| In a landmark 2002 medical research article, the | | | | of the prostate. Scientists examining the mechanism |
| authors reported that a novel hair loss treatment | | | | of action found that certain fatty acids and sterols in |
| which used a high, dosage, high potency form of saw | | | | saw palmetto inhibited a key androgen-mediated |
| palmetto extract, reversed pattern hair loss in two | | | | metabolism linked to the onset and progression of |
| out of three study subjects dosed with the formula. | | | | BPH. |
| Prior to this research paper, several open label studies | | | | Notably, the same androgen-mediated metabolism |
| demonstrated similar benefits. Now, numerous hair | | | | also plays an important role in baldness treatment. |
| products incorporate saw palmetto - although it is | | | | The investigative team that did manage to show |
| interesting that none have managed to produce | | | | clinical utility in the setting of loosing hair capitalized |
| similarly positive objectively proven clinical outcomes. | | | | upon this serendipitous finding to develop a hair |
| Granting for the moment that not every form or | | | | treatment formulation. However, they were careful |
| dosage of saw palmetto works against hair loss, let | | | | to select for a highly potent form of saw palmetto |
| us examine some of the reasons why saw palmetto | | | | extract - one which contained high levels of key |
| is nevertheless interesting. | | | | fatty acids and sterols. Various forms of low potency |
| The palmetto tree grows as a weed-like shrub from | | | | saw palmetto (e.g. saw palmetto powder) did not |
| the Carolinas down into the West Indies. Down | | | | offer clinical utility. |
| through the centuries, the native peoples used the | | | | Today, work continues in various research labs |
| fruit of the palmetto for numerous ailments, including | | | | around the world to better understand hair loss and |
| urinary dysfunction. In the past fifty years, saw | | | | how natural materials like saw palmetto may be |
| palmetto became most widely known for its | | | | harnessed in the creation of safe, highly potent |
| therapeutic ability to treat BPH (benign prostatic | | | | treatment tools. |
| hyperplasia) a painful but non-cancerous inflammation | | | | |