Saw Palmetto

Serenoa Serrulata

Saw Palmetto Berry Extract (Berries) Georgia & Florida

Native American Indians used saw palmetto as an overall strengthening body tonic. It has a balancing effect on several systems. Especially for prostate, testes, impotence and low libido in men, and the ovaries, infertility, painful periods and to increase lactation in women. Reduces excessive bronchial mucous. Thyroid support. Improves digestion. Useful in asthma and diabetes.

35% to 45% Free Fatty Acids including Capric Acid, Caprylic Acid, Caproic Acid, Lauric Acid, Palmitic Acid, Oleic Acid & Ethyl Esters. Phytosterols including Beta-sitosterol, Stigmasterol, Cycloartenol, Lupeol, Lupenone, 24-methyl-cycloartenol.

The berries of the saw palmetto (Serenoa repens/Sabal serrulata), a fan palm native to the southeastern United States, act to increase urine flow, to diminish inflammation, and to reduce muscle spasms. In Europe, saw palmetto is widely used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH, which is an enlargement of the prostate gland (see details below). In the United States, it ranks among the top ten dietary supplements in terms of sales.

Saw palmetto berries were a staple food among native Americans of the southeastern United States, who also used them to treat digestive problems, genitourinary inflammation, dysentary, and lack of libido. Early in the 20th century, saw palmetto was listed in the US Pharmacopoeia as an effective remedy for enlargement of the prostate gland (called benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH), urinary tract inflammation, cystitis (bladder inflammation), breast disorders, bronchitis, and laryngitis.

Parts used and where grown: Saw palmetto (sometimes referred to as sabal in Europe) is a native of the southeast United States. The berries of the plant are used medicinally.

The liposterolic (fat-soluble) extract of saw palmetto provides concentrated amounts of free fatty acids and sterols. One study with a saw palmetto extract suggests that it reduces the amount of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) (an active form of testosterone) binding in the part of the prostate surrounding the urethra (the tube carrying urine from the bladder). Test tube studies also suggest that saw palmetto weakly inhibits the action of 5-alpha-reductase, the enzyme responsible for converting testosterone to DHT. In test tubes, saw palmetto also inhibits the actions of growth factors and inflammatory substances that may contribute to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Contrary to some opinions, saw palmetto does not have an estrogen-like effect in men's bodies.

Over the last decade, double-blind clinical trials have proven that 320 mg per day of the liposterolic extract of saw palmetto berries is a safe and effective treatment for the symptoms of BPH. A recent review of studies, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, concluded that saw palmetto extract was as effective as finasteride in the treatment of BPH. The clinical effectiveness of saw palmetto has been shown in trials lasting six months to three years.

A three-year trial in Germany found that taking 160 mg of saw palmetto extract twice daily reduced nighttime urination in 73% of patients and improved urinary flow rates significantly. In a double-blind trial, 160 mg of saw palmetto extract taken twice daily was found to treat BPH as effectively as finasteride (Proscar) without side effects, such as loss of libido.