Marys Medicine

Theralogix newsletter v1_iss6

thoughtful, intelligent and safe information for your health
Vol 1, Issue 6 Saw Palmetto for Symptoms of BPH
What is BPH? BPH (Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia) is What can you do? defined as noncancerous enlargement of the If you feel like you've developed a problemwith BPH, there is good news! There are prostate. As men age, it is common for treatment choices for decreasing your their prostates to grow. Researchers are not symptoms. Conventional treatments forBPH include surgery (TURP- transurethral sure why this growth occurs, but by age 60, resection of the prostate is the standard surgicaltreatment) and/or prescription medications.
over half of all men have symptoms of BPH. There are two general types of medicationsprescribed for BPH: Alpha-blockers (Hytrin,Cardura, Flomax, and Xatrol) and 5-alpha- The prostate is a small gland that sits just reductase inhibitors (Proscar and Avodart).
Alpha-blockers relax the smooth muscles in below the bladder. The central area of the the urinary tract and prostate, thus prostate encircles the urethra (the tube that making it easier to urinate. 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors block the carries urine out of the bladder). As BPH conversion of testosterone to progresses, the prostate grows and squeezes dihydrotestosterone, a hormone thatstimulates the prostate to grow.
the urethra, thus potentially causing These drugs shrink the prostate andtherefore reduce the pressure on the bothersome symptoms. These symptoms urethra, which decreases the urinary can include frequent trips to the bathroom tract symptoms. Proscar can take up to 18 months to workand may cause side-effects, such as loss of sex drive and (especially during the night), an urgency to erectile dysfunction, in approximately 6-19% of patients. urinate, a feeling of fullness in the bladder Because of the expense and possibility of side-effects with after urination, a hesitation before urine drugs and surgery, many men have tried herbal supplementsto help reduce their urinary tract symptoms. Although flow begins, and weak urinary stream.
many herbal products are touted as "cure-alls," the most well (continued on back) Beware – the claim on the bottle label. The range of The FDA and dietary supplements:
differences from the stated dose was Why is there such variation in quality and between -97 to +140%, and half of the accuracy of these supplements? Because all saw palmetto sampled brands contained less than 20% the FDA does not require that dietary of the stated dose. In 2002, supplements be tested before they are products are not the same! Consumerlab.com examined 14 saw released for sale to the public. Dietary palmetto supplements and found that only supplements are not regulated in the same nine of the 14 passed their testing. The way as pharmaceuticals (medications) and Recent studies have shown that many other five did not pass because they were do not have to undergo the rigorous "mass marketed" saw palmetto either contaminated with other quality testing that medications do.
supplements are poorly made and do not ingredients, or contained too little of the Instead, the FDA considers them to be actually contain the amounts of active ingredient. Because the quality of "foods" and requires essentially no purity ingredients listed on the label. In a study mass market saw palmetto supplements or content testing. Quality control is not published in the Journal of Urology in varies so greatly, many men are not well-regulated, and the result is a lack of June 2002, independent lab tests were getting the amount of active ingredients content accuracy, purity, and safety in conducted on popular brands of saw needed to see results.
many dietary supplements for sale today.
palmetto supplements. The actual contentof saw palmetto extract was compared to What can you do? (continued from front) What to look for when choosing a saw researched herbal supplement for decreasing urinary tract symptoms is saw palmetto. Thisherbal extract has been an accepted treatment When purchasing a saw palmetto supplement, you should be aware of a for BPH for decades in Europe. It is derived from the berries of the saw palmetto plant, Serenoarepens, a shrubby palm found in the coastal 1) Seal of certification- the supplement should be independently certified
regions of Southeastern U.S. The active part of for content accuracy, safety, and freedom from contamination by a third the plant is the sterols and fatty acids found in party certification. If a supplement has been certified, the certification the berry. Many studies have shown that saw seal (such as USP® or NSF® International) will appear somewhere on palmetto improves urological symptoms to a the supplement bottle's label. greater extent than placebo. In a large 2) Standardized extract- saw palmetto extract should be standardized, i.e.
randomized trial of 1,098 men with BPH, saw standardized to contain a certain percentage of fatty acids, the active palmetto was roughly equal to Proscar in ingredient. The total amount of fatty acids in the product is important reducing urinary symptoms.
and supplements should consist of approximately 270-360 mg of fattyacids in a daily dosage. Saw palmetto is safe, causes virtually no side- 3) The form of saw palmetto and the type of extraction process used is
effects, and does not falsely lower PSA levels important. Most studies of saw palmetto have used standardized extracts, (which could mask the diagnosis of prostate not the whole berry or other forms found in some supplements. An cancer). Today, most urologists agree that saw extraction process called supercritical CO palmetto is a safe, effective approach to urinary 2 extraction has been shown to produce a very accurate and consistent final product.
tract symptom relief. High Quality extract Other herbal extracts for chosen for NIH trial: Questions or Comments?
The National Institutes of Health chose Although the most evidence exists for saw Contact Us
Indena, SA, a European company, as the palmetto, there are some studies suggesting supplier of saw palmetto extract for its large that other botanicals may also be beneficialin the treatment of BPH. These include Theralogix, LLC.
clinical trial testing the effectiveness of saw Pygeum africanum, Beta-sitosterol 401 East Jefferson St.
palmetto extract on urinary symptoms in preparations, Nettle root, and rye pollen.
men with moderate to severe BPH. Indena However, the existing studies on these other Rockville, MD 20850 uses a supercritical CO2 extraction process to produce its saw palmetto extract. Indena plant extracts are less thorough than those is the supplier of saw palmetto extract for on saw palmetto and it is difficult to draw the new Theralogix saw palmetto extract conclusions from them. More studies need 301-610-9941 Fax product, Prostate SR.
to be conducted to determine the safety and efficacy of these products.

Source: http://www.theromega.com/about-theralogix/theralogix-newsletter/the-benefits-of-saw-palmetto/