Special edition: Botanicals
Saw palmetto
Saw palmetto, extracted from the berries of a dwarf palm tree, has a long history of use as a remedy for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a non-cancerous swelling in the prostate gland of older men. The third most popular herb in the FDM channel in 2012, the global market for saw palmetto extract is roughly $700 million a year, according to researchers from UT Southwestern. But a 2011 study in JAMA called into question the efficacy of saw palmetto products to help manage BPH. The 72-week study of nearly 380 men found that saw palmetto supplements did not benefit lower urinary tract symptoms any more than a placebo.