5 Health Benefits of Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens)

March 6, 2024March 6, 2024 Agric4Profits

Saw palmetto, also known as Serenoa repens, produces deep purple berries that are used to make saw palmetto extract. It has thick, green leaves that extend out from its thorny stem and can be a tree or a shrub.

In warm areas, it can grow to a height of ten feet, with leaf clusters that can measure two feet or more. The American dwarf palm tree and cabbage palm are two more names for saw palmetto.

The plant is indigenous to the West Indies, and it thrives in the warm weather of the Southeast Coast of the United States, from South Carolina to all of Florida. Since ancient times, saw palmetto has been utilized in traditional, complementary, and alternative medicine due to its many health advantages.

The high molecular weight polysaccharides (sugars) found in the berries may help to lower inflammation and boost the immune system. This adds an immune system booster to the list of saw palmetto benefits.

The most crucial aspect of Serenoa repens is that it has been demonstrated to reduce the development of the 5-alpha reductase enzyme, making it an effective way to enhance prostate health.

This enzyme changes the androgen hormone testosterone in men into the sex steroid and androgen hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT).

While DHT is crucial for male growth, it also contributes to a number of common health problems in males, including libido loss, an enlarged prostate, and hair loss.

You can limit the synthesis of this hormone and help prevent problems like prostate enlargement and BPH symptoms in middle-aged and older men by taking Serenoa repens supplements or using the plant’s extract. In addition to their various health benefits, saw palmetto berries may also prevent hair loss, and reduce chronic pain, and migraines.

5 Health Benefits of Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens)

1. Treats BPH

Benign prostatic hyperplasia is the most prevalent type of enlarged prostate. In adults, the prostate typically maintains its size or expands gradually as long as male hormones are present.

Men start to experience BPH symptoms and lower urinary tract problems when their prostate enlarges. As men age, the prostate gland may swell or become irritated. The urethra is then compressed by the prostate, causing difficulty urinating and the development of bladder infections or bladder stones.

Numerous factors, including hormonal changes (such as an excess of estrogen), aging blood vessels, and a zinc deficiency, might contribute to BPH. Over half of men will have BPH by the age of 60, and by the age of 85, 90% of men will have this condition.

Additionally, one-fourth of these men may experience moderate to severe symptoms of the lower urinary tract, which will significantly reduce their quality of life.

According to research, saw palmetto prevents testosterone from attaching to and activating prostate cells, which lessens prostatic cell proliferation and growth.

Alpha-blockers and 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors, two other BPH therapies, can result in sexual dysfunctions while saw palmetto is a natural supplement with few negative effects. This makes it one of the greatest sources for naturally raising testosterone levels and enhancing prostate health.

2. Anticancer

One of the five alternative therapies that men with prostate cancer most frequently utilize, according to a systematic evaluation of 11 studies, saws palmetto supplements.

Supplements containing Serenoa repens function as 5-alpha reductase inhibitors, which means they slow down the conversion of testosterone to DHT by inhibiting the enzyme and preventing its synthesis. Research indicates that DHT is to blame for enlarged prostates, which may contribute to prostate cancer.

The science surrounding this issue is still unclear, but studies on two 5-alpha reductase inhibitor prescriptions, Finasteride (Proscar) and Dutasteride (Avodart) showed that men taking either medication were less likely to develop prostate cancer after a few years than men receiving an inactive placebo.

3. Combats Hair Loss

Because saw palmetto extracts and supplements maintain normal testosterone levels, they are effective for treating hair loss. The hormone known as 5-Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) rises and the hormone known as testosterone declines as men age.

The male androgen hormone DHT, which causes follicles to shrink, shorten their life spans, and reduce hair production, is the cause of hair loss since it sensitively affects hair follicles.

Normally, the same follicle from which a hair falls out produces another hair, but when DHT levels are high, hair growth is reduced. The ability of saw palmetto to prevent the conversion of testosterone into DHT makes it advantageous for hair development.

4. Helps In Retaining Testosterone

Saw palmetto prevents the body from producing DHT, allowing the body to maintain normal amounts of testosterone. This helps with libido drive, hair loss, pain response, strength control, and weight loss.

The prevalence of low testosterone in guys is rising quickly today, which causes persistent exhaustion, a stunted libido, and a diminished sense of well-being.

In a case study, a 52-year-old male with erectile dysfunction, poor libido, and exhaustion was examined. Other than a few prescriptions, he was healthy.

5. For Urological System

When males have benign prostatic hyperplasia, saw palmetto helps the urological system. The interaction with the receptors in the lower urinary tract that might result in overactive bladder and urine dysfunction causes this to happen.

Because Serenoa repens strengthens the urinary organs and has been suggested as an all-natural treatment for kidney stones, it is also advised to treat weakened urinary organs in older persons or women after menopause.

The urological problems and urine flow can both be improved with palmetto. 18 randomized trials with nearly 3,000 male participants were examined for evaluation.

Overall, the participants’ urine flow improved for 43% of the males using saw palmetto, 24% showed improvement in peak urine flow, and 28% reported fewer urinary tract symptoms.

Compared to the males taking a placebo, the outcomes were significantly more encouraging and equivalent to the group using the prescription drug Proscar.

85 males took part in a different randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial where they were given saw palmetto or placebo at random for six months. The findings show that saw palmetto treatment, as compared to placebo, significantly improves urinary symptoms in males with lower urinary tract problems.