Saw Palmetto: A Prostate’s Best Friend

Even healthy men who exercise stand a high likelihood of incurring BPH around age 50. BPH, or benign prostatic hyperplasia, is a noncancerous enlargement of the prostate gland, usually accompanied by urinary difficulties, most notably frequent nighttime urination. Left untreated, BPH can increase susceptibility to urinary and bladder infections, and kidney stones.

Enter saw palmetto, the berries (and various preparations made from them) of the low growing palm tree Serenoa repens, which is native to the southeastern United States. A traditional remedy for diverse purposes, saw palmetto was used by native Americans as a diuretic and a sexual tonic. For more than 30 years saw palmetto has been employed in European phytotherapy for the relief of urinary symptoms of benign prostatic hypertrophy, BPH. Today saw palmetto is a widely popular dietary supplement in the US as well for this purpose. Over 30 clinical trials have assessed the efficacy of saw palmetto, and the results of these studies show that saw palmetto is as effective for mitigating BPH as drugs for the same purpose.

In the early 1900’s saw palmetto was commonly recommended by physicians for prostate disorders. Saw palmetto appeared in the US Pharmacopoeia and the National Formulary. In the 1960’s French researchers undertook investigation of the natural phytochemical constituents of saw palmetto. Their analysis led to an improved understanding of the lipid-rich nature of the berries, and of the more specific composition of the lipids.

Saw palmetto contains a variety of lipids (fats) which influence hormone function. The various constituents in the berries demonstrate diuretic, antiseptic, and gland-influencing properties. Saw palmetto appears to reduce two factors which contribute to BPH, known as 5-alpha-reductase and aromatoase. Further investigation of saw palmetto shows that the berries also possess anti-inflammatory and anti-exudative properties. Exudation is a process by which material including metabolic debris, fluid, proteins, cells, or other “stuff” in the body leaks from cells and deposits into tissue. So the anti-exudative activity of saw palmetto means that it inhibits this deposition of debris.

A large body of science shows that saw palmetto is effective for relieving urinary symptoms of BPH. Even Consumer Reports, which is conservative by nature, gave a thumbs-up to saw palmetto in its September 2000 issue. Among many researchers, saw palmetto is largely regarded as the standard against which other purported remedies for BPH must be measured.

A comprehensive review of the scientific literature on the use of saw palmetto in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia found that saw palmetto is safe with no recognized adverse effects. Placebo controlled trials and meta-analyses have suggested that saw palmetto leads to subjective and objective improvement in men with lower urinary tract symptoms. Saw Palmetto has successfully jumped through all the medical hoops.

To keep your prostate healthy and happy, look for saw palmetto supplements standardized to 85% - 95% fatty acids and sterols. The recommended dosage of saw palmetto for the treatment of BPH is 160 mg 2 times per day of an extract standardized to contain 85% - 95% fatty acids and sterols. Remember, a healthy prostate is a happy prostate.

Scoop of the Week: Just a few hours after I’m done filing this article, my wife Zoe and I will head off to the Peruvian Amazon for two weeks. This is part of the work I conduct, traveling to remote places, making contacts with native people, and establishing trade in medicinal plants. As you may know, the Amazon rainforest is the most bio-diverse of all places on earth, and is home to untold health riches in the form of beneficial plants. In Peru we’ll hook up with a trader and friend Sergio Cam, and we will head to a village where we hope to establish trade in two significant rainforest botanicals, Cat’s Claw and Dragon’s Blood. I have previously written about Cat’s Claw in this column. This is all on behalf of Naturex, a company for whom I do this type of bio-prospecting. You never see any Naturex products, because they extract botanicals into ingredients that then are used in most other brands of herbal supplements. By establishing trade with a native community in the Peruvian Amazon, we hope to fulfill what has come to be known as “the triple bottom line” of enhancing human health with medicinal plants, helping to preserve some of the natural environment, and helping native people to become more economically well off. Trade can play a dynamic role in environmental and cultural preservation. Medicinal plants not only enhance human health and well being, but the trade in these plants provides alternatives to extractive industries such as mining, cattle grazing, timber cutting and petroleum exploration, all of which gravely damage rainforest environments. Upon our return from the Amazon, I’ll fill you in on what happened. Feliz senderos (happy trails).