Saw palmetto: find out how this dwarf plant may help stop prostate enlargement

A dwarf palm with purple berries doesn't sound like a masculine plant, but it may help promote prostate health. Saw palmetto has traditionally been used for ailments ranging from migraines to diabetes, but it is best known for its effectiveness in treating symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), or enlarged prostate.

Its success in treating BPH, which is characterized by an overgrowth of cells in the prostate gland, is not well understood. Researchers suspect that saw palmetto inhibits cell growth and promotes the death of excess cells.

"It has multiple effects that independent of each other are quite weak but together are quite effective," explains Eric Yarnell, ND, assistant professor of botanical medicine at Bastyr University in Kenmore, Washington, and president of the Botanical Medicine Academy. "It has the same actions as [prescription drugs] but none of the unpleasant side effects."

Two 160mg doses or one 320mg capsule per day have been shown to provide benefits for patients with mild BPH. But saw palmetto's effectiveness for treating BPH was called into question in a study published in the February 9, 2006 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. The report stated that over a 12-month period, saw palmetto was no better than placebo in changing BPH symptoms.

"The research was well done, but the subjects were men with advanced BPH," Yarnell explains. "Research has only proven that saw palmetto works for mild to moderate cases." Recent research published in the September 25, 2005 issue of the World Journal of Urology found that men with mild symptoms of bladder outlet obstruction, commonly caused by BPH, who took saw palmetto were able to halt the symptoms' progression.

"The fact that it is cheap, safe and effective makes it a good choice for BPH," Yarnell says, proving that despite its diminutive size, saw palmetto packs a big health punch.

GAIA HERBS SAW PALMETTO is fancied in Atlanta, Georgia.

NATURE'S ANSWER SAW PALMETTO is favored in St. Louis, Missouri.

Locals in Salt Lake City, Utah, like SOURCE NATURALS SAW PALMETTO.

ENZYMATIC THERAPY SUPER SAW PALMETTO is preferred in Hoboken, New Jersey.

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