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Article: Can saw palmetto be used to treat benign prostatic hypertrophy?
- Article from:
- Drug Topics
- Article date:
- November 16, 1998
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright Medical Economics Inc. Nov 16, 1998. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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The saw palmetto bush, a native of Florida, may look like just another palm tree growing wild in this Southern state. But the berries of this tree are used in the preparation of saw palmetto, a supplement being championed by herbal specialists for treating prostate enlargement.
Jeff Morrison, president of the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA), Silver Spring, Md., said that saw palmetto is widely used in Europe, where sales in 1997 soared to $4 billion. U.S. sales are also increasing-to the tune of $18 million in '97.
Greg Gray, vp. of AHPA, said that saw palmetto has beneficial effects for men who have benign swelling of the prostate, a condition that causes frequent urination ...