Native to North America, saw palmetto was used for indigestion, respiratory infections, snake bites, insect bites,
skin ulcers by the indigenous people of Florida, and other areas where it grows. It was even used for food; a nutritious flour was made from the ground berries. It was also considered a valuable remedy to counteract some of the effects of aging, including wasting (weight loss), lung weakness and urinary problems.
Settlers first considered this palm a nuisance plant and
cleared it from the land. However, they noticed that their
animals wouldlean over the fences to get at the black fruit.
Then they noticed that these animals were healthier than
the ones who did not eat the berries. This prompted farmers
to gather the plant and feed it to their animals, and then
eat it themselves.
Nicknamed “the plant catheter,” the herb is given to
strengthen the bladder. Infusions have been used as a diuretic
to improve urine flow and to treat both irritable bladders
and enlarged prostate glands. Herbalists often prescribe saw
palmetto for reduced or absent sex drive, impotence and
frigidity, too.
For at least 150 years, both European and American
physicians considered saw palmetto a valuable remedy for
benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Medical doctors used
the berries as a urogenital tonic for both men and women.
It was dropped from the US National Formulary in 1950,
as conventional physicians were not
convinced of its effectiveness. (It was
reinstated in 1998). Its popularity continued
in Europe and regained its status
as a valuable remedy in the 1960s. At
that time, French researchers discovered
that by concentrating the oils of saw
palmetto berry, they could maximize the
herb’s effectiveness. They also isolated
specific compounds and found that
these compounds have demonstrable
effects on the prostate gland.
Today, saw palmetto is an accepted
medical treatment for BPH in New Zealand, France, Germany,
Austria, Italy, Spain and other European countries.
It is also increasing in popularity in the United States. BPH
affects the quality of life for a quarter of men over the age
of 40 and 90% of men in their 80s. Symptoms include
difficulty starting urination, weak urinary stream, frequent
urination, dribbling after urination, and waking up several
times at night to urinate. (BPH is not a form of prostate
cancer, that is a different problem).
Even today, the exact cause of BPH is unknown, as is
saw palmetto’s complete mechanism of action. As with all
medicinal plants, the benefits are due to a combination of
compounds working together, not just a single “active” ingredient.
Research and experience suggest that saw palmetto
has antispasmodic activity, affects hormonal activity and has
anti-inflammatory and diuretic properties.
Saw palmetto appears to have a balancing effect on
male sex hormones. It not only helps BPH, it also helps
to preserve male potency, while tonifying and revitalizing
the organs of the urogenital system. It appears that urinary
symptoms due to mild to moderate prostate enlargement
respond more readily to saw palmetto than symptoms due
to severe enlargement.
Research and clinical studies suggest that extracts of saw
palmetto help reduce BPH and prostatitis by inhibiting the
conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT).
DHT is five times more potent than testosterone and is believed
to be responsible for prostate enlargement. It appears
to overstimulate growth of prostate tissue. By inhibiting the
conversion of testosterone to DHT, saw palmetto inhibits
this growth of prostate tissue.
Another mechanism is that the herb has an anti-estrogenic
action in prostate tissue. Apparently, it inhibits both androgen
and estrogen receptor activity which, again, prevents over
stimulation of prostate tissue. It is interesting to note that
the prostate and uterus are embryologically analogous tissue
and that as men age, testosterone levels drop and estrogen
levels rise. |
