Saw Palmetto

160 mg capsule: Saw Palmetto has anti-estrogenic activity. It increases urinary flow rate, decreases residual urine, decreases painful urination, decreases nocturia, and has anti-inflammatory activity. The possible mechanisms are these. It inhibits the action of 5α-reductase, which catalyzes the metabolism of testosterone to DHT, and this is due to the free fatty acid content of the fruit's lipophilic extracts. It inhibits receptor binding of androgens. It inhibits human α 1-adrenoreceptors noncompetitively. It inhibits both the cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase pathways in vitro, and it inhibits growth factors in vitro. It also binds selectively to prostate cells and increases their apoptotic index.

500 mg capsule: The fruit of Saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) is most commonly used to treat problems related to Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH). Several mechanisms of action have been proposed. Saw palmetto appears to have 5-alpha reductase inhibitory activity, which prevents the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone. Estrogenic effects, direct inhibitory effects on androgen receptors and antiinflammatory properties have also been reported.