Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens) is one of the most widely-used herbal dietary supplements for treating benign prostatic hyperplasia. Additionally, Saw Palmetto plays an integral part in many medical treatments for BPH including 5-alpha reductase inhibitors such as Dutasteride or Finasteride as well as alfuzosin, Doxazosin or Tamsulosin which treat its symptoms.

Saw palmetto can be consumed both as a tea and capsule form; however, due to its non-water soluble fatty acids it is recommended that for optimal results you take both forms.

Benefits

Saw palmetto is often recommended as a treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). It may help relieve urinary symptoms associated with an enlarged prostate gland, including difficulty in urinating and pain or incontinence, while animal studies indicate it might inhibit tumor growth; this evidence has yet to be validated in human trials.

Saw Palmetto may help prevent testosterone conversion into dihydroxytestosterone (DHT). By blocking DHT production, saw palmetto may keep prostate gland size smaller while helping relieve urinary issues associated with lower testosterone levels over time. Furthermore, saw palmetto may stimulate testosterone production and support healthy sexual function and libido.

Studies suggest that saw palmetto extract may slow prostate cancer cell growth and encourage their apoptosis; however, such findings must first be confirmed through human studies.

Saw palmetto extract may help improve urinary symptoms in those suffering from BPH. It may ease frequent urination, incomplete bladder emptying, dribbling after urination and incontinence while in some instances even helping lower PSA levels used to screen for prostate cancer and monitor those diagnosed.

Purchase saw palmetto supplements from a physician-grade company committed to third-party laboratory testing and employing researchers on staff. Capsules may provide more of the beneficial ingredients without extra binders or fillers often found in tablets.

Saw palmetto is generally well tolerated and rarely causes side effects when taken as directed, though children or women should avoid taking it, and those taking medications to address hormone-sensitive conditions like birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Furthermore, blood-thinners such as warfarin (Coumadin) or clopidogrel (Plavix) may interact with saw palmetto and some experts advise avoiding its use if you have undergone prostate surgery or radiation therapy for prostate cancer.

Dosage

Saw Palmetto can be purchased in various forms, such as capsules or liquid preparations such as tincture. Men with an enlarged prostate should take 320 milligrams daily of a standardized extract; its effects could take four to six weeks before becoming noticeable.

Studies suggest saw palmetto may help treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), though results vary widely and more rigorous trials must be completed to establish this as fact. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study at 11 North American clinical sites involved 369 men experiencing moderate symptoms of BPH; they received either daily dosage of 320 milligrams of saw palmetto extract or an identical-looking placebo for 24 weeks – saw palmetto significantly improved urinary flow and reduced symptoms in most men studied.

Studies demonstrating saw palmetto’s effectiveness against BPH show mixed results; it should be remembered that most studies were small-scale and more rigorous research needs to be conducted. Some of the trials also demonstrated greater improvement from men who took combination treatments combining saw palmetto, lycopene and selenium than when taken alone.

Saw palmetto may also possess anti-cancer effects. By decreasing testosterone levels – an endocrine hormone known to encourage cancerous cell development – and possibly slowing tumor growth rates, saw palmetto may provide additional help against prostate cancer treatment. For this reason, some men with the condition use saw palmetto alongside conventional therapies as part of their regimens.

Before taking any dietary supplement, such as saw palmetto, it is advisable to seek professional advice. Saw palmetto may interfere with medications such as antidepressants, birth control pills and blood thinners and should therefore not be taken by those living with these conditions. Possible side effects of saw palmetto may include stomach upset, dry mouth/eyes/diarrhea/fatigue/rashes. Furthermore, pregnant/breastfeeding women should avoid its use due to effects it could have on androgen and estrogen metabolism during gestation/breastfeeding/or breastfeeding women/men/or children/people within these populations – although no known effects exist yet on orrogen/estrogen/estrogen/estrogen metabolism effects for these populations.

Side effects

Saw palmetto supplements tend to be well tolerated when taken correctly; however, it is wise to seek professional advice prior to beginning use. The herb has been linked with adverse reactions like diarrhea and hot flashes; furthermore it may interact with certain medications due to inhibiting UGT (Uridine 5′-diphospho-glucuronosyltransferase) enzymes; specifically it could interact with anticoagulant warfarin and blood pressure medication metoprolol being processed through this CYP450 substrate CYP450 substrates metabolized through this pathway; individuals taking NSAIDs should avoid saw palmetto supplements as this may increase their risk of side effects.

The prostate gland lies just below the bladder and surrounds the urethra that runs through the penis, and over time can enlarge and compress this urethra, leading to symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in men. Saw palmetto has long been used as a treatment option for BPH; numerous studies have demonstrated its efficacy at decreasing night-time urination while increasing urine flow among those affected by this condition.

Some researchers have cast doubt upon whether saw palmetto actually helps relieve symptoms of BPH, since most available studies are small and short in duration. Yet one randomized, placebo-controlled trial demonstrated that saw palmetto significantly decreased urinary tract symptoms and improved urine flow among men with BPH, comparable to results achieved with finasteride (Proscar).

Palmetto can also help men improve sexual function due to its testosterone-boosting effects, providing additional benefits of seeing palmetto. Though more research needs to be conducted on this matter, several reputable clinical trials have demonstrated that taking 320 milligrams of standardised saw palmetto extract daily can reduce a man’s International Prostate Symptom Score by approximately 10%. This score measures the symptoms associated with BPH, such as post-void dribbling and overflow incontinence. Unfortunately, saw palmetto does not appear to reduce erectile dysfunction among men, making professional diagnosis and treatment of BPH necessary. A comprehensive workup should include prostate specific antigen (PSA) readings which can detect cancerous cells; thus self-medication with saw palmetto should not replace visiting a physician for clinical assessment and prostate biopsy.

Interactions

Saw Palmetto, or Saw Palmettetto as it is more commonly known, is a palm-like plant native to the Southeast United States that bears edible berries that can be consumed, while ripened fruits are turned into extracts and capsules for consumption. Saw palmetto may help counteract testosterone’s effect of expanding prostate glands; men taking saw palmetto are said to experience improved urinary symptoms, increased sperm production, reduced baldness, as well as improved overall prostate health.

An enlarged prostate gland lies between the bladder and penis, impacting urinary function and erectile ability as well as pain and incontinence in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia – an age-related condition which affects most men as they grow older. A small study discovered that saw palmetto was effective at alleviating urinary symptoms in these cases of benign prostatic hyperplasia; one such treatment option being saw palmetto extract which alleviated urinary symptoms in this population of participants with BPH; thus significantly improving urinary symptoms in those suffering from benign prostatic hyperplasia – one such condition which affects most men as they age.

Studies conducted so far, however, have failed to demonstrate that saw palmetto can effectively shrink or alleviate urinary symptoms experienced by BPH sufferers. Furthermore, some research indicates that taking saw palmetto may increase risk for prostate cancer.

Men with mild BPH symptoms were randomly given either saw palmetto or an identical-looking placebo pill for 17 weeks, gradually increasing dosage up to more than triple its standard daily dosage – more than triple what was considered effective before. At six months post treatment, saw palmetto users weren’t any more likely to report improvements than those taking the placebo.

Many studies have not proven saw palmetto to be effective at treating BPH; any reported benefits could have been the result of chance or may simply have been short-lived studies comparing saw palmetto against other treatments for BPH.

Furthermore, interactions between certain drugs and saw palmetto have not been thoroughly researched; some individuals should avoid it as its interaction could interfere with medications used to treat high blood pressure (nitrates) or calcium supplements; it might even impact prostate-specific antigen screening results. Before taking any herbal supplement or medication without consulting your physician first, always do so first to make sure there will be no interference with existing health care regimens or medications that you currently take.