Can saw palmetto extract help you with urination issues and other urological problems? The answers aren’t very clear but a recent study has shed some light on whether taking saw palmetto supplements will help.
The Saw Palmetto palm tree, also known as Serenoa Repens, has been used as a medicine to treat urological issue for years. Those with Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy, or BPH, can allegedly benefit from oral ingestion of Saw Palmetto. However, the number of studies that provide concrete evidence of this benefit has been sparse. A recent study by Yawata Corporation and Nihon Pharmaceutical has made its effect more clear.
The study was conducted in Japan and was specifically designed to investigate whether saw palmetto has any effect of lower urinary tract problems or BPH. The subjects of the study were 44 men from the age of 40 to 69 years old. They were split into two groups, one of which took 320mg per day of saw palmetto berry extract, and the other a placebo, for 12 consecutive weeks. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of 12‐week consumption of saw palmetto fruit extract (320 mg per day) on urination issues.
All the men in the study had urination issues of some sort, and they all woke up two times or more a night to urinate. The study used the international prostate symptom score, or IPSS, to determine the effects of the saw palmetto extract on their urological issues. To be clear, the IPSS survey is a subjective survey and relies upon the answers the study participants give researchers. The King’s health questionnaire and Overactive Bladder Symptom Score were also used. These are also subjective surveys.
What did the study show? Well, it was some good news for those with BPH or other urination issues. The group taking the saw palmetto supplement showed reduced subjective symptoms related to urination issues, while the placebo group did not. There were also no observed adverse affects to taking the supplement.
Now again, it is difficult to quantify improvement in urination, so researchers ordinarily must rely on the opinion of those with the issues whether their situation has improved. But, this study does seem to show that consistent consumption of saw palmetto berry extract can help with BPH and other related issues, which is good news.
Make sure to acquire a good quality saw palmetto. Many are mostly a cellulose filler with very little pure saw palmetto in them, so it’s imperative to find a good quality brand before you purchase and try it out.
