Saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) is most often used for an enlarged prostate, also known as benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH).
These clinical trials use a specific form of saw palmetto that is standardized to fatty acids.
More specifically, these clinical trials use saw palmetto in an oil based capsule.
This capsule will then be standardized to contain 85% fatty acids.
What about saw palmetto tea for enlarged prostate?
Technically speaking this is not a tea but an herbal infusion.
If you read here you can see that tea is actually referring to one specific plant.
The most important point to understand is that the fatty acids are not going to be pulled out when the berries or a dried herbal preparation is placed in boiling water.
If you are interested in using saw palmetto for an enlarged prostate you should probably use what has been used in clinical trials.
What type of saw palmetto has been used in clinical trials?
We should state clearly that not all of the clinical trials with saw palmetto have worked or shown positive results.
However, it is not unreasonable for someone to try saw palmetto for enlarged prostate if their doctor suggests it.
The saw palmetto used in clinical trials is in the form of a capsule. This is different than actual dried berries you may find in a natural foods store or a tea.
Have you heard of pygeum for enlarged prostate – you can read about a clinical trial here.
Here is the type of saw palmetto used in clinical trials
Plant: Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens)
Standardized: the extract contains 85% fatty acids
Capsule: This will be in a soft gelatin capsule.
Dose: 320 mg of Saw Palmetto (contains 272 mg of fatty acids) per serving. This will be taken daily.
***If it is a powder it will be lower than 85% fatty acids, probably closer to 40%. These are typically not used in clinical trials so the results can vary.
Here is more research with clinical trials using plants.
Take away message
An herbal tea of saw palmetto has not been used in clinical trials so you should not expect the same results as you might get from a dietary supplement. Read your dietary supplement labels carefully to make sure saw palmetto contains 85% fatty acids and the serving size is 320 mg.
His research on plant medicine has led to more than 45 publications and abstracts.This research has been presented at international meetings in the USA, France, Turkey, Peru, Israel, Austria, and Italy.
Categories: Ask the Pharmacist, prostate
How does saw palmetto work for enlarged prostate or benign prostatic hyperplasia?