| | | | The latest results of a new clinical trial on the popular herb, saw
palmetto, may confuse the public, especially men with prostate problems,
according to the American Botanical Council (ABC), a non-profit herb
research and education group.
The trial, published in the Feb 2006
issue of the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), found no significant
differences between saw palmetto pill and a placebo in men with moderate
to advanced prostate problems 1.
Most of the official
international monographs that recognise the benefits of saw palmetto do so
for stage 1 and 2 of BPH, the mild to moderate range of benign prostatic
hyperplasia symptoms.
Mild to moderate
Saw palmetto
is an herbal supplement that is widely known for its safety and efficacy
in treating mild to moderate symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia
(BPH). BPH is a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate gland, which is
common in men over 50 years of age, affecting almost 75% of men in this
category.
Symptoms of BPH include weak urine flow, difficulty in
starting urination, straining to urinate, dribbling after urination and
incomplete emptying of the bladder. Other symptoms include the urgent need
to urinate, frequent need to urinate, increased frequency of urination at
night and urge incontinence.
"Our primary concern with this
trial is the relatively advanced conditions of the prostate problems in
many of the men who were tested," said Mark Blumenthal, Founder and
Executive Director of ABC.
Blumenthal emphasised that the men in
this trial experienced moderate to severe symptoms of BPH, although most
of the previous controlled trials showing positive results and efficacy
for saw palmetto were conducted on men with mild to moderate symptoms of
BPH. The men in the trial had scores between 8-35, i.e., moderate to
severe BPH, according to the American Urological Association Symptom
Inventory (AUASI).
"Most of the official international
monographs that recognise the benefits of saw palmetto do so for stage 1
and 2 of BPH, i.e., the mild to moderate range of BPH symptoms," said
Blumenthal. "These include monographs from the German government and
the World Health Organization."
"The results of this
trial need to be seen in the perspective of the preponderance of the
existing evidence, including at least 21 controlled trials showing
positive outcomes with saw palmetto preparations," he
added.
Saw palmetto extracts are widely used in Europe, and in the
past decade, in the United States as a natural therapy to help maintain
normal prostate and urinary function, particularly by treating the
symptoms of BPH in men with mild to moderate cases of BPH.
Over 22
clinical trails carried out in over 3,000 men as reviewed by the Cochrane
Collaboration2 have confirmed the safety and efficacy of saw palmetto
standardised extract preparations in treating mild to moderate symptoms of
BPH.
The latest meta-analysis (2) concludes that the clinical
literature supports the use of 160mg (twice daily) saw palmetto
standardised to contain 85-95% fatty acid extract preparations in mild to
moderate symptoms of BPH, and that the saw palmetto standardised extract
preparations have shown efficacy and greater safety when compared to
conventional pharmaceutical drugs.
Saw palmetto is frequently
combined with other herbs that have shown benefit for prostate function to
produce safe and effective preparations that have been clinically
documented, which include stinging nettle, pyguem, pumpkin seed and tomato
extract.
Stinging nettle
Stinging nettle root extract
contains high amounts of lignan, which is responsible for the root's
ability to bind to sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), key for its use in
prostate problems. As men age, their SHBG level increases, making them
more susceptible to abnormal cell proliferation. Stinging nettle has a
strong affinity for SHBG, thereby limiting the amount of testosterone and
oestrogen that can bind to it and influence cell proliferation.
It
has been shown to reduce the risk of abnormal prostate cell proliferation,
decreasing night-time urinary frequency while increasing urinary flow-rate
and reducing residual urine. Stinging nettle also encourages hormonal
balance and improves the quality of life of people with
BPH.
Pygeum africanum
Pygeum extract contains
phytosterols which can inhibit prostaglandin synthesis, thereby reducing
the abnormally high levels of prostaglandin normally found in BPH. The
ferulic acid esters found in pygeum reduces prostatic cholesterol levels
by limiting synthesis of testosterone. The extract has an
anti-inflammatory effect and hence decreases inflammation in prostate
tissue. Clinical effects of pygeum extract include reduction of prostate
size, decreased night-time urinary frequency, reduction in residual urine
and urinary urgency. Overall, it also works to improve the quality of life
in men with BPH.
Pumpkin seed
Pumpkin seed extract
contains phytosterols, curcubitin and selenium. The extract inhibits
5-alpha-reductase, preventing the conversion of testosterone to
dihydroxytestosterone. It has an inhibitory effect on aromatase,
preventing androgens like testosterone from converting to
oestrogen.
Clinical studies have shown that a remarkable reduction
in urinary frequency during the day and night can be achieved with this
extract. Urinary flow rate is also increased while residual urine is
reduced.
Tomato extract
(standardised to contain 5%
lycopene)
Lycopene is a phytochemical that gives tomatoes their
bright red colour. People who have diets rich in tomatoes, which contain
lycopene, appear to have a lower risk of certain types of cancer,
especially cancers of the prostate, lung, and stomach 3.
All the
above herbal ingredients for prostate health can be bought separately or
together in a single supplement. As most recent studies carried out on saw
palmetto for men with BPH used standardised saw palmetto extract, it is
best to look for a preparation containing at least 160mg standardised saw
palmetto extract containing a minimum of 85-95% fatty
acids.
References:
1. Bent S, Kane C, Shinohara K,
Neuhaus J, Hudes ES, Goldberg H, et al. Saw Palmetto for Benign Prostatic
Hyperplasia. New England J Med. Feb 9, 2006; 354 (6) : 557-566
2.
WiltTJ, Ishani A, Stark G, MacDonald R, Lau J, Mulrow C. Saw Palmetto
extracts for benign prostatic hyperplasia. The Cochrane Database of
Systematic Reviews 2002, Issue 3. Art. No.: CD001423. DOI: 10.1002/
14651858.CD001423
3. American Cancer Society
View products
| | | Source | | | http://thestar.com.my/health/story.asp
| |
| | 1 product | | | | |
|
