Description
Saw palmetto has a range of uses. Most of them relate to the effect it is believed to have on testosterone.
Lowered testosterone levels cause a variety of conditions, which can be treated by stabilizing the levels of this hormone.
Some people think that saw palmetto prevents testosterone from being broken down. When testosterone cannot break down naturally, the levels of the hormone in the body go up.
Enlarged prostate
An extract from the saw palmetto berries may be turned into a liquid, a tea, or a tablet.
Some people take saw palmetto to manage benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), which is a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate gland.
The prostate is a small walnut-shaped gland in the male reproductive system. As a man ages and his testosterone levels decrease, it is quite common for the prostate gland to increase in size.
Some men may experience BPH, where the prostate becomes larger than it should. When this happens, the prostate can put pressure on the urethra, causing discomfort and other symptoms. These include:
- frequent urination
- problems starting or maintaining urination
- the need to get up in the night to urinate
Because saw palmetto is believed to boost testosterone levels, men with BPH may try taking saw palmetto because they think it will shrink the prostate and relieve urinary symptoms.
