Saw palmetto (Serenoa repens)

We continue our series of reprints from the Eclectic Medical Journal materia medica articles by Dr. William. E. Bloyer, turn-of-the-century professor at the Eclectic Medical Institute in Cincinnati. Saw palmetto berry and its extracts are famous today because of their possible effectiveness in cases of benign prostatic hypertrophy. The fame has not come without its cost -- under the relentless pressures of science and marketing, the broader uses of the plant have now been all but forgotten. Bloyer relates them in detail.

Saw Palmetto

European Phytotherapy: Pharmacological Effects of Saw Palmetto and Urtica Extracts for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

Reference: Urologe 34 ( 2): 90-95, 1994.

Saw Palmetto Gets Strong Public Boost: USP Publishes Monograph and Consumer Reports Gives Thumbs Up, Recognizing Benefits for BPH

The article informs that men at a certain stage of life need to know that saw palmetto [Serenoa repens or Sabal serrulatum] is effective in reducing an enlarged prostate gland, the condition refe...

Presents the results of a randomized placebo controlled trial on the effectiveness of saw palmetto in the management of men with lower urinary tract symptoms. Accounts on the testing of berry ex...