Benefits of Saw Palmetto

Benefits of saw palmetto, do you know them?

Saw palmetto is a type of palm, a dwarf palm. You can find it growing densely in coastal, sandy areas and as undergrowth in pine forests.

It’s native to southeastern US---Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and especially Florida.

You’ve probably seen this plant before. Now you can be a smart-aleck and point it out to your friends and family.

This plant grows slow and is incredibly long-lived. Some saw palmettos in Florida are thought to be 500 years old. It has fan-shaped leaves, yellowish flowers, and it bears edible dark purple berries called drupes.

Saw Palmetto and Baldness,
Are They Linked?

Saw palmetto is often touted as an herbal remedy for male and female pattern baldness. This type of hair loss forms at the top of the head or around the temples.

Researchers speculate that fatty acids in the berries block testosterone from being converted into dihydrotestosterone (DHT).

So what?

Well, dihydrotestosterone binding to androgen
receptors in scalp tissue is considered a factor
in balding. You don’t want this stuff. DHT also
contributes to the enlargement of the prostate.

Don't rely on saw palmetto for hair growth. More research is needed to see whether saw palmetto is involved in blocking DHT in scalp tissue.

Saw Palmetto and Prostate Health

Native Americans have used saw palmetto to treat urinary conditions for generations. In modern medicine, it’s used to treat mild to moderate symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (enlarged prostate).

Common symptoms:

• frequent urge to urinate

• difficulty starting urination

• dribbling

• weak urination stream

All men should be vigilant about prostate problems as they age. An enlarged prostate can get so big that it blocks the urethra and makes peeing difficult and painful; if it gets to that stage, you'll need surgery.

Saw palmetto is proven to prevent DHT in prostate tissue. If present, DHT will bind to androgen receptors in prostate cells, causing them to mulitply.

Side Effects of Saw Palmetto

No significant side effects have been reported in published medical studies.

However, people taking blood-thinning drugs, pregnant women, and nursing women should consult their doctor before taking saw palmetto.

Prescription medications for enlarged prostate have side effects though. Finasteride causes sexual problems and terazosin causes dizziness.

Saw Palmetto in a Supplement

Take saw palmetto in the standardized extract form. It should be standardized to a definite percentage of fatty acids. The benefits of saw palmetto herb come from what's in it: lauric acid, oleic acid, myristic acid, and palmitic acid and many phtosterols (plant sterols).

Recommended Dosage: Between 160 and 320 mg per day.

Since this herb primarily helps men---keeps the prostate healthy and prevents baldness--- I suggest looking for saw palmetto in a multi-nutrient supplement designed for men.

Not only that, look for a multi-nutrient supplement that contains these complementary nutrients as well:

• rye pollen

• beta sitosterol

• vitamin E

• nettle root

• lycopene

• isoflavones

These nutrients working together, along with the benefits of saw palmetto, are a natural defense against prostate enlargement.

Don't expect enlarged prostate symptoms to go away overnight or even in a few days. It will most likely take six to eight weeks until you see improvement.

A man’s body requires a different combination of nutrients as he ages. Most general supplements fail to meet the needs of a 50 + man.