Saw Palmetto - Monograph

Common Name – Saw Palmetto

Botanical Name – Serenoa

Parts Used – Fruits

Active Constituents – Fatty acids; caproic, lauric, palmitic, Polysaccharides; galactose, arabinose, uronic acid and Sterols.

So what is saw palmetto good for?

Therapeudic properties of Saw Palmetto - Diuretic, urinary antiseptic, endocrine agent.

BPH is believed to be caused by testosterone accumulation in the prostate. The testosterone is then turned into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which then causes the cells to multiply leading to the enlargement of the prostate. Saw palmetto prevents testosterone from converting to DHT. It also increases DHT's breakdown and excretion.

Dosage:

320 mg per day of saw palmetto herbal extract in capsules or tablets is recommended for early stages of BPH - which are rich in fatty acids, sterols, and esters. It may take about 6 weeks to see results with BPH.

The dry fruit can also be crushed and taken as a tea. This is weaker than the herbal extract so 5-6 grams should be taken per day.

Liquid extracts of the whole herb at 30 drops three times per day may also be effective.

Tea: put one teaspoonful of the crushed berries in a cup of water, bring to the boil simmer gently for 5 minutes and strain out the used herbs. This should be drunk three times a day.

Contraindications – Saw Palmetto is considered to be safe and has no contraindications.