Serenoa repens,Sabal serrulata,Saw Palmetto Herb Extract Benefit.

Contents

• Saw Palmetto Botanical Info.
• Saw Palmetto Botanical Description.
• Life History and Saw Palmetto Population Biology.
• Saw Palmetto Physical Tolerances.
• Saw Palmetto Economic Importance.
• Standardization and Saw Palmetto Herb Extract Benefits?
• Saw Palmetto: Archeology and traditional uses.
• Saw Palmetto and Useful Phytochemicals.
• Structure of Fatty Acids and Steroids.
• Saw Palmetto: Famous function and application.
• Sex Hormone Problems and Saw Palmetto.
• BPH Management with Sawl Palmetto.
• Saw Palmetto Dosage and Functional Mechanism.
• Male Sexual Health and the Prostate Gland.
• Herbal Therapy for BPH:Classical Literature and Combinations.
• How Search engine think about Saw Palmetto and Fatty Acid.
• Research Update.
• Photo Gallery of Serenoa serrulata.

BPH Management with Sawl Palmetto.:

Saw Palmetto (Serenoa serrulata) is one of the most widely prescribed herbal medicines in Europe for the symptomatic relief of medically-diagnosed enlarged prostate. The prostate is a small circular gland positioned just below the bladder where urine is stored. The urethra passes through the middle of the prostate and provides a passage way for urine to pass through the penis.

 Hormonal changes which occur during aging can cause the prostate to enlarge. Prostate enlargement is triggered by a form of testosterone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT). The enzyme 5-alpha reductase converts testosterone to DHT resulting in greater prostate enlargement.

 50 to 60% of men aged between 40 and 60 may be affected by enlargement of the prostate due to alterations in hormone levels. The prostate gland is about the size of a walnut and is located at the base of the bladder. Through its centre passes the urethra, the tube that transports urine from the bladder out of the body. The prostate gland itself makes the seminal fluid that transports and nourishes sperm.

 Benign prostatic enlargement is a male hormone (androgen) dependent disorder. As men age alterations in hormone levels can occur, leading to an increased concentration of dihydrotestosterone within the prostate.

 Dihydrotestosterone is a very potent androgen derived from testosterone and is responsible for the over-production of prostate cells that result in prostatic enlargement. Testosterone and dihydrotestosterone are normally metabolised by enzymes to compounds that are then excreted. Elevated oestrogen levels inhibit the rate of excretion of these hormones from the prostate gland.

 In addition, there appears to be elevated prolactin levels that lead to an increase in the uptake of testosterone by the prostate gland leading to an increased synthesis of dihydrotestosterone. Drugs that reduce prolactin levels reduce many of the symptoms of benign prostatic hypertrophy.


 Most enlarged prostate's are benign - a condition known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) - and may be quickly and effectively managed with Saw Palmetto (Serenoa serrulata).

 Numerous human trials report that saw palmetto improves symptoms of benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) such as nighttime urination, urinary flow, and overall quality of life, although it may not greatly reduce the size of the prostate. The effectiveness may be similar to the medication finasteride (Proscar®) with fewer side effects. Although the quality of these studies has been variable, overall they suggest effectiveness. Saw palmetto has not been thoroughly compared to other types of drugs used for BPH, such as doxazosin (Cardura®) or terazosin (Hytrin®). Most available studies have assessed the standardized saw palmetto product Permixon®. Although a 2003 study by Willetts et al. reports no difference between the effects of saw palmetto and placebo in 100 men over a 12-week period, overall the weight of available scientific evidence favors the effectiveness of saw palmetto.

 Prostate enlargement puts pressure on the urethra by clamping it and causing the following symptoms,Symptoms of benign prostatic enlargement maybe the same symptoms as prostate cancer, which requires medical treatment. It is imperative that medical advice is sort for definite diagnosis:


 Frequent and urgent urination, including night-time urination (nocturia:the need to get up and pass urine in the night)
 Urinary frequency or urgency
 Weak or interrupted urination stream,Weak stream of urine
 Painful urination
 Less force of urination,Small voided volumes of urine
 Difficulty urinating (retaining urine in bladder,Feeling of incomplete bladder emptying)
 Increased risk of urinary tract infection
 Loss of urinary control,Stopping and starting of urine
 Blood in urine
 Urinary hesitancy on commencement of urination flow
 Prolonged voiding time
 Post-voiding urine dribble
 A double-blind randomised controlled trial also reported beneficial effects of saw palmetto for androgenic alopecia (hair loss).

 Serenoa (Serenoa serrulata, Hook F), commonly called Saw palmetto (or Sabal), is a dwarf palm native to the East Coast of North America. By the end of the 19th century the berries of this plant had gained a reputation for use in the treatment of urinary and reproductive dysfunction and as an aphrodisiac.

 In the first half of this century the berries were cited in the USA Pharmocopoeia for the treatment of dysuria. The traditional therapeutic profile of the berries includes tonic, immune stimulant, expectorant and sedative properties. However, it is the anti-inflammatory and urinary antiseptic properties of the berries which have been emphasised in modern research studies, particular attention being paid to its use in treatment of BPH. A number of double-blind studies have been undertaken with Serenoa extracts for the treatment of patients with BPH. These show a significant improvement in signs of the condition compared with placebo within 90 days.

 Attention has focused on beta-sitosterol as the principle active constituent of the berries, lipophyllic extracts of which have been shown to inhibit the activity of 5-alpha reductase. This is the enzyme in the prostate that is responsible for the conversion of testosterone to dehydrotestosterone (DHT), high concentrations of which promote prostate cell division.


 Therapeutic Uses:

 Saw Palmetto provides effective relief from the symptoms of BPH. BPH is characterised by an enlargement of the prostate gland that makes urination difficult and uncomfortable. As the prostate gland enlarges, it puts pressure on the urethra that carries urine from the bladder.

 The most common symptoms of BPH include the need for frequent daytime and nocturnal urination, delayed onset of urination, dribbling after urination, and reduced urinary stream. BPH will affect over 50% of men in their lifetime with symptoms usually developing around the age of 50. The majority of men over 60 are considered to have urinary symptoms attributable to BPH and by the age of 80 there is an 80% chance of experiencing urination problems caused by BPH. There have been over 15 years of reported open and observational studies and more than 10 double blind placebo controlled clinical trials on extracts of Saw Palmetto for the treatment of BPH. There is no evidence to suggest that Saw Palmetto is effective in preventing BPH or reducing the risk of prostate cancer.

 The normal prostate is about the size of a walnut. It lies just below the bladder at the base of the penis and is wrapped around the urethra, the tube that urine is excreted down. After the age of 40 the prostate naturally starts to enlarge in most men. This is known as BPH. BPH is most common from the age of 50. Symptoms of BPH include frequent urination, urgency to urinate, and need to pass urine at night (nocturia) , poor stream, incomplete emptying of the bladder and difficulty in stopping urination. Approximately 90% of men over 85 years of age have BPH.

 Standardized extracts of Saw Palmetto have been shown in clinical studies to play a role in the treatment of the symptoms of BPH. A systematic review of Saw Palmetto including 18 randomised clinical studies, 16 of which were double-blind, involving a total of 2,939 men with BPH demonstrated that the herbal extract lead to a decrease in urinary symptoms and nocturia. There was also a reported increase in peak urine flow. A review of these studies was published as a Cochrane systematic review (Wilt T J et al. Serenoa repens for the treatment of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia, In: The Cochrane Library, Issue 3, 2001).

 The Saw Palmetto extract appears to control the hormonal changes that can lead to the growth of the prostate gland with age. Saw Palmetto helps to counteract the effects of oestrogen and progesterone on the gland. Its main action is to block the enzyme that converts the male hormone testosterone to a more active form, which stimulates the prostate gland to increase in size. This enzyme becomes more active with age.

Reference:

• Serenoa repens,Sabal serrulata,Saw Palmetto Herb Extract Benefit.

This article written and edited via herbalist of MDidea Extracts Professional. They run a range of online descriptions about this herb,including general information related and summarized updating discoveries from findings of professional scientisits this field related.Describe style aimed to form a useful detecting literature space where the intertwined threshold and related questions raise out and visualize themselves.

♣ last edit date:08th,Oct.2010.