Saw Palmetto To Urinary Symptoms
It it showed in recent studies that benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) occurs in approximately 50 percent of men over the age of 50 and in 75 percent of men 80 and older. Physician-scientists are studying an herbal supplement that might aid in relieving the symptoms of enlarged prostate in men.
Research shows that compounds called phytoesterols which is found in saw palmetto, might prevent prostate enlargement. Researchers believe that prostate swelling may be caused by a rise in dihydrotestosterone (DHT) -- a testosterone derivative involved in prostate growth -- over a male's lifespan, especially during middle age. Scientists are unclear about what causes the hormone to rise with time. However, escalating estrogen within the body has been correlated with, but has not been proven to be directly promoting BPH. Just like a basketball player blocking a shot from going into a basket, phytoesterols in saw palmetto might block natural estrogen from binding to receptors in the body.