Saw Palmetto Extract
Saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) is a small palm plant native to the Gulf and Atlantic coasts of the United States.
The fruit of the saw palmetto plant has a long history of use in folk medicine as a treatment for testicular atrophy, sexual vigor, increasing sperm count, and conditions of the prostate. During the first half of the 20th century, saw palmetto was primarily used as a mild diuretic and as therapy for chronic cystitis. Today it is widely used as a component of treatment for enlargement of the prostate and urinary dysfunction.
Saw palmetto extract contains fatty acids, fatty alcohols, phytosterols, and other compounds. The active ingredients have not been clearly identified; however, they likely include multiple oil-soluble factors.
Clinical studies confirm that the fat-soluble extract of saw palmetto improves certain signs and symptoms of benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH).
