Saw Palmetto, also known as “saw palmetto” and whose scientific name is Serenoa repens, is a kind of native palm found in the southeastern United States.
This plant contains numerous health benefits, such as prostate level, balances hormone levels and helps prevent hair loss in men . In addition, they are also related to other types of benefits, such as reducing inflammation and improving urinary function.
Discover more details about the benefits that Saw Palmetto can give you.
4 benefits of Saw Palmetto
1. Helps prevent hair loss in men
Hair loss is a very common problem, especially in men. This is a condition that can be caused by a variety of factors, including genetics, certain medical conditions, hormonal changes, and the use of medications such as stimulants and blood thinners.
Saw palmetto has been commonly used to balance hormone levels and fight hair loss in older men.
Saw palmetto can help block the activity of 5-alpha reductase (5α-R), an enzyme that converts testosterone to a hormone related to hair loss called dihydrotestosterone (DHT). It can also prevent hair loss by reduce the absorption of DHT in the hair follicles, which decreases their ability to bind to specific hormone receptors.
In a study of 62 adults, applying saw palmetto topically for 3 months was shown to increase hair density by 35%. (Murugusundram, 2009). In another study, it was effective in helping to improve hair growth in 60% of men with male pattern baldness with corresponding ages between 23 and 64 years (Prager, 2002).
2. Helps improve urinary function
Urinary tract problems are very common, especially in older men, and can include problems such as incontinence and difficulty urinating.
Saw palmetto helps improve urinary symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a condition that causes an enlarged prostate gland and results in decreased urine flow.
In a 12-week study conducted with the help of 92 men, it was shown that taking 2 capsules daily of Prostataplex, a herbal supplement mix that includes saw palmetto, helped improve urinary tract symptoms. associated with BPH. (Shi et al., 2008).
Despite having good results in these two investigations, more research is needed to determine if saw palmetto can also help improve urinary tract function in the general population, even for those without prostate problems.
3. Helps improve prostate health
The prostate is a small gland located between the bladder and the penis of men, responsible for maintaining the health of sperm. Some research indicates that saw palmetto may help improve prostate health and help prevent problems like BPH and prostate cancer. (Verze, Cai and Lorenzetti, 2016). According to another study, but this time from a test tube, the palm kernel extract was able to reduce the growth of prostate cancer cells. (Goldmann et al., 2001).
In a second test-tube study, saw palmetto was shown to block the spread and growth of prostate cancer cells by deactivating specific receptors involved in cancer development. (Yang et al., 2007).
In a fourth study, but this time in humans and animals, it was shown that it can also be effective in reducing urinary symptoms and inflammation related to BPH. (Bernichtein et al., 2015). However, it should be noted that in some studies it is observed that it may be ineffective in reducing the symptoms of BPH. (Pizzorno et al., 2006).
Despite the aforementioned research, more and better quality research is needed to evaluate how saw palmetto can improve prostate health in men.
4. Helps regulate testosterone levels
Saw palmetto is commonly used by men looking to raise testosterone levels naturally. Regulating testosterone levels can affect various aspects of health, including body composition, sexual desire, mood, and cognition.
It is important to note that testosterone levels decline with age, and some research shows that low testosterone levels may contribute to conditions such as heart disease.
In a test-tube study, the effectiveness of saw palmetto extract was found to be comparable to finasteride in preserving testosterone levels, a drug used to treat hair loss and BPH by reducing the activity of 5α-R . (Pais, Villar and Rull, 2016).
In another study of 40 men, saw palmetto treatment decreased DHT levels by 32% after 6 months, indicating that it was effective in maintaining testosterone levels. (Marks et al., 2001).
Conclution
Saw palmetto is a plant that has been used over the years to treat ailments commonly seen in men, such as hair loss, urinary function, prostate health, and decreased testosterone levels.
Several studies were carried out in order to determine if this plant was really beneficial for man. Although the results were quite promising, more research is needed to determine exactly if it can really help combat these problems.
References
- Bernichtein, S., Pigat, N., Camparo, P., Latil, A., Viltard, M., Friedlander, G. and Goffin, V. (2015). Anti-inflammatory properties of Lipidosterolic extract of Serenoa repens (Permixon) in a mouse model of prostate hyperplasia. The Prostate . doi: 10.1002 / pros.22953
- Goldmann, W., Sharma, A., Currier, S., Johnston, P., Rana, A. and Sharma, C. (2001). Saw palmetto berry extract inhibits cell growth and Cox-2 expression in prostatic cancer cells. Cell Biology International . doi: 1011913955
- Marks, L., Hess, D., Dorey, F., Macairan, L., Cruz, P. and Tyler, V. (2001). Tissue effects of saw palmetto and finasteride: use of biopsy cores for in situ quantification of prostatic androgens. Urology. doi: 1011337315
- Murugusundram, S. (2009). Serenoa Repens: Does It have Any Role in the Management of Androgenetic Alopecia? Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery. doi: 10.4103 / 0974-2077.53097
- Pais, P., Villar, A. and Rull, S. (2016). Determination of the potency of a novel saw palmetto supercritical CO2 extract (SPSE) for 5α-reductase isoform II inhibition using a cell-free in vitro test system. Research and Reports in Urology. doi: 10.2147 / RRU.S96576
- Pizzorno, R., Littman, A., Kestin, M. and Blanca, E. (2006). Saw palmetto supplement use and prostate cancer risk. Nutrition and Cancer. doi: 10.1207 / s15327914nc5501_3
- Prager, N., Bickett, K., Francés, N. and Marcovici, G. (2002). A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to determine the effectiveness of botanically derived inhibitors of 5-alpha-reductase in the treatment of androgenetic alopecia. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. doi: 10.1089 / acm.2002.8.143
- Shi, R., Xie, Q., Gang, X., Lun, J., Cheng, L., Pantuck, A. and Rao, J. (2008). Effect of saw palmetto soft gel capsule on lower urinary tract symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia: a randomized trial in Shanghai, China. The Journal of Urology . doi: 10.1016 / j.juro.2007.09.032
- Verze, P., Cai, T. and Lorenzetti, S. (2016). The role of the prostate in male fertility, health and disease. Nature Revies. Urology . doi: 10.1038 / nrurol.2016.89
- Yang, Y., Ikezoe, T., Zheng, Z., Taguchi, H., Koeffler, H. and Zhu, W. (2007). Saw Palmetto induces growth arrest and apoptosis of androgen-dependent prostate cancer LNCaP cells via inactivation of STAT 3 and androgen receptor signaling. International Journal of Oncology. doi: 1017671686
