Saw Palmetto And Prostate Cancer Treatment

When researching natural products for treatment of BPH it's interesting that Proscar was approved by the FDA and then all non prescription drugs for this disorder were banned.  Perhaps there are several reasons for this phenomenon but here are are few:

The FDA reasoned that there was no successful evidence  to show that any over the counter products were effective in their treatment of BPH and that those who used them might put off getting medical treatment while their situation worsened. 

But what some may not recognize is that there is credible evidence in Europe and elsewhere that certain plant based nutrients DO effectively treat BPH and that people using them experience vast improvement in their quality of life. 

One of the most well known of these phytonutrients is saw palmetto.  The reported benefits include increased urinary flow, reduced residual urine and decreased frequency of urination.

Saw palmetto can be found in southeastern states.  It is a small palm tree.  The Seminole Indians ate the seeds as food.  Maybe they found it helped their urinary problems. 

The reason it is effective may be because it contains a compound that turns testosterone into dihydrotestosterone thus preventing the transformation of the testosterone.  It is exactly the same way that Proscar works, but in a different way.

Half a dozen studies have proven saw palmetto as an effective treatment.  In one of them, a clinical trial of more than 2000 German men with BPH received substantial easing of PBH symptoms after a daily does of one to two grams of saw palmetto seeds.

It is interesting to note, Science News reports, “30% of all American men have undiagnosed prostate cancer by age 60-but the incidence is only about 1% among Arctic Intuit men of the same age group.”  It is believed that this is a result of a diet high in fish oil.  This may be something to consider in your own diet.