Saw Palmetto – the Prostate Herb

The Saw Palmetto tree grows along the south east coast of Africa and its olive like berries have become the herb of choice for naturopaths and herbalists for treating BPH, benign prostate hyperplasia.

BPH is a condition that affects men over 45 to 50. It is a normal enlargement of the prostate gland that occurs over time and the effect is to narrow the opening in the urinary tract causing a restriction to the flow of urine from the bladder. This does not pose a serious problem in most men, just a slowing down of the urinary flow, particularly at night, and mainstream medicinal professionals advise “watchful waiting”- that is, do nothing and see if it gets worse.

More severe cases of BHP symptoms include frequent, difficult urination, pain or burning when urinating, pain in lower back, and pain in the genital area and the pelvis and some intervention is essential when this stage is reached. The trouble is that getting to this stage raises the prospect of hair-raising surgical interventions, because there is not much in the way of pharmaceutical drugs that offers reliable relief without undesirable side effects.

It is, in fact, a mark of the persistent and illogical reluctance of the part of conventional medical practitioners that they refuse to inform BHP sufferers of the several herbs that have an established track record of success in, at the very least, preventing the progression of the condition.

The main herb that can show an encouraging record of success is Saw Palmetto. There have been over 20 controlled tests of Saw Palmetto with demonstrable positive results in all of these tests. It seems that Saw Palmetto has consistently arrested the progress of the condition and has a convincing record of alleviating the symptoms in many cases.

The action of Saw Palmetto is thought to be that it has an anti-inflammatory action and an ability to reduce the availability of the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT) to the prostate tissue, the hormone that some experts claim fuels prostate overgrowth.

Furthermore, Saw Palmetto is thought to have a number of other possible mechanisms of action, including blocking the activity of estrogen receptors in the prostate and easing swelling by regulating hormones.

The side effects of regular use of Saw Palmetto are so rare and minor in comparison with the relief that it offers that this author is amazed that it is not even suggested as worth a try to just about every man over 45 with the symptoms.

One of the problems with the onset of BPH is denial. At 45, most men like to think that they are still virile and potent and an admission of reduced urine flow, and, dare I mention it, reduced force of ejaculation, is something that many guys just don't want to own up to, not even to themselves.

It is quite common for men to confuse BHP, which is a normal condition in older men, with the onset of prostate cancer. In those cases denial is a major problem and these men live with the constant dread that their problem may well ultimately progress to a painfully terminal condition. It is an arguable reality that, whereas women tend to squarely face up to their health problems and seek expert advice, men tend to live in the hope that they will just disappear in time and that, even if they don't, they are going to enjoy life in the meantime!

If you are a man and you have read my article this far you are probably not that sort of guy. Maybe you are.

In any case, if you are over 45 and are worried about your prostate may I commend you to see your doctor? Not that he will recommend herbs to you, because their training comes from the pharmaceutical drug industry, but that he (I am assuming “he”) will check your prostate with the dreaded, but really very simple, and, in reality, negligibly intrusive, digital examination for sinister abnormalities. Once you can feel reasonably confident that you haven't got prostate cancer you then have a reasonable basis for deciding whether to simply live with your enlarging prostate or do something to avoid it getting to the advanced stages described above.

Other than Saw Palmetto, there are two other herbs in particular which have an excellent track record in the treatment of prostate problems. They are Nettle root and Pygeum. These herbs are commonly used in conjunction with Say Palmetto in supplements. Zinc is also worth taking.

It is a fact that the prostate gland contains more zinc than any organ in the body, and a deficiency of zinc has been linked to BPH, prostatitis, and even prostate cancer. It has been shown that a daily supplementation of zinc can, in some cases, actually reduce the size of an enlarged prostate.

There are a number of formulae that combine Saw Palmetto, Nettle and Pygeum into one supplement, and this has been shown to be an effective combination. But, whatever you choose, you are probably in an age group where zinc supplementation is also a good idea and won't do you any harm.

If you are over 45, don't kid yourself that your prostate is the same as it ever was. It won't be. Take care of yourself. See your healthcare professional and talk about it, at least get your prostate checked for your own peace of mind. But don't just hope that one day your body will revert to being 18 years old again.

That doesn't happen.

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Ian Finlayson is webmaster and chief author of The Herb Spiral and several other websites, including this one, dealing with medicinal herbs, and has written innumerable articles on herbs and herbal supplements throughout the Internet.