Can taking saw palmetto relieve benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH)?
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Dr. Mehmet Oz answered:The supplement saw palmetto has been shown to alleviate the symptoms of benign prostatic hypertrophy, which causes men to get up several times a night to urinate.
Just make sure you use a saw palmetto supplement that contains the ingredient beta sitosterol-the substance correlated with decreased prostate swelling. Half of the saw palmetto products on the market don't contain any. Take 160 mg twice a day.
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The supplement saw palmetto has been shown to alleviate the symptoms of benign prostatic hypertrophy, which causes men to get up several times a night to urinate. Just make sure you use a saw palmetto supplement that contains the ingredient beta... More -
Dr. Marc Garnick answered:In the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine found saw palmetto to be no better than placebo: there was no significant difference between the men who took saw palmetto and those who didn't on such measures as prostate size, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level, or maximum urine flow. Some of the same investigators who published a review analyzed the results of 30 randomized clinical trials of saw palmetto for the treatment of BPH in 5,222 men. They found that saw palmetto was no more effective than a placebo for easing urinary symptoms.
In addition to its lack of effectiveness, another drawback of this herbal supplement, as with most nonprescription herbal products, is that its composition and dosage have not been standardized, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn't regulate it. If you decide to use saw palmetto, tell your doctor so he or she will be alert to possible interactions between it and any other medications you take. The dosage used in most of the studies was 320 mg per day.In the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine found saw palmetto to be no better than placebo: there was no significant difference between the men who took saw palmetto and those who... More -
RealAge answered:In the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), saw palmetto seems to inhibit male hormones by reducing the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which stimulates prostate growth. Exactly how the saw palmetto exerts this influence when taken in extract form is not known.
Saw palmetto has been used in Europe as a prescription product called Permixon. Saw palmetto is available in the United States as a supplement -- not a medication.
The recommended dose for saw palmetto is 320 mg of extract per day. The amount used in most studies is usually divided into two 160 mg doses.In the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), saw palmetto seems to inhibit male hormones by reducing the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which stimulates prostate growth. Exactly how the saw palmetto... More
