Vitamins

Nature's Herbs Saw Palmetto Berries

Nature's Herbs Saw Palmetto Berries
This is a natural supplement for men over the age of 50 for healthy hair. Saw palmetto is an herb that can potentially influence hair growth. Excess DHT (a testosterone metabolite) in hair tissue is one of the main causes of hair loss and leads to hair thinning in men and women. It is now known that saw palmetto weakly inhibits the enzyme (5 alpha reductase) which is the converter of testosterone into DHT. Up to the current date, however, further research is needed to prove the effectiveness of saw palmetto oral dosages for blocking DHT in scalp tissue.
Saw Palmetto compounds:
A variety of compounds are contained in saw palmetto berry. They are usually divided into 4 major categories:
1. Free fatty acids. Saw palmetto contains a great number of fatty acids such as myristic acid, lauric acid, oleic acid and palmitic acid.
2. Phytosterols (plant sterols). These are plant sterols whose chemical structure is similar to cholesterol. Saw palmetto contains cycloartenol, stigmasterol, beta-sitosterol and campesterol.
3. Free fatty alcohols. When fatty acids join an alcohol molecule, free fatty alcohols appear.
4. Monoglycerides. Monoglycerides are single fatty acids bound to a three-carbon glycerol molecule.
The exact mechanisms of how saw palmetto and its different compounds work are unfortunately still not known. Some clues, however, can be outlined. It is now known that saw palmetto weakly inhibits the enzyme (5 alpha reductase) which is the converter of testosterone into DHT. Another mechanism is the reduction of IGF-1 on prostate tissue due to the saw palmetto compounds. IGF (or insulin-like growth factor) is known to cause prostate growth and development and leads to changes in the IGF system.
Proscar (finasteride), for example, has only one active ingredient, while saw palmetto consists of many different compounds. Therefore, it is difficult to estimate how these ingredients interact with the various tissues within our body. A single compound within saw palmetto may not have a great influence alone, but in combination with the other compounds, it may represent the effect sought.
Saw Palmetto Berry or Extract:
Saw palmetto is available in two varieties - crushed berries and extracts. The extracts contain active substances in a higher concentration, while the berries provide smaller amounts of the ingredients. Therefore, the dosage of crushed berries should be at least one or two grams daily. You can also choose to take both the berries and the extracts for a greater effect. Up to now, however, more research is needed in order to prove this.
Saw Palmetto and medications:
Research suggests that saw palmetto does not influence the activity of cytochrome P450 and does not alter the liver’s ability to metabolize other drugs.

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