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Hi'iaka's Healing Herb Garden : Column Index : 2005 : May05
Coming Soon...
Saw Palmetto For Men And Women: Educating Myself About an Important Plant
Education is such an exciting part of life. I fully believe in and promote life-long learning. In fact, what I like best about having a garden is that I learn something new every time I walk through it.
But why are our schools having such problems? Why aren't students excited to expand and enrich their minds with new knowledge, ways of doing things and lifestyle choices? To me, there is nothing more important in our society than giving the citizens of tomorrow the nurturing and tools they need to make smart choices, not only in their personal lives, but in the best interests of society. If students viewed education as something "cool," they could give themselves and their classmates an attitude adjustment that would carry over into their adult lives and improve how they live, both financially and personally.
I could go on and on with my opinions about education, since that's what my Master's degree is in, but for the Journal's Education issue, I'll be teaching myself about an area of health that I haven't studied much before - men's health - and writing about a wonderful plant called Saw Palmetto that has been shown to help with a type of prostate disease - and more.
What Is Benign Prostate Disease?
The web site BerkeleyWellness.com reports that benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is an enlargement of the prostate gland that is common in men over 40, and that "half of all men over 60 have it to some degree. Though many men fear that it is a prelude to cancer, 'hyperplasia' simply means an overgrowth of normal cells. It can cause unpleasant symptoms: the need to urinate may become more urgent and more frequent, perhaps waking you up several times at night, producing a stop-and-start flow of urine or urinary leaking, and/or giving the sensation that you have not completely emptied your bladder. It may be caused by normal changes in hormone levels, especially a drop in testosterone," which occurs with age. "BPH does not affect sexual function or the ability to have intercourse. It sometimes has no symptoms at all." BPH is caused by the formation of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which Saw Palmetto inhibits. When DHT is inhibited, hair growth can be stimulated in cases of age-related hair loss, according to the web site DreamPharm.com.
Prostate imbalances like BPH can happen when red meat and sugar are a big part of the diet, according to Christopher Hobbs in his book Herbal Remedies for Dummies. He also says that excessive sitting, such as working in an office, can create problems.
How Saw Palmetto Can Help
Saw Palmetto is derived from berries of the saw palm tree (Serenoa repens and other Serenoa species). Christopher Hobbs reports that Saw Palmetto is a "scrubby, trailing palm with fan-shaped leaves and purple berries." I am experimenting with growing it and after about four years, my small plant is still alive. It's big business in Florida, where people pick the berries from roadsides, the way people harvest noni fruit here in Hawai`i.
The Latest On Saw Palmetto
Saw Palmetto contains phytosterols, which are chemical substances that curb prostate cell growth. In studies, it "improved urinary tract symptoms, including nighttime urination, by about 25%." But there isn't a lot of scientific information based on clinical trials. It can be helpful for women, too: Christopher Hobbs says that women who are prone to bladder infections can be helped by taking this herb, as it "seems to prevent the infections." It strengthens and improves the "nutrition of the urinary and genital organs" for both men and women.
How To Take Saw Palmetto
Saw Palmetto is sold in capsules, as a bulk dried herb and as a hexane-free extract. Christopher Hobbs says that "the fruit naturally has a rather rancid smell," so if you buy dried berries and grind them up to put in capsules, "don't worry, the fruit isn't bad -- it just smells that way." He advises the following dosage: Take three capsules of powdered extract or two droppersful of tincture twice daily. "Consider taking a double dose of Saw Palmetto if you're on the verge of a bladder infection, especially if they're common, or if you have persistent prostate enlargement and restricted urine flow. See your doctor if symptoms persist."
Other Herbs and Lifestyle Changes Can Also Help BPH
Hobbs also says that stinging nettles, dandelion, licorice and kava (`awa) root can help to "reduce prostate swelling and pain, improve urine flow, and increase circulation to the prostate." Mamaki (Pipturis albidus), the "Hawaiian nettle," should work in place of stinging nettles because it also has diuretic properties.
Here's Christopher's recipe for an herbal remedy: for each cup of water, put 1 teaspoon each of dried nettle and dandelion leaf, and 1/2 teaspoon of licorice root into a non-metallic pan. If you have high blood pressure, skip the licorice. Simmer slowly for 15 minutes, then strain it and drink 1/2 cup twice a day. You can add kava tea later, but do not heat it.
He advises patients to eat vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, grains and legumes (beans and peas), and foods that contain zinc, like wheat germ, bran, and pumpkin seeds. Shun sugary and fatty foods. He also recommends doing Kegel exercises to contract and relax the perineum. "100 to 200 contractions a day is often the magic number" that he says has helped his patients. Visit www.kegel-exercises.com for more information.
Caution About Using Saw Palmetto
As with any condition, you should rely on a knowledgeable health care practitioner for a definitive diagnosis of prostate problems. Drugs are often prescribed to shrink the prostate, but sometimes they don't work and can produce unacceptable side effects. If you are taking Saw Palmetto or any other over-the-counter treatment, tell your doctor before you take a PSA test (prostate-specific antigen) because Saw Palmetto and prescription drugs for BPH can change the results of that test and make prostate cancer hard to diagnose.
See, wasn't that fun? I learned a lot of new things this month and hopefully you learned something useful as well.
Saw Palmetto For Men And Women: Educating Myself About an Important Plant
Education is such an exciting part of life. I fully believe in and promote life-long learning. In fact, what I like best about having a garden is that I learn something new every time I walk through it.
But why are our schools having such problems? Why aren't students excited to expand and enrich their minds with new knowledge, ways of doing things and lifestyle choices? To me, there is nothing more important in our society than giving the citizens of tomorrow the nurturing and tools they need to make smart choices, not only in their personal lives, but in the best interests of society. If students viewed education as something "cool," they could give themselves and their classmates an attitude adjustment that would carry over into their adult lives and improve how they live, both financially and personally.
I could go on and on with my opinions about education, since that's what my Master's degree is in, but for the Journal's Education issue, I'll be teaching myself about an area of health that I haven't studied much before - men's health - and writing about a wonderful plant called Saw Palmetto that has been shown to help with a type of prostate disease - and more.
What Is Benign Prostate Disease?
The web site BerkeleyWellness.com reports that benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is an enlargement of the prostate gland that is common in men over 40, and that "half of all men over 60 have it to some degree. Though many men fear that it is a prelude to cancer, 'hyperplasia' simply means an overgrowth of normal cells. It can cause unpleasant symptoms: the need to urinate may become more urgent and more frequent, perhaps waking you up several times at night, producing a stop-and-start flow of urine or urinary leaking, and/or giving the sensation that you have not completely emptied your bladder. It may be caused by normal changes in hormone levels, especially a drop in testosterone," which occurs with age. "BPH does not affect sexual function or the ability to have intercourse. It sometimes has no symptoms at all." BPH is caused by the formation of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which Saw Palmetto inhibits. When DHT is inhibited, hair growth can be stimulated in cases of age-related hair loss, according to the web site DreamPharm.com.
Prostate imbalances like BPH can happen when red meat and sugar are a big part of the diet, according to Christopher Hobbs in his book Herbal Remedies for Dummies. He also says that excessive sitting, such as working in an office, can create problems.
How Saw Palmetto Can Help
Saw Palmetto is derived from berries of the saw palm tree (Serenoa repens and other Serenoa species). Christopher Hobbs reports that Saw Palmetto is a "scrubby, trailing palm with fan-shaped leaves and purple berries." I am experimenting with growing it and after about four years, my small plant is still alive. It's big business in Florida, where people pick the berries from roadsides, the way people harvest noni fruit here in Hawai`i.
The Latest On Saw Palmetto
Saw Palmetto contains phytosterols, which are chemical substances that curb prostate cell growth. In studies, it "improved urinary tract symptoms, including nighttime urination, by about 25%." But there isn't a lot of scientific information based on clinical trials. It can be helpful for women, too: Christopher Hobbs says that women who are prone to bladder infections can be helped by taking this herb, as it "seems to prevent the infections." It strengthens and improves the "nutrition of the urinary and genital organs" for both men and women.
How To Take Saw Palmetto
Saw Palmetto is sold in capsules, as a bulk dried herb and as a hexane-free extract. Christopher Hobbs says that "the fruit naturally has a rather rancid smell," so if you buy dried berries and grind them up to put in capsules, "don't worry, the fruit isn't bad -- it just smells that way." He advises the following dosage: Take three capsules of powdered extract or two droppersful of tincture twice daily. "Consider taking a double dose of Saw Palmetto if you're on the verge of a bladder infection, especially if they're common, or if you have persistent prostate enlargement and restricted urine flow. See your doctor if symptoms persist."
Other Herbs and Lifestyle Changes Can Also Help BPH
Hobbs also says that stinging nettles, dandelion, licorice and kava (`awa) root can help to "reduce prostate swelling and pain, improve urine flow, and increase circulation to the prostate." Mamaki (Pipturis albidus), the "Hawaiian nettle," should work in place of stinging nettles because it also has diuretic properties.
Here's Christopher's recipe for an herbal remedy: for each cup of water, put 1 teaspoon each of dried nettle and dandelion leaf, and 1/2 teaspoon of licorice root into a non-metallic pan. If you have high blood pressure, skip the licorice. Simmer slowly for 15 minutes, then strain it and drink 1/2 cup twice a day. You can add kava tea later, but do not heat it.
He advises patients to eat vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, grains and legumes (beans and peas), and foods that contain zinc, like wheat germ, bran, and pumpkin seeds. Shun sugary and fatty foods. He also recommends doing Kegel exercises to contract and relax the perineum. "100 to 200 contractions a day is often the magic number" that he says has helped his patients. Visit www.kegel-exercises.com for more information.
Caution About Using Saw Palmetto
As with any condition, you should rely on a knowledgeable health care practitioner for a definitive diagnosis of prostate problems. Drugs are often prescribed to shrink the prostate, but sometimes they don't work and can produce unacceptable side effects. If you are taking Saw Palmetto or any other over-the-counter treatment, tell your doctor before you take a PSA test (prostate-specific antigen) because Saw Palmetto and prescription drugs for BPH can change the results of that test and make prostate cancer hard to diagnose.
See, wasn't that fun? I learned a lot of new things this month and hopefully you learned something useful as well.
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