâs prostate gland, which is about the size of a walnut, helps make seminal fluid . BPH, which is very common among men as they get older, happens when that gland gets larger than it should be. That can start to block the urethra, the tube that carries urine out of a manâs body, and cause trouble with urination, like starting or stopping, peeing too often, or having to pee during the night.
Itâs not clear how or why saw palmetto may help with BPH. Some studies show that the supplement might shrink the prostate gland. Other possibilities are that it eases inflammation or keeps your body from changing the hormone testosterone into another hormone called dihydrotestosterone , which may play a role in BPH.
However it works, many other countries use saw palmetto in treatments for BPH. For example, itâs found in 90% of BPH treatments in Germany and in 50% in Italy.
How Does Saw Palmetto Help
When these symptoms are due to prostate enlargement or benign prostate hyperplasia, Saw Palmetto helps in several ways:
- It stops testosterone from becoming inflammatory DHT
- It reduces prostate cell growth
- It reduces the inflammatory process in the prostate cells.
However, it is important to remember that Saw Palmetto will only help when the reason behind the symptoms is, in fact, BPH. Other conditions like prostatitis have similar symptoms but won’t be alleviated by Saw Palmetto.
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The Differences Between Saw Palmetto And Finasteride
Treating hair loss can be complicated especially if you favor a more holistic approach. Chemical-based options are often prescribed over botanically derived inhibitors, so in the case of androgenetic alopecia, you might find yourself choosing between saw palmetto extract and finasteride.
- Saw palmetto is an herbal supplement and alternative treatment that has been traditionally used to treat various health conditions. It is believed to work by inhibiting the production of testosterone and other hormones.
- Finasteride is a prescription medication that is approved for the treatment of male pattern baldness and prostate cancer. It works by inhibiting the production of the hormone DHT, which is thought to play a role in both conditions.
“While saw palmetto and finasteride share some similarities, there are also important differences between the two,” explained trichologist and aesthetic physician Dr. Firdous Ibrahim. “Saw palmetto is available over the counter, while finasteride requires a prescription.”
How Rye Flower Pollen Enhances Saw Palmettos Effectiveness
Nowadays, most prostate herbal supplements contain saw palmetto, if for no other reason than most men recognize that herb as being useful for prostate disease.
However, it is usually the case that when using herbal treatments, the effect of each herb is amplified by using them in combinations with others.
For example, let us say there is a urinary tract infection. Several different herbs can help clean out the urinary tract from infectious agents.
Some of them include Uva Ursi, Juniper Berry, Gravel Root, Cranberry, Cats Claw, among others.
Research has shown that certain precise combinations in very specific dosages can produce better results because there is synergy between the ingredients. So in addition to the variation of origin, quality, and strength, one has to also take into account synergy.
A few years back, I discovered a very specific dosage and quality extract combination of saw palmetto and rye flower pollen has extraordinary synergy. I formulated that unique combination to make Prostate Power.
This supplement makes the resulting prostate urinary symptom alleviator effect faster and more pronounced.
In other words, Prostate Power is a unique combination that helps treat symptoms for BPH and prostatitis.
It works by relaxing the urethra, but contracting the bladder, meaning you get exactly the right effects to treat your symptoms.
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