Product Review: Saw Palmetto Shrinks Prostate Tissue

An ancient herbal remedy for urinary problems, saw palmetto is now popular as a supplement for prostate health—and for good reason. Some studies have shown that shown that saw palmetto—extracted from the dark purple berries of the American saw palmetto plant—may help treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), the medical name for an enlarged prostate gland.

Prostate Support

Saw palmetto is often the first course of therapy in men with mild to moderate prostate enlargements symptoms. The standard dosage of saw palmetto supplement of an 85%-95% extract for BPH is 320 mg per day, usually taken as 160 mg twice per day. It has been believed that saw palmetto dietary supplements provide mild to moderate improvement in symptoms of prostate enlargement: urinary flow, increased frequency and urgency of urination, and a fullness of the bladder after urination.

Other claims have seen saw palmetto treat baldness, low libido, bladder disorders, prostatitis and migraines.

Among the main constituents of saw palmetto berry extract are fatty acids and sterols, whose oily compounds are thought to have various hormonal and anti-inflammatory effects.

Saw palmetto is believed to inhibit the actions of testosterone on the prostate that cause prostate enlargement and interference with urinary problem flow. It shrinks the inner epithelium of the prostate, but not the prostate’s overall size.

While saw palmetto shows great promise for enhancing prostate health, there appears to be significant inconsistencies with the formulas available. To determine whether supplements possess the amounts of the key plant compounds suggested by their labels, an independent lab company tested products for potential contamination with lead, and tablets and caplets were tested for their ability to properly break apart in the digestive system.

Not So Pure

Two saw palmetto supplements failed to list the part of the saw palmetto plant used to produce their extracts.  This information is a FDA labeling requirement. Those products that are unsafe for consumption are:

• Flora Saw Palmetto Extract
• Gaia Herbs Saw Palmetto

Perfect for Prostate

Just about every major supplement company sells saw palmetto because the public has had such great experience with it. The challenge is to find one that will provide you with the best benefits.

This can be confusing, so Home Cures That Work created a checklist for you to make sure the brand you choose meets all the requirements for safe consumption. Spend your money on a saw palmetto supplement that promises to deliver.

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  Finest Natural Saw Palmetto (160 mg per softgel, 2 per day)
• GNC Herbal Plus Standardized Saw Palmetto (160 mg per softgel, 2 per day)
• Nature’s Bounty Extra Strength Saw Palmetto Complex (160 mg per softgel, 2 per day)
• Nature’s Way Once Daily ProstActive (320 mg per softgel, 1 per day)
• New Chapter Prostate 5 LX (160 mg per softgel, 2 per day)
• Pharmanex Prostate Formula (160 mg per softgel, 2 per day)
• Puritan’s Pride Saw Palmetto(320 mg per softgel, 1 per day)
• TruNature Prostate Health Complex Saw Palmetto (320 mg per softgel, 1 per day)
• Vitamin Shoppe Standardized Herbs Saw Palmetto Extract (160 mg per softgel, 2 per day)

If you have urinary problems and want to try saw palmetto, talk to your doctor first. You need to make sure what you have is BPH. Be cautious about taking saw palmetto if you have a bleeding disorder or are taking blood thinner. It may also not be safe to take saw palmetto with some other prescription drugs for BPH. If you try saw palmetto supplements, be patient — you may not notice a benefit for several months. Much good research on saw palmetto has been positive for prostate health—but some studies have found no benefit.