The latest research on saw palmetto further supports its use as the option of first choice for men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH, or prostate enlargement). The study was the first American study to evaluate an herbal formula for the treatment of BPH, and provided some intriguing clues about the mechanism of its action (Marks, et al., 2000).
Europeans already favor the natural approach for treating this common condition in mature men. In Italy, herbal remedies are used five times as often as synthetic drugs, and in Germany, more than 90 percent of men and their physicians choose natural remedies over synthetics for treating BPH.
The recent American study was a small, controlled, six-month clinical trial that tested a proprietary blend of saw palmetto extract ( Serenoa repens [Bartram] Small, Arecaceae), nettle root extract ( Urtica dioica L., Urticaceae), and pumpkin seed oil ( Cucurbita pepo L., Cucurbitaceae) against placebo in 44 men aged 45 to 80. (All three of these herbs are approved by the German Commission E for treatment of BPH symptoms.) The test formula, which also contained lemon bioflavonoid extract and vitamin A, was manufactured by the Nutrilite division of Amway.
|
