Health & Medicine - Posted by Gerry Everding-WUSTL on Friday, September 30, 2011 15:47 - 3 Comments 
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(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Saw palmetto pills offer no prostate relief
Compared to a placebo, saw palmetto capsules do not alleviate urinary problems related to an enlarged prostate, even when men take took three times the recommended daily dose. (Credit: David N. Madden / Shutterstock)
WASHINGTON U.-ST. LOUIS (US) — Supplements made from the fruit of the saw palmetto tree do not relieve symptoms of an enlarged prostate, even when taken in very large doses.
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The text of this article by Futurity is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivatives License.
Older men in the U.S. and Europe often take the supplement in an attempt to reduce bothersome symptoms of a swollen prostate, including frequent urination and a sense of urgency. Doctors in Europe often recommend it over more traditional drug treatments.
Results of the study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, may settle an ongoing debate over the effectiveness of saw palmetto for the condition known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
“Now we know that even very high doses of saw palmetto make absolutely no difference,” says Gerald Andriole, professor and chief of urologic surgery at Washington University in St. Louis. “Men should not spend their money on this herbal supplement as a way to reduce symptoms of enlarged prostate because it clearly does not work any better than a sugar pill.”
The multi-center study, led by Michael Barry at Massachusetts General Hospital, involved more than 300 men ages 45 and older who had moderate symptoms suggestive of an enlarged prostate, such as frequent urination, difficulty emptying their bladders, and a weak urine stream. The men were randomly selected to receive a daily dose of saw palmetto extract, beginning at 320 milligrams, or an identical-looking placebo pill with the same distinctive smell and taste.
After 24 weeks, the saw palmetto dosage was increased to 640 milligrams a day, and after another 24 weeks, to 960 milligrams a day—triple the standard dose. In all, men took saw palmetto or a placebo for nearly 17 months. Neither the physicians nor the patients knew who was taking what regimen until the end of the study.
The researchers found that among men who took saw palmetto, prostate problems improved slightly but not more than in men taking a placebo.
“We commonly see this in clinical trials,” Andriole explains. “Patients often report an improvement in symptoms because they are taking something, even if it is a placebo. But in this study, there was no benefit to taking saw palmetto over the placebo.”
Saw palmetto had no greater effect than the placebo on BPH symptoms as well as other conditions related to an enlarged prostate including waking at night to urinate, PSA level, and bladder control.
The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, and the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements.
More news from Washington University in St. Louis: http://news-info.wustl.edu/
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3 Comments
Jeffree K Lassitter
curtis
Thanks to studies like this, prostate cancer patients need not this saw palmetto to combat the illness. They won’t have to spend money to this useless pills. Check prostate cancer treatment. btw, i will bookmark this so everyone may know
Hey, curtis, saw palmetto is not recommended for prostate cancer; it’s recommended for BPH, which is not the same thing at all. Pay attention.
By the way, here’s more info about saw palmetto and BPH: http://prostatecancer.about.com/od/treatment/a/sawpalmettoprostatehealth.htm
This research is HIGHLY SUSPECT. Firstly, symptoms “suggestive of an enlarged prostate” does not mean that the participants actually had enlarged prostates. Secondly, unless each of the study participants had a digital confirmation of prostate enlargement by a urologist before the study began, then this study is useless. Thirdly, after hearing about EXTREMELY SERIOUS side-effects of dutasteride-containing drugs for BPH (Avodart, Jalyn — look them up in Wikipedia.org), I personally discontinued these drugs and immediately switched over to 500 mg of high-grade saw palmentto extract (in softgels) THREE TIMES PER DAY for a total of 1,500 mg daily and discovered TO MY SURPRISE almost no difference in urinary functioning. So now I’m continuing with the saw palmetto and feeling physically better and am happier not having to take drugs that are the basis of class action suits for their serious side-effects. Excuse my cynicism but my suspicion is that this ridiculous research was funded by the manufacturers of dangerous drugs for BPH.