* Please Note: This information is based partly on Traditional Medicine which uses natural materials to support health. This information has not been evaluated or approved by the FDA. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These products are intended to support general well being and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure any condition or disease. If conditions persist, please seek advice from your medical doctor.
Description
Native to the scrublands of North Carolina to Florida Keys, Mississippi, and Louisiana, the berries of this palm-like plant have a long-held reputation as a sexual stimulant and aphrodisiac for both men and women. Saw palmetto is widely used for its therapeutic effects on urinary tract problems and for improving body strength.
History
The Latin name comes from the American taxonomist Sereno Watson (1826-1892). The fruits were an important food for Native Americans and later the American settlers. They were considered to be a good general tonic.
Characteristics
The saw palmetto grows between 36 inches and 13 feet and makes substantial thickets in the wild with its creeping underground roots. Long stiff leaves of about 36 inches grow in fan shapes. They are yellow or grayish-green, narrow and pointed, and sometimes waxy. Fragrant ivory-colored flowers grow in clusters. The fruits are just over an inch long, turning black when ripe. The fruit is brown inside with a pip. Growing tips Though saw palmetto does not transplant well from the wild and is rarely cultivated in gardens, it can be grown as a house plant. It needs a minimum temperature of 50°F and it likes humidity and damp (but not soggy) soil. Propagate from seed and feed container plants every two weeks throughout summer.
How to Use
Medicinally, the plant's berries were traditionally used for their sedative and tonic properties but it was soon noted that when taken internally, the berries act as an effective remedy for male impotence as well as the age-related onset of prostate enlargement and associated cystitis. The berries appear to keep the swollen prostate stable and even help reduce the size in some cases.
It has poorly understood effects on the body's hormone system with its aphrodisiac properties being unsubstantiated.
Dosage: Standard decoction or 3-12 grams three times daily.
User Group Forum
Share your questions and information with the ZooScape community!
Devendra - May 23, 2006, 06:18
#10000573
What is the estrogenic substance in Saw Pametto. Is it a precursor to estrogen in a man, displacing testosterone? Can it contribute to gynoplasia--enlarged male breasts? I am 72, and have read that free testosterone levels decrease as we age, and that some men have more estrogen than testosterone.
ZooScape Moderator - May 24, 2006, 18:24
#10001403
Much more research is necessary to accurately answer your question. Saw palmetto seems to have both anti-androgenic and anti-estrogenic properties in the berries. Compounds include free fatty acids, phytosterols (plant sterols), free fatty alcohols, and monoglycerides. The potentially very subtle interplay of many of the active ingredients that fall into each of these four groups of compounds makes it impossible to identify the exact biological mode of action of saw palmetto, and the specific compounds responsible. We do know that each seemingly contradictory biological mechanism appears to play a role in treating benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH).
According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, severe side effects from saw palmetto use are extremely rare although some men have reported 'difficulty with erections, testicular discomfort, breast tenderness or enlargement, and changes in sexual desire.' The exact effect on the body's response to the sex hormones, estrogen and testosterone, exhibited by saw palmetto use is not clearly understood or well demonstrated in humans.
Directions
Hot tea brewing method: Bring freshly drawn cold water to a rolling boil. Place 1 tea bag for each cup into the teapot. Pour the boiling water into the pot, cover and let steep for 2-4 minutes. Pour into your cup; add milk and sugar to taste.
Iced tea brewing method: (to make 1 liter/quart): Place 5 tea bags into a teapot or heat resistant pitcher. Pour 1 1/4 cups of freshly boiled water over the tea itself. Steep for 5 minutes. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water. Pour the tea into the serving pitcher straining the tea bags. Add ice and top-up with cold water. Garnish and sweeten to taste.
Cautions
May reduce PSA (prostatic specific antigen) test levels. Seek professional medical advice for any irregularities in urinary patterns.
Additional Information
TerraVita is an exclusive line of premium-quality, natural source products that use only the finest, purest and most potent ingredients found around the world. TerraVita is hallmarked by the highest possible standards of purity, potency, stability and freshness. All of our products are prepared with the highest elements of quality control, from raw materials through the entire manufacturing process, up to and including the moment that the bottles or bags are sealed for freshness and shipped out to you. Our highest possible standards are certified by independent laboratories and backed by our personal guarantee.
TerraVita exists to meet and ensure your family's health and wellness without the harmful effects or chemicals and prescription medications. We strive to make all of our products affordable and reliable and are constantly searching the market to maintain our affordability and to look for new ways to serve you and the ones you love. TerraVita has become a trusted household name for many families and can bring you and yours the very best herbal supplements, blends, teas and spices that are on the market today.
ZooScape is proud to be the exclusive distributor of TerraVita teas, herbs and supplements in the United States, Canada and around the world. Please direct all wholesale and bulk inquiries to Simona Heather at 905-494-1785.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Products are intended to support general well being and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure any condition or disease. If conditions persist, please seek advice from your medical doctor. The essence of the current American rule on Traditional Uses is, as stated by FTC, "Claims based on historical or traditional use should be substantiated by confirming scientific evidence, or should be presented in such a way that consumers understand that the sole basis for the claim is a history of use of the product for a particular purpose."
