saw palmetto study

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Gunther Abrahamson - 09 Feb 2006 13:57 GMT

SStudy: Saw palmetto didn'tt improve symptoms of enlarged prostate

Stephanie Nano
The Associated Press

Wednesday, February 08, 2006

NEW YORK -- A popular herbal pill used by millions of men doesn't
reduce the frequent urge to go to the bathroom or other annoying
symptoms of an enlarged prostate, a rigorous new study concludes.

The yearlong research found the plant extract, saw palmetto, was no more
effective than dummy capsules in easing symptoms for the 225 men in the
study. The results contrast with previous research that showed it helped.

"This certainly sheds some doubt on whether the productb is
effective and suggests that it might not work," said the lead
researcher, Dr. Stephen Bent, of the San Francisco VA Medical Center.

More than two million American men take the herb to treat an enlarged
prostate and it is widely used in Europe, the researchers said. Until
their results are confirmed by more studies, men who take saw palmetto and
feel it works should probably keep using it, Bent said.

The findings are published in Thursday'"s New England Journal of Medicine.

The prostate is a walnut-sized gland that surrounds the urethra, the tube
that carries urine from the bladder. Benign enlargement is a common
condition as men age, and it causes problems with urination. This
condition has nothing to do with prostate cancer.

The saw palmetto is a small palm native to the southeastern United States.
The extract comes from its olive-size berries and is sold over-the-counter
in capsule form.

It is the third-highest-selling herbal dietary supplement in the U.S.,
after garlic and echinacea, according to the American Botanical Council.
Unlike prescription drugs, dietary supplements do not need government
approval in the U.S.

Bent said he and his colleagues picked saw palmetto to study because of
its widespread use and positive findings from previous studies, which were
smaller and shorter than his federally funded research. Some of his
colleagues have received fees or support from drug makers.

The new study recruited men over 49 with enlarged prostates who had
moderate to severe symptoms. They took 160 milligrams of saw palmetto
twice a day or similar-looking dummy capsules. At each visit, they filled
out a symptoms survey and their urine flow was measured.

After a year, there was no significant difference between the groups in
symptom changes or other measures, the researchers reported.

Bent said the dummy capsule was carefully designed to match the brown
colour, bitter taste and strong odour of the extract. At the end of the
study, 40 per cent in the saw palmetto group and 46 per cent in the
comparison group thought they were getting the extract, showing it was
well disguised.
a theory of ours, but we think that that might be one of the reasons
that our study didn't work, whereas prior studies did work," Bent said,
suggesting that menin other studies may have figured out they were getting a
placebo.

Mark Blumenthal, head of the American Botanical Council, which follows
research on herbs, said saw palmetto is recommended for milder symptoms
than those included in the latest research."I don't have a fault for them
raising the bar. I do think it's unfortunate they didn't
raise the dosage," said Blumenthal, who has been taking the extract for
about a decade.

Bent said they recruited the same kind of patients used to test
prescription drugs for enlarged prostate, and the dosage was identical to
that used in earlier tests of saw palmetto.

"Now that this study is negative, I think it's reasonable to try a higher
dose," said Bent.

A larger study of herbal remedies, including saw palmetto, is in the final
planning stages.

In a journal editorial, Drs. Robert S. DiPaola and Ronald A. Morton at the
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, note that only one
formula of saw palmetto was tested and suggest that other preparations or
doses might work.

"What I tell men is that they may not do themselves any harm by taking it. It
just that I a"m not certain they aree going to do themselves any good taking
it," said Morton.

The Associated Press

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Ken Knecht - 09 Feb 2006 17:19 GMT

> SStudy: Saw palmetto didn'tt improve symptoms of enlarged prostate
>
[quoted text clipped - 93 lines]
>
> The Associated Press

I wonder what kind of saw palmetto they used? There are capsules filled
with ground berries and there are 85-95% standardized saw palmetto
extract softgels and everything in between. My understanding is that the
standardized are best.

I've taken them for many years and wouldn't want to bet that they help
because I never tried stopping them for a few months. But I _think_ they
do enough that I continue to buy them. My symptoms vary so much from day
to day that I'd have a hard time telling whether they help anyhow.

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Rich256 - 09 Feb 2006 19:30 GMT

>> SStudy: Saw palmetto didn'tt improve symptoms of enlarged prostate
>>
[quoted text clipped - 103 lines]
> do enough that I continue to buy them. My symptoms vary so much from day
> to day that I'd have a hard time telling whether they help anyhow.

ABC Clarifies Study Parameters:

http://www.naturalproductsinsider.com/hotnews/62h815837.html

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c palmer - 10 Feb 2006 00:09 GMT

i wonder how many men are aware that sal palmetto contains a natural
form of estrongen which can affect your psa numbers by making them lower
than they really are?

~ curtis
--------------------

here's a background on the saw palmetto herb......

Saw Palmetto is a small, palm-like plant native to North America. Native
Americans and early American settlers used the berries to treat problems
associated with the genitals, urinary tract and reproductive system. The
herb saw palmetto is called the "plant catheter" due to its support on
the neck of the bladder and the prostate in men. Saw Palmetto is widely
used in Germany, Canada, the United Kingdom and now the U.S. for
nutritionally benefiting the prostate and urinary tract. It has been
marketed as an aphrodisiac for both men and women.

The active constituents are volatile oil, steroids saponin, tannins, and
polysaccharides. Saw Palmetto is a tonic, meaning that it strengthens
and tones body tissues.

For men, saw palmetto is used to support the health of prostate gland.
Saw palmetto extract works to prevent testosterone from converting into
dihydrotestosterone, the hormone thought to cause prostrate cells to
multiply, leading to an enlarged prostate. Saw Palmetto is chiefly used
as a diuretic and to tone the bladder by supporting normal urinary flow.
Regular use of saw palmetto supports normal urinary elimination,
especially during the night.

Saw palmetto inhibits androgen and estrogen receptor activity and may be
beneficial for both sexes in balancing the hormones. Because of it
hormonal effects it can aid the thyroid in and normalizing activity of
several glands and organs.

During the last century, according to folk medicine, women have used the
herb to stimulate breast enlargement, lactation as well as support of
ovarian uterine health.

Native Americans used it for reduced or absent sex drive, impotence and
frigidity. Because of its potential hormonal effects, pregnant women
should not use it.
The berries have been recommended as a general tonic to increase
strength.

Preliminary evidence exists to also suggest saw palmetto may also
support the thyroid. Saw palmetto is a good expectorant for use in
supporting normal upper respiratory tract health.

Saw Palmetto has also been used to stimulate appetite, improve
digestion, nourish the nervous system and increase the assimilation of
nutrients to the body.

Two excellent review articles have been published on the mechanism of
action of saw palmetto. The first, published in the journal
"Phytomedicine" (Nieferprum, et. al.), explores the 5-a-reductase
inhibiting properties of the free fatty acids in the saw palmetto berry.
This activity is not only critical to saw palmetto's efficacy but may
also open the door for other health benefits of saw palmetto.

The second study (Koch & Biber) examines the role that
dihydrotestosterone, 5-a-reductase, estrogen, and sexual-hormone-binding
globulin (SHBG) play in the pathogenesis of BPH. This paper not only
explores saw palmetto extract's 5-a-reductase inhibiting and
antiedematous actions but also explores the efficacy of urtica (nettle)
root in the BPH treatment. A translation of this article appears in the
Summer 1995 issue of the Quarterly Review of Natural Medicine.

It is clear that the next step in clinical research with saw palmetto
extract is a comparative study with finasteride (Proscarâ). In the
meantime, healthcare practitioners utilizing saw palmetto extract in
their practices have excellent research documentation to support their
choice. - Donald Brown, N. D.

One of the more positive trends, the 1990's will be remembered for is
the willingness of mainstream medicine to examine the scientific
legitimacy of natural therapies versus their synthetic counterparts.
With Saw Palmetto cost being nearly 25-30% less than Proscar, and
proving to be more than twice as effective in half the time it takes
Proscar to reveal even modest results, saw palmetto offers new hopes to
millions of sufferers worldwide. With all the commotion being made about
proper prostate maintenance saw palmetto will enjoy continued success to
more than 50% of 45-60 year old males.

knowledge is power - growing old is mandatory - growing wise is optional
"Many more men die with prostate cancer than of it. Growing old is
invariably fatal. Prostate cancer is only sometimes so."
http://community.webtv.net/PALMER_ENT/doc

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