In the United States, the saw palmetto extract powder is one of the most commonly used dietary supplements. In a survey, it was found that more than 1.6 million American male adults had taken saw palmetto extract, mainly for the treatment of benign Lower urinary tract symptoms caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia.
The benefits, dosage and side effects of saw palmetto extract are detailed in this article to give you a basic understanding of this ingredient.
What is Saw Palmetto?
best quality saw palmetto extract, low growing palm endemic to southeastern United States, 6 to 10 feet tall with a crown of spiny, fan-like leaves and oval berries that are maroon in color.
Native to the West Indies, the plant is now widely distributed along the southeastern Atlantic coast of North America (ecologically, saw palmetto is used as a nest, a protective cover, and a food source for wildlife).
The American Indians used Saw Palmetto berries hundreds of years ago to treat genitourinary problems, relieve irritation of the mucous membranes, increase testicular function, improve sperm production, increase breast size or as a mild diuretic.
In the 1870s, research into the medicinal properties of the berries began. It is usually sold as a health food in the form of capsules or tablets, and other forms include tinctures and liquid extracts.
Purified saw palmetto extract contains 85% to 90% fatty acids and sterols, including carotenoids, lipase, tannins, caprylic acid, palmitic acid, oleic acid, and sterols.
What are the recommended proven efficacy (benefits) of Saw Palmetto?
1. Improves benign prostatic hyperplasia, also known as enlarged prostate or enlarged prostate
Benign prostatic hyperplasia is the most common non-cancerous tumor of the male prostate. It is a common condition in men over the age of 50. It is mainly caused by the excessive growth of prostate tissue and can compress the urethra and bladder, hindering the flow of urine.
Symptoms may vary depending on urethral obstruction or secondary changes in the bladder, including urgency, increased frequency of urination at night, difficulty urinating, weak urine stream, dripping and stopping, inability to completely empty the bladder, etc. road infection, inability to urinate, hematuria, bladder stones
A review of the Cochrane literature found that in men with an enlarged prostate and lower urinary tract symptoms, taking either low or high doses of saw palmetto extract did not help improve urine flow or prostate enlargement.
Another literature review and meta-analysis pointed out that oral saw palmetto extract can help reduce the frequency of nocturia and improve the maximum urine flow.
The same study also pointed out that compared with therapeutic drugs, saw palmetto extract can produce improvement effects that are not inferior to drugs
The underlying mechanism may be related to the inhibition of 5α-reductase, anti-androgenic, anti-proliferative and anti-inflammatory effects of saw palmetto extract.
＊Conclusion: Oral saw palmetto extract may have an improvement effect on lower urinary tract symptoms caused by prostatic hypertrophy, but the effect of different brands is quite different
2. Improve male androgenetic alopecia (hair growth problem)
Androgenetic alopecia is the most common chronic skin problem, affecting up to 80% of older men (mainly over 60 years of age).
It is characterized by progressive thinning of the hair and tends to decrease with hair density and diameter. With age, the prevalence increases from 30% in men in their 30s to 50% in men in their 50s.
Even though the condition is not considered a serious pathological problem, the stress associated with hair loss can affect self-esteem or lead to mental illness.
A randomized controlled trial (100 men with mild to moderate male androgenetic alopecia over a 24-month period) was divided into two groups, one using finasteride and the other using saw palmetto berry extract.
It was found that 38% of the palm berry group reported significant hair growth, compared with 68% of the Roupai group.
Based on the hair loss period, 66% of the Ropez drug group showed improvement, and 60% of the palm berry group remained stable and did not deteriorate.
In addition, taking Finasteride orally can improve all areas of hair loss; while taking saw palmetto extract can only help hair loss in the crown and swirls.
The underlying mechanism may be related to the androgen receptor binding activity of saw palmetto and its non-selective inhibition of 5-alpha reductase.
*Conclusion: Oral saw palmetto berry extract can improve some types of androgenetic alopecia, but the effect is still inferior to that of drugs.
3. Reduce prostate specific antigen, prevent prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in men, and its incidence continues to rise in many countries. In the United States, more than 200,000 people are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year (approximately 1 in 6 people suffers from the disease).
Prostate cancer is a highly heterogeneous disease in which adenocarcinomas can be non-metastatic and indolent to very aggressive and may metastasize to bone and other organs, resulting in significant morbidity and mortality.
Serum PSA levels have been used as a biomarker for prostate cancer for more than 20 years, however, PSA has inherent limitations, including lack of specificity, leading to overdiagnosis and overtreatment of prostate cancer.
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study showed that oral saw palmetto extract had no superior effect on serum prostate-specific antigen than placebo, even at relatively high doses. In vitro cell studies have found that saw palmetto extract has the effects of anti-proliferation of prostate cells, guiding cancer cell apoptosis, and inhibiting the inflammatory switch NF-kB.
Another prospective cohort study noted that use of saw palmetto and related health supplements was not associated with prostate cancer risk.
*Conclusion: At present, there is not enough evidence to prove that oral administration of saw palmetto can reduce prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and prevent prostate cancer, and more studies are needed for further confirmation.
4. Improve prostatitis
Prostatitis is a general term for a series of infectious diseases, including acute and chronic bacterial prostatitis, chronic pelvic pain syndrome or asymptomatic prostatitis. It is one of the most common urinary system diseases in men, second only to benign prostate Hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer.
Possible symptoms include pelvic pain (limited to the prostate, perineum, or urethra), prostatitis, and varying degrees of voiding and sexual dysfunction.
A prospective randomized open-label trial (1-year duration, 64 patients with category III prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome) with finasteride (5 mg daily) and saw Palm (325 mg daily).
In contrast, patients treated with finasteride showed significant and durable improvements in all indicators except urination.
*Conclusion: For category III prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome patients, oral saw palmetto extract powder bulk did not bring significant benefit.
