Saw Palmetto is a herbal remedy used by many men to treat the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (enlarged prostate).
Although early studies on the use of Saw Palmetto confirmed that symptoms of BPH such as difficulty urinating, dripping and frequent urination at night were all eased using the remedy, a review of 17 more recent studies (which used more reliable testing methods) show that Saw Palmetto was no better at alleviating these symptoms than placebo.
The leader of one of the most recent of the studies, Dr. Michael Barry, agreed that taking Saw Palmetto definitely did make a difference to the symptoms but the improvement was seen equally in those men in the trial who took only the placebo.
Dr. Barry said that some men may still want to try Saw Palmetto as just the expectation of feeling better will yield some improvement.
For details of the research and the treatment of BPH, read the full Reuters Health Report.
