Saw Palmetto Prostate Benefits

Standardized Saw Palmetto extract preparation vs. finasteride:

In a double-blind study, researchers randomized 1098 men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) to either plant extract Permixon (320 mg) (also known as Saw Palmetto, Sabal serrulata and Serenoa repens),  or finasteride (5 mg) and monitored them for 6 months. According to the results, the two treatments were about equally successful at reducing noticeable symptoms (37% with Permixon and 39% with finasteride). Peak urinary flow rate increased by 3.2 mL/sec (25%) and 2.7 mL/sec (30%) for the 2 groups, respectively. Permixon had little effect on prostate size (6% reduction in size), whereas finasteride caused the prostate to shrink by 18%. Finasteride also reduced prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels by 41%. (2)