Saw Palmetto Benefits to BPH Attributed To Placebo

Saw Palmetto No Better Than Placebo

Saw palmetto extract is taken by many men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) or enlarged prostate because they believe that it can relieve symptoms.

But a new study says any benefit may just be a result of the placebo effect because there is no solid evidence that the plant has chemical substances or properties that can induce relief.

The Journal of the American Medical Association reported on September 28 that even at higher doses, no recognizable benefit was recorded among men in North America who took the extract over a 72-week period.

Those who participated in the study were men no younger than 45 who were monitored from June 2008 until October 2010 in 11 locations.

Thankfully, the participants did not report any adverse side effects from taking a high dose either. With little or no side effects, men with enlarged prostate glands may continue to try taking saw palmetto even without solid proof.

In the study, the placebo scored 0.79 points higher in the American Urological Symptom Index than the saw palmetto extract in showing improvement of lower urinary tract symptoms.

BPH or an enlarged prostate can result to symptoms such as urinary difficulty, impaired sexual function, limited sleep because of nigh time urination and inflammation.

Other extracts of saw palmetto may be proven more effective in the future, the researchers say but even that is unlikely. Also unlikely is for men with this condition to be dissuaded into buying saw palmetto products even in light of new evidence or lack thereof of its benefits.

Posted by George Daniels on Wednesday September 28 2011, 5:01 AM EDT. Ref: HealthDay. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Health. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0