Many men suffer with symptoms of benign prostatic hypertrophy. I am one of those men in my late 50's. I have been taking many herbal supplements. One of the best is Saw Palmetto.
The following has been published in HerbalGram by the American Botanical Council.
Saidi S, Stavridis S, Stankov O, Dohcev S, Panov S. Effects of Serenoa repens alcohol extract on benign prostate hyperplasia. Pril (Makedon Akad Nauk Umet Odd Med Nauki). September 2017;38(2):123-129. doi:10.1515/prilozi-2017-0030.
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common disorder in men that negatively affects the quality of life and can lead to acute urinary retention and chronic renal insufficiency. BPH is commonly treated with α-adrenergic antagonists (α-blockers) and 5-α reductase inhibitors, which can cause unwanted side effects. Saw palmetto (Serenoa repens; Arecaceae) fruit is a common alternative treatment for the urological symptoms associated with BPH. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effects of saw palmetto alcohol extract on the symptoms and major indicators of BPH.
In summary, saw palmetto significantly improved uroflowmetry parameters and IPSS scores compared to the control. In experimental studies saw palmetto has been shown to inhibit 5-α-reductase and have anti-androgenic, anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative, and anti-edematous effects on prostate cells; however, the exact mechanism of action has not been elucidated. Admitted limitations of the current study include lack of randomization, small sample size, and the lack of long-term follow-up. The authors conclude that larger and longer duration studies are needed to further evaluate this promising treatment of BPH.
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