New research published in the February 2006 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine has found saw palmetto has no effect on swelling of the prostate, contradicting previous findings about the herb. Previous studies, including a meta analysis of 18 clinical studies, have suggested that saw palmetto is effective in treating mild to moderate symptoms related to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a non-cancerous swelling of the prostate gland in older men.
This latest study, a double-blind randomized trial, followed 225 men with an average age of 63 who had moderate to severe symptoms of BPH. The group of men was divided into two groups; one received 160 mg of saw palmetto on a daily basis, while the other group received a placebo. Similar findings were reported between the two groups. These latest findings should not draw any final conclusions of the use of saw palmetto, rather further studies are needed to examine the effects of the herb.
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