SAW PALMETTO: Benefits and Uses!!!

Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens or Sabal Serrulata) is a plant belonging to the palm tree family native to the southeastern United States.  Historically, the Glades culture and the Seminole tribes in southern Florida used the fruit of saw palmetto to treat particular urinary tract and reproductive conditions.

The extract of the saw palmetto fruit contains phytosterols and flavanoids, which block the effect of androgens.   A test tube study suggested palmetto relieved the lower urinary tract symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), also known as an enlarged prostrate.   It did this by blocking the effects of androgens and by blocking inflammation.   Popularly taken for prostate enlargement, saw palmetto is also taken for hair loss and chronic pelvic pain.

What is an androgen?   An androgen is a male sex hormone, such as testosterone.



What is a phytosterol?  A phytosterol is a bioactive compound found in foods of plant origin and present a chemical structure similar to that of cholesterol.


What is a flavanoid? Flavonoids, a group of natural substances with variable phenolic structures, are found in fruits, vegetables, grains, bark, roots, stems, flowers, tea and wine. These natural products are well known for their beneficial effects on health and efforts are being made to isolate the ingredients so called flavonoids.



I have found Saw Palmetto to help with many conditions including: