There are a lot of best-kept secrets in the supplement world. One of those things are the benefits of Saw Palmetto. Men are to benefit from saw palmetto manufacturing more than women. Saw palmetto is rarely manufactured in the Western side of the world. Manufacturers can be found mostly in Asian countries such as China.
What Exactly is Saw Palmetto?
Contributory to the fact that most saw palmetto manufacturing is done in Asia, the plant is a native fan palm in North America. It can be found mostly in areas close to the Eastern Gulf coasts. This plant is unique in many ways.
The saw palmetto plant is known for living for hundreds of year with some plants living as long as 700 years. It grows to feet’s as high as 10 feet and can be found in large bunches at the roots of palm woods. The plant is covered with sharp spikes similar to that of a cactus which can cause injury to the skin.
The fruit of this plant is what is most important to saw palmetto manufacturing. It appears a reddish brown or even black colored fruit that can treat a variety of ailments. Though the fruit can be eaten in its natural form, many saw palmetto manufacturing utilize the extract to create supplements in the form of a capsule, tablet, and even powder.
Different Forms of Saw Palmetto
Saw palmetto manufacturing may choose one of three ways to get the miracle plant onto the market. It can be found in the form of a whole dried herb supplement, Whole herb extract or as a chemical extract supplement.
Whole Dried Herb Supplements
As it's stated some saw palmetto manufacturing offer the supplement as a dried berry. They believe there are many benefits to this an ingesting the herb. The drawbacks to ingesting to whole dried herb are that it takes much more berries to equal the same amount as the extract to show any effects. Approximately 3-4 grams of freeze-dried berries are equal to the extract capsules. It is also crucial that you know the number of berries that were dried as results in active ingredients may be different due to the process used. These forms of supplements can be used to create teas or added to other meals.
Whole Herb Extract
Saw palmetto manufacturing may also choose to extract the active ingredients from the berry. This method can be used to create capsules and tablets and can give an actual dosage amount. Most tablets contain on average 320 mg of the extract. Saw palmetto manufacturers that choose this method may also decide to sell at local health food stores and drug stores.
Chemical Extract Supplements
Some saw palmetto manufacturing tactics may choose to utilize other areas of the plants to obtain the active ingredients needed the downfall to this that there are lower amounts found in these parts of the plant and other necessary ingredients will be required to be created in a lab. While the labels will start the amount of extract, most won’t tell how much comes from the actual plant. Most health care professionals prefer supplements made in the previous two ways.
What Are The Benefits of Saw Palmetto
Saw palmetto manufacturers will let you know that there are some very impressive benefits to this supplement. IN 2011 saw palmetto manufacturers saw profits of over 18 million from the United States alone. This made it possible for saw palmetto to be ranked the third most sought out dietary supplement in the world.
- It is used to improve hair growth even in those with male pattern baldness
The research behind this has been very conflicting. Some person claims that the influx of hormones from the saw palmetto plant has been able to stimulate the regrowth of hair in persons with male pattern baldness. However, ingesting the supplement orally has not garnered enough results for it to be true. Research has stated that applying it topically to the scalp may work much better. More research into this is still needed to prove this benefit.
- Protect against prostate cancer
Similar to the benefit of aiding hair growth this benefit is also up to debate and further research. Every one is different, and as such, everyone’s body reacts to varying supplements differently. While some have indicated that there has been a slight improvement in their conditions associated with prostate cancer further research has contradicted the benefits. The changes are so miniscule that it may not even be worth speaking about. However further research is needed to confirm these allegations.
- Treat urinary tract conditions
Saw palmetto has been recommended as a way to improve the conditions of the urinary organs especially in the elderly. Studies have shown that saw palmetto can also be used as an effective home remedy to the UTI instead of taking large pills. However much like all other benefits, more research is needed to solidify the exact effects of the saw palmetto extract on the urinary organs.
- Stimulate sexual activity
An increase in sex drive in both men and women have been linked to ingesting saw palmetto supplements. Though the extract mostly affects testosterone levels and acts as a natural aphrodisiac, women have been known to experience a small increase in their libido as well.
- Reduce impotence
This benefit goes hand in hand with its ability to stimulate a sex drive in men by affecting their testosterone levels.
- Improve the health of Kidneys
Research has proven that saw palmetto has been effective in improving the health of the urinary organs including the kidneys. Persons who are at risk of developing kidney stones or who are already a sufferer of the condition may benefit from ingesting the supplement. It has been proven to prevent current and future problems.
The Recommended Dosage For Saw Palmetto
Depending on the reason for taking the saw palmetto supplements saw palmetto manufacturers may recommend different levels of dosage. Your local health practitioner may also be able to guide you as to what amounts are right for you based on the medication you may be taking.
Using the supplement to treats conditions associated with BPH require a starting dosage of 320 mg three times a day for the first four months. After the first four months, users are to drop their intake to 320 mg once a day. If you are however just in the early stages of BPH, a dosage of 160 mg is recommended two times a day.
When used for male pattern baldness users are recommended to take 200 mg twice a day its also recommend that you take an additional 50 mg of beta-sitosterol twice a day as well to increase effectiveness.
When ingesting the saw palmetto supplement in the dried form and utilizing it as a tea, there are a few things to note. The correct dosage is typically unclear be extra cautious as to how many you are adding to your tea. Also, note that saw palmetto’s most active ingredient is fatty acids. This is an ingredient that is not soluble in water and as such may not be as effective as it would have been as a capsule.
Always be sure to check with your doctor before taking any supplements. Especially when taking other medications. There have been no suggestions that saw palmetto makes other medications inactive, but it is always important to speak with your doctor first.
