Saw Palmetto’s Amazing Anti-Cancer Potential
Did you know that aside from skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men? In fact, 1 in 6 American males will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in his lifetime. Taking a saw palmetto extract may help protect your prostate from cancer. In addition, a substantial amount of research has shown that this herb can be used to improve your quality of life if you have BPH, and unlike certain pharmaceuticals often prescribed to relieve BPH syptoms, there are no known drug interactions associated with saw palmetto.
Most men would find it hard to imagine that saw palmetto extract, which has been touted for its prostate health-promoting properties, comes from a tree that could easily be part of the landscaping of a desert resort home. But the effects of saw palmetto on prostate health have been researched widely, and recently, its power to protect against prostate cancer has been clinically tested.
Chinese researchers recently reported that saw palmetto inhibited the growth of prostate tumor cells in mice. (Int J Oncol.; 31(3):593-600, 2007.) While the conclusions drawn from results of this study are limited, because it was done on animals, they do give researchers some insight into how the supplement may behave in to the human body. The anti-cancer potential of saw palmetto has also been observed in studies performed on human subjects. A 2007 Swedish study found that saw palmetto extract had a stop-growing-and-multiplying effect on prostate cancer cells in humans. (Anticancer Res.;27(2):873-81, 2007.)
These latest additions to the long list of scientific studies done on saw palmetto confirm its positive effects on prostate health. In the most notable of these studies, men who took 160 mg of saw palmetto extract twice a day for a year experienced a decline in benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) symptoms. Several studies have found that saw palmetto may work synergistically with other herbs, including pygeum and stinging nettle, to lessen BPH symptoms.
Recommended for you:
Share the knowledge!
Article updated on: February 27th, 2013