In the early part of the twentieth century, saw
palmetto berry tea was commonly recommended by herbalists, for a variety of
urinary tract ailments in men. Some believed the berry increased sperm
production and sex drive in men.
The liposterolic (fat-soluble) extract of saw
palmetto provides concentrated amounts of free fatty acids and sterols. One
study with a saw palmetto extract suggests that it reduces the amount of
dihydrotestosterone (DHT) (an active form of testosterone) binding in the
part of the prostate surrounding the urethra (the tube carrying urine from
the bladder).1
Test tube studies also suggest that saw palmetto weakly inhibits the action
of 5-alpha-reductase, the enzyme responsible for converting testosterone to
DHT.2
In test tubes, saw palmetto also inhibits the actions of growth factors and
inflammatory substances that may contribute to benign prostatic hyperplasia
(BPH). Contrary to some opinions, saw palmetto does not have an
estrogen-like effect in men’s bodies.
Over
the last decade, double-blind clinical trials have proven that 320 mg per
day of the liposterolic extract of saw palmetto berries is a safe and
effective treatment for the symptoms of BPH. A recent review of studies,
published in the Journal of the American Medical Association,
concluded that saw palmetto extract was as effective as finasteride (Proscar®)
in the treatment of BPH. The clinical effectiveness of saw palmetto has been
shown in trials lasting six months to three years.
A
three-year trial in Germany found that taking 160 mg of saw palmetto extract
twice daily reduced nighttime urination in 73% of patients and improved
urinary flow rates significantly. In a double-blind trial, 160 mg of saw
palmetto extract taken twice daily was found to treat BPH as effectively as
finasteride (Proscar) without side effects, such as loss of libido.
