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Home -> Shop By Store -> Saw PalmettoSaw PalmettoBotanical NameSarenoa serrulata (HOOK, F.) Habitat Atlantic Coast from South Carolina to Florida, and southern California. Part Used Partially-dried ripe fruit. Introduction The Saw Palmetto grows from 6 to 10 feet high, forming what is called the 'palmetto scrub. Saw Palmetto has a crown of large leaves, and the fruit is irregularly-spherical to oblong-ovoid, deep red-brown, slightly wrinkled, being from 1/2 to 1 inch long and about 1/2 inch in diameter. Saw Palmetto contains a hard brown seed. The taste is sweetish and not agreeable, and the panicle containing it may weigh as much as 9 lb. Saw Palmetto has no odour. Medical Uses Saw Palmetto is commonly used to treat problems related to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The medicinal element of saw palmetto is taken from the partially dried ripe fruit of the American dwarf palm tree, which is indigenous to the coastal regions of the southern United States, from the Carolinas and Florida to California. BPH is a nearly universal result of the aging process in men. As the prostate gland enlarges, it can cause both obstructive and irritative symptoms; however, the size of the prostate gland is not predictive of the symptoms that patients experience. Saw palmetto is widely used in other countries; for example, it is used in 50 percent of treatments for BPH in Italy and in 90 percent of such treatments in Germany.1 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,2 blocked conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT),3,4 and prostate epithelial involution similar to effects noted with the use of finasteride (Proscar). Contraindications, Adverse Effects, and Interactions The primary side effect occurring in humans is gastrointestinal distress, which is mild and can be minimized by taking saw palmetto with food. Saw palmetto is believed to be quite safe, although formal toxicology studies have not been completed. A daily dosage of 480 mg was not found to be any more effective in a six-month study of dosages. |
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