Prostate problems? Saw Palmetto might solve it without that 'side effect'

By Jonathan Evans Herbal Information Specialist /Business Representative for the Herbarium Special to PRIME Happy Father s Day! How's your prostate? Granted, all men are not fathers, but all men have prostates and all men will experience some form of prostate problems during their lifetimes. I recently read where the drug Proscar, the brand name of Finasteride, is making a comeback; for what medical reason I do not know. The case for Saw Palmetto More than a dozen years ago studies showed that Saw Palmetto extract (Serenoa repens) out-performed Proscar. The results of a three year study showed Proscar use resulted in decreased libido, ejaculatory dysfunction or impotence as compared to the placebo group. Proscar also took longer to act (six to 12 months) on fewer people (37 percent), only showed moderate results in treating benign prostatic hyperplasia (or BPH) and did not block the binding of DHT (Dihydrotestosterone) at cellular binding sites. Compare those results with the use of a standardized Saw Palmetto extract (85 to 95 percent fatty acids and sterols). Saw Palmetto saw a 90 percent positive results in 90 days or less, inhibited the pro-duction of DHT, inhibited binding at cell sites, had no sexual side effects and cost considerably less than the prescription! When Saw Pal-metto is combined with other herbs such as Pygeum africanum, Nettle root, pumpkin seeds and vitamins, the results can be very impressive. However, I am sure there are many readers who will say "I tried Saw Palmetto and it did not work." Not all Saw Palmetto is created equal Let me tell you about after-market and standardization. Not all Saw Palmetto is the same. One company I am familiar with blends several batches of herb in order to produce a guaranteed potency extract. This ensures a consistent quality of extract. Other companies will 'spike' their herbal extracts with the minimum amount of a particular ingredient to show it is 'standardized'. Others have used the word standardized because each capsule contains the same amount of herb! In the secondary market, companies will buy up the spent product from the primary companies, and spike what is left. It is about the same as someone using a tea bag to brew tea, then the next guy takes that same bag and sells it to you , say "Scout'ss honor, this is 100 percent tea." Not exactly the same, is it? About those radio ads. By the way, if you have heard the radio commercial about a prostate product that is more powerful than 100 capsules of Saw Palmetto, just laugh and avoid the product. These guys are truly comparing apples to oranges. Beta sitosterol is an item which does have a positive effect on the prostate and the commercial is technically true that you would have to take 100 capsules of Saw Palmetto to equal theirs, but that is because saw palm does not really contain any amount of beta! So what they are saying is something to the effect of "one Florida orange is better to 100 Granny Smith apples for your daily dose of vitamin C." You would not count on an apple to deliver your vitamin C. Sneaky buggers aren't they? Now if you used nettles for the Beta sitosterol, you could probably get away with three pills for the equivalent amount of beta. When it comes to supplements, read your labels and ask questions of knowledgeable people. Caveat emptor! Please send your questions on botanical remedies to Natures Rx : Jonathan Evans via e-mail at info@theherbarium.com, or by regular mail at The Herbarium, 264 Exchange Street, Chicopee, MA 01013