NaturalMedications

Saw Palmetto

Saw palmetto, known as Serenoa serrulata in Latin, is a type of palm tree that grows in the southeastern United States. From the 1870s until 1950, saw palmetto was used for treatment of prostate and other urinary problems. Saw palmetto was no longer recognized as a drug in the United States after 1950. But saw palmetto is now being re-evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a treatment of  benign prostate hyperplasia.

 The part used medicinally is the dark purple berry that matures in late fall and early winter.

Saw palmetto is useful for conditions affecting the testicles, ovaries, prostate gland, and urethra. It has the effect of increasing the sperm count in men and of ripening eggs in women, making is a useful herb for couples who are trying to get pregnant.

Saw palmetto is best known for its tonic effect on the prostate gland. It is an excellent herb for the prevention or management of prostate troubles to which older men are susceptible.

It tends to tone the mucous membranes of the body, especially those of the genito-urinary tract and the lungs, making it valuable as a follow-up to venereal diseases such as gonorrhea, as well as lung conditions from chronic bronchitis to asthma, and even tuberculosis. Some herbalists use saw palmetto as a remedy for impotence and frigidity in women and men. For an aphrodisiac effect it is best mixed with the herb damiana. Saw palmetto and damiana can be tinctured in brandy and honey for about a month, strained and then taken as a 'nightcap' before bed.

To prepare the tea for prostate troubles or lung conditions, steep one teaspoon of the dried berries in a cup of boiled water for about half an hour. The usual adult dose is a quarter cup taken four times a day. When the tincture of the berries or the tea is used for inflammations of the prostate gland, it should be combined with an immune stimulant, such as echinacea, for the best results.

Saw palmetto is also mixed with Pygeum africanum, a powdered bark native to tropical Africa that has been shown to help reduce inflammation of the prostate gland. The usual dose for such tinctures is twenty drops taken three times a day, not with meals.