What is Saw Palmetto?
As men age, they tend to suffer from prostate enlargement, which is caused by an increase in dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in prostate tissue. Saw palmetto inhibits the body's production of DHT, relieving this condition.
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Saw palmetto is an herb derived from the berries of a small, palm-tree like plant that grows in North America, especially in Florida. This plant has been used for years by Native Americans for the relief of genital, reproductive, and urinary problems. Today, it is gaining popularity in Europe and North America for the treatment of chronic bronchitis, impotence, and diseases associated with hormonal imbalances, such as prostate enlargement, hair loss, and bladder inflammation.
Although scientific research isn't conclusive about how it works, saw palmetto has been shown to reduce enlargement of the prostate, a condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH. This is a painful condition that happens to aging men. The symptoms include urethra blockage, poor urinary flow, and incontinence.
BPH is caused by an overproduction of DHT, which stimulates the creation of cells in the prostate. Saw palmetto extract inhibits this production so the prostate returns to a normal size. This is an amazing discovery, because in the past severe cases of BPH was usually resolved with surgery.
Saw palmetto's natural inhibition of DHT has caused some speculation that it can be used as an anti-aging supplement, because it has good antioxidant, metabolic, and hormone balancing effects in the body. For example, balding is caused in part by DHT. Because its production is reduced by saw palmetto, hair loss may be treated by a supplement of saw palmetto extract, although this has not yet been medically proven.
The herb saw palmetto can also be used as a treatment for androgen and estrogen imbalances and can help restore a hormonal balance for both men and women. Women can also use it to stimulate breast enlargement and lactation.
In addition to all of these significant benefits of saw palmetto, some people use it as an aphrodisiac, claiming that it remedies erectile dysfunction in men and low sex drive in both men and women. Medical studies have yet to prove these claims, but there is much anecdotal evidence to suggest that there may be a grain of truth to them.
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