Saw Palmetto for Urinary Problems

When you hear the words “saw” and “palmetto” together, you may think (like I did) that a power tool came together with a plant. Although not quite the meaning, saw palmetto should be an herb that many men (and women) should be aware of. As I was listening to my favorite radio station today—always looking for new article ideas in the realm of natural health—the radio personality was gently mocking one of his guests for having problems going to the bathroom while standing up. He suggested saw palmetto to prevent such embarrassing leakage and says that he takes it every day as prevention.

Saw palmetto is an extract pulled from the olive-shaped fruit Serenoa repens and is rich in fatty acids. It has been used for centuries in alternative and traditional medicines. Saw palmetto is most commonly used for helping benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)—also known as enlarged prostate—common among older men. The fruit was used as food in Native American culture and for reproductive and urinary problems. The Seminole people used the berries as an antiseptic as well as an expectorant for coughs and the Mayan cultures drank saw palmetto as a tonic.

Saw palmetto has also been used as an extract to prevent male pattern baldness, one of the many “cures” that have not been proven by science. Another one of these theories yet to be proven, is that saw palmetto is a potential inhibitor of cancer tumor growth, a cure that has not been shown effective in human clinical trials. However, saw palmetto is also used to treat chronic pelvic pain, disorders of the bladder, hormone imbalances, and a decrease in sex drive.

Europe has been using saw palmetto for years with success with male persistent urinary problems such as inability to use the bathroom, increased or decrease in frequency of urination, or trouble starting or stopping urination. Although the United States is a little behind the trend, we are catching up, even if saw palmetto is not yet the preferred treatment for urinary problems. Many men however, have seen results in symptom relief throughout the first 30 days of daily use. Even though it is more popular in Europe, it is grown abundantly in the United States with Florida as the largest producer of saw palmetto, and it is also grown along the south coast of America down into Mexico.

Saw palmetto can be taken preventatively or for acute urinary issues, but a doctor should be consulted with a chronic condition or if you are taking prescription medications. Some people have been known to have allergic reactions to saw palmetto and caution must be taken at all times. The most common side effects are gastrointestinal which could be lessened by taking the extract alongside foods. Frequent saw palmetto use may affect your sex drive and could increase your risk for blood clots.

Also called the cabbage palm or the American dwarf palm tree, saw palmetto may be a funny sounding name, but if it gets the job done, many men are happier today because of its effects. Whether you are like the radio personality I listen to who takes a little pill everyday to prevent down-the-road urinary problems, or like the type who eat saw palmetto in dried fruit form on top of yogurt or cereal, it is also available in liquid extract, tablets, and as an infusion sachet for tea. Whatever your preferred form of saw palmetto, I hope this natural remedy works for your needs.