DIFFERENT USES OF SAW PALMETTO

Saw palmetto is a popular natural hair loss treatment. This plant, scientifically known as Serenoa repens, has been utilized for hundreds of years due to various uses.

This small palm plant grows in coastal areas of southern United States. It creates yellow flowers and reddish black berries. It is said that the Indians kept the dried fruits despite its unpleasant taste. It was crucial as a year round food source.

The extract of the berries have also been drank as a tonic and as an appetite stimulant. Others used it as a treatment for colds and cough, sore throat, bronchitis, and headache. It has also been used for its antiseptic properties.

In traditional medicine, saw palmetto extract was used as treatment for infertility in women, painful menstrual cycles, hormonal disorders, and also to reduce the prostate size in men.

Today, saw palmetto is still used for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia and is a recommended alternative to drugs. Research has shown that saw palmetto extract has properties that reduce the amount of the hormone DHT or dihydrotestosterone.

Since DHT has been seen as to be the primary cause of male pattern baldness, saw palmetto proved to be useful in hair loss treatment. It is believed that it blocks the enzyme 5 alpha reductase to stop testosterone from being converted to dihydrotestosterone.

It is a practical and safe alternative to drug based hair loss treatments such as finasteride and minoxidil, popularly known by their trade names Propecia and Rogaine, respectively. As with all drug based treatments, these can have side effects. Finasteride has been shown to cause problems such as impotence and other adverse effects in male sexual functions. Oral minoxidil, on the other hand can cause irregular heartbeat, chest pain, dizziness, and unwanted hair growth elsewhere in the body. Topical preparations can cause eye irritation and burning, allergic reactions, dry scalp, and dandruff.

Saw palmetto is now widely used as a natural treatment option in pattern hair loss for both men and women. It is available in tablet form and also as an extract that is applied directly to the hair and scalp.