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History
BPH
Scientific Review
Pharmacology
References & Links
Conclusion
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The saw
palmetto or Serenoa repens is also known as palmetto scrub or
cabbage palm. This plant is indigenous to the southeastern United states
and the islands of the West Indies. Its natural habitat ranges from
as far north as South Carolina and west into Texas. Currently the main
supplier of saw palmetto is the state of Florida with the harvesting of
wild crops occurring mostly in the central part of the state. |
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The saw
palmetto plant is best described as a palm shrub. The plants grow in large
colonies of a hundred or more. Each plant produces 3 to 7 fan shaped
leaves which grow to about two feet in width. In the spring
the plant produces small white flowers which produce the fruit of the saw
palmetto, a small berry. The berries are harvested in the fall after they
mature.
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Saw Palmetto berries just before harvest.
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Once harvested
the berries are dried and ground into powder. From this powder a
lipophilic extract is removed. It is this extract which is thought to
contain the medicinal qualities of the saw palmetto. |
History |
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The saw
palmetto was a staple food of the Native American population in the southeastern United States.
Native Americans are known to have used the berries both as a
food source and for its medicinal qualities. Historically, saw
palmetto was taken with nettle root and pumpkin seeds. Thus, some
modern formulations include these elements. Native American
medicine men are said to have used the berries as treatment for a wide
variety of conditions, including: impotence, inflammation, infertility,
and as an expectorant. |
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A view of the south Florida scrub forest that is a
natural habitat of the saw palmetto. |
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During the late
nineteenth century an interest in saw palmetto developed when its positive
effect on livestock was observed. This interest increased when its beneficial
effects on the genitourinary tract were noted. At this time saw palmetto
was used as a treatment for enlarged prostate, cystitis, gonorrhea and
irritation of the mucous membranes. However, after the World War II era
the use of saw palmetto as a medication diminished in the US.
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However, the
use of saw palmetto as a medicinal herb continued in Europe. Currently the
use of herbal alternatives for the treatment of BPH is very common there.
This is most prevalent in Germany, where as many as 95% of patients
are first treated with an herbal remedy. Treatment with herbal remedies has provided a more favorable
ratio between therapeutic benefits and adverse reactions. In Germany a standard
has been set such that saw palmetto extract (SPE) must contain
85-95% fatty acids and sterols ( believed to be the active ingredients). It is
this lipophilic extract that has been used throughout Europe and upon
which the majority of saw palmetto research has been performed.
In order to obtain this
lipophilic substance from the saw palmetto plant, an extraction process
must take place. The specific extraction process affects the formulation of the
product. Hexane is the most widely used solvent in extraction.
Using Hexane forms the saw palmetto product Permixon, the most widely used
and studied form of the saw palmetto supplement in Europe.
Other formulations use ethanol, methanol, and liquid carbon dioxide as
solvents.
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In the United
States SPE has seen a recent resurgence for the
treatment of many "male-oriented" disorders such as impotence, hair loss, poor
libido, and enlargement of the prostate. However, saw palmetto extract has
not been approved by the FDA for any medicinal use in the USA.
Therefore, it can only be sold as a nutritional supplement in the USA. Like any other nutritional supplement, its production is
not regulated. Thus, there can be
no guarantee that the extract purchased contains the 85-95% fatty acid and
sterol mix upon which the majority of saw palmetto extract supplementation
and research is based on in Europe. |
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