SAW PALMETTO EXTRACT

Saw Palmetto, also known as Serenoa Repens or Sabal Serrulatum is a small, palm like North American plant. The Saw Palmetto extract comes from berries of small palm trees, and the extracts comprise of different fatty acids and sterols. Native Americans have used the Saw Palmetto berry to treat genital, urinary tract, and reproductive system problems. Saw Palmetto is widely researched and used in Europe, and is now gaining popularity in North America, and being used for its benefits for the urinary tract. The medicinal element of Saw Palmetto is taken from the partially dried ripe fruit of the American dwarf palm tree.

The active constituents of Saw Palmetto are volatile oil, steroids saponin, tannins, and polysaccharides. Saw Palmetto is a tonic, meaning that it strengthens and tones body tissues. The active part of the plant is the sterols and free fatty acids found in the berry. The particular solvent used in the extraction process affects the resulting formulation of the product. The most widely studied form of Saw Palmetto is Permixon, which uses the solvent hexane; other formulations have used ethanol, methanol, and liquid carbon dioxide as solvents. Historically, Saw Palmetto was administered with nettle root and pumpkin seeds, and some modern formulations include these elements. It is unclear which components are the most active, and the mechanism of action is not fully understood. Some of the mechanisms proposed include anti-inflammatory activity, blocked conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and prostate epithelial involution similar to effects noted with the use of finasteride (Proscar).

From the 1870s until 1950, Saw Palmetto was commonly used to treat prostate and other urinary problems. After 1950, saw palmetto was no longer recognized as a drug in the United States. It is still accepted in Europe as a treatment for BPH and is approved by the German Commission E. The Commission E evaluates herbal treatments for their safety and efficacy. The berry of the Saw Palmetto plant contains a compound that may reduce the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a noncancerous enlargement of the prostate gland.

Saw Palmetto Benefits
Of the many benefits associated with Saw Palmetto, treating BPH is obviously the most significant. Below are some health benefits of Saw Palmetto.
Saw Palmetto inhibits testosterone action on the prostate, thus is used widely for BPH treatment
Saw Palmetto also prevents binding of DHT to androgen receptors, hence helps with hair loss
Saw Palmetto inhibits androgen and estrogen receptor activity and helps both men and women to balance hormones.
Saw Palmetto herb helps treat bladder inflammation and helps with urinary flow
Women also use Saw Palmetto herb to stimulate breast enlargement and also to treat uterine irritability.
Saw Palmetto is also used to treat impotence, frigidity, and also used as an aphrodisiac
Some new evidence shows that Saw Palmetto may also help with thyroid deficiencies
Saw Palmetto is used to clear chest congestion, treat coughs, asthma, and bronchitis.
Saw Palmetto inhibits androgen and estrogen receptor activity and may be beneficial in balancing the hormones for both men and women. Because of it hormonal effects it can aid the thyroid in normalizing activity of several glands and organs.
Saw Palmetto is a safe, effective treatment for relieving symptoms associated with BPH and may prove to be effective for impotence and hair loss.

Uses Of Saw Palmetto
Native Americans used the fruit for food, but also in the treatment of a variety of urinary and genital problems. The European colonists learned of the use of Saw Palmetto. It was used as a crude extract for at least 200 years for various conditions including asthenia (weakness), recovery from major illness, and urogenital problems. For instance, "Saw Palmetto is a nerve sedative, expectorant, and a nutritive tonic, acting kindly upon the digestive tract...Its most direct action appears to be upon the reprodutive organs when undergoing waste of tissue".

One of Saw Palmetto's key uses is treating benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). BPH is enlargement of the prostate gland, and can block the urethra and require surgery. Saw Palmetto is believed to inhibit the actions of testosterone on the prostate, which causes enlargement of the prostate which interferes with urinary flow. Saw Palmetto herb helps improve urinary flow, and reduces the frequency and urgency of urination in men with BPH. Saw Palmetto herb prevents the binding of DHT to androgen receptors, thus playing a key role in helping prevent and treat prostate enlargement, and also hair loss. Saw Palmetto is also used to treat bladder inflammation, chronic bronchitis, among other conditions. The fatty acids in Saw Palmetto are thought to have testosterone inhibiting effects on the prostate. Saw Palmetto also prevents testosterone from converting into dihydrotestosterone (DHT).

Saw Palmetto is an effective treatment for the symptoms of BPH. Saw palmetto has also been used to stimulate appetite, improve digestion, nourish the nervous system and increase the assimilation of nutrients to the body.

Effects Of Saw Palmetto
Taking Saw Palmetto may develop mild nausea, reduced libido, or erectile dysfunction, the rate of such problems is clinically and statistically far less common than in men taking drugs to treat BPH symptoms, based on the JAMA meta-analysis cited above. There are no known drug interactions.

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