Saw Palmetto, is it worth it?

I was recently asked by a male client if I thought him taking the supplement Saw Palmetto was good idea. My answer to him was yes, and that pretty much any male over the age of 30, should take saw palmetto.

You see as we age, testosterone levels decline. One reason why this occurs is because of the overactivity of an enzyme known as 5-alpha reductase. This enzyme binds with testosterone and converts it into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). This process not only lowers the amount of testosterone in the body, it also contributes to both the benign (BPH) and malignant (cancer) growth of the prostate gland.

Pharmaceutical companies have already capitalized on this biological fact by producing a class of drugs which inhibit 5-alpha reductase activity, essentially blocking the conversion of testosterone to DHT. Examples of these drugs are Proscar or Propecia, and Avodart. Unfortunately according to a number of health advocates, these drugs come with a significant set of risks, including get this, increasing your risk of developing prostate cancer.

Now how does saw palmetto factor into this equation? Unlike the pharmaceutical drugs mentioned above, saw palmetto is a natural source of blocking conversion of testosterone to DHT.

According to Dr. Rudi Moerck, drug industry insider and an expert in chemistry, the medical literature contains as many as 100 clinical studies on saw palmetto. (Incidentally one of the first prostate drugs on the US market was actually saw palmetto, released by Eli Lilly Company back in the early 1870s.)

He says:
"The mechanism of action of saw palmetto is not fully clear. We are certainly not making any drug claims, but the anecdotal evidence suggests that there is a reduction in the conversion of testosterone into the dihydrotestosterone, and therefore, men that take saw palmetto will have slightly higher levels of testosterone in their body…That's a good thing...

It turns out that if you don't have enough testosterone in your body it can cause all kinds of problems like gaining weight, breast enlargement in men, and problem with urinating. So saw palmetto alone, or with pumpkin seed or lycopene is an interesting proposition … It's something that you should definitely try."

Additionally, research done by The National Library of Medicine shows that saw palmetto may have therapeutic benefits over pharmaceutical 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors, alleviating symptoms far beyond that of simply an enlarged prostate:

• Androgenic Alopecia (Hair Loss)
• Prostate Cancer
• Low Testosterone
• Chronic Prostatitis

Of course before you start taking any supplement, I encourage to check with your Doctor, and in this case be sure to have your testosterone levels tested to see if they are in fact below normal. I hope you found this information useful. Stay fit and well family.