Saw Palmetto has been used for hundreds of years as a food source as well as a medicine. It was used in Indian medicine to treat a selection of disorders including conditions that it is being used for today. In 1907 it was sold by a company in Florida and often bought for use for treating animals with urinary problems. Its popularity did decline towards the end of the forties due to the fact that the active constituents could not be identified and so it was not trusted. Natural medicine was declining in popularity too. It became more popular again in the 1950′s when Europeans started turning to using more natural treatments. Since then it has continued to be used.
The fruit of the saw palmetto are high in fatty acids and phytosterols. At the moment there are many clinical trials going on to see whether it is effective in treating urinary tract infections. It is recognised as the best herbal remedy for the condition but at the moment prescribed drugs seem to be more effective in clinical trials. Some trials have shown very positive results but some have shown little difference to a placebo and therefore more studies are required to provide more convincing evidence.
Saw palmetto also is found in remedies for hair loss, hormone imbalances, decreased sex drive and acne. For hair loss treatment it is the product which has been shown to be the most effective in the trials which have been carried out so far.
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