Saw Palmetto

Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens) is a dwarf palm that grows over wide areas of the southeastern United States. It produces a green-yellow oblong berry, up to one inch long, which turns bluish to black when ripe. Concentrated extracts are typically standardized to contain 85–95% fatty acids and phytosterols. Saw Palmetto has traditionally been used for helping with prostate problems.

Health Benefits

Ripe fruit from Saw Palmetto has been used to ameliorate symptoms of early stage benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH: enlarged prostate), prostate infections, or urination in men.1,2 Several human studies have indicated the effectiveness of Saw Palmetto in decreasing urinary tract and Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) symptoms in men.3-7 Saw Palmetto remedy in conjunction with B-sitosterol and Vitamin E may also reduce nocturia (waking up to urinate during sleep) and symptoms of BPH as defined by the American Urological Association.8

References

  1. Saw Palmetto. MedlinePlus. NIH. Accessed in August 2015. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/971.html
  2. Saw Palmetto berry. American Botanical Council. Accessed in August 2015. http://cms.herbalgram.org/expandedE/SawPalmettoberry.html
  3. Suter A, Saller R, Riedi E, Heinrich M. Improving BPH symptoms and sexual dysfunctions with a saw palmetto preparation? Results from a pilot trial. Phytother Res. 2013 Feb;27(2):218-26. doi: 10.1002/ptr.4696. Epub 2012 Apr 23. PubMed PMID: 22522969.
  4. Gerber GS, Zagaja GP, Bales GT, Chodak GW, Contreras BA. Saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) in men with lower urinary tract symptoms: effects on urodynamic parameters and voiding symptoms. Urology. 1998 Jun;51(6):1003-7. PubMed PMID: 9609640.
  5. McPartland JM, Pruitt PL. Benign prostatic hyperplasia treated with saw palmetto: a literature search and an experimental case study. J Am Osteopath 2000 Feb;100(2):89-96. Review. PubMed PMID: 10732392.
  6. Marks LS, Partin AW, Epstein JI, Tyler VE, Simon I, Macairan ML, Chan TL, Dorey FJ, Garris JB, Veltri RW, Santos PB, Stonebrook KA, deKernion JB. Effects of a saw palmetto herbal blend in men with symptomatic benign prostatic J Urol. 2000 May;163(5):1451-6. PubMed PMID: 10751856.
  7. Gerber GS, Kuznetsov D, Johnson BC, Burstein JD. Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of saw palmetto in men with lower urinary tract Urology. 2001 Dec;58(6):960-4; discussion 964-5. PubMed PMID: 11744467.
  8. Preuss HG, Marcusen C, Regan J, Klimberg IW, Welebir TA, Jones WA. Randomized trial of a combination of natural products (cernitin, saw palmetto, B-sitosterol, vitamin E) on symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Int Urol Nephrol.2001;33(2):217-25. PubMed PMID: 12092634.