Saw Palmetto Articles
Saw Palmetto and Hair Loss
The most common type of baldness in men is called male-pattern baldness or androgenetic alopecia. Women can also suffer from androgenetic alopecia. This type of hair loss occurs when the level of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in the scalp is too high. Dihydrotestosterone binds itself to the hair follicles, decreasing the amount of nutrients they can extract from blood. The follicles gradually shrink and the hair growing from them becomes thinner. If nothing is done to treat this condition, the hair disappears completely.
Androgenetic Alopecia implies the presence of androgens. An androgen is a steroid hormone, such as testosterone or androsterone, that controls the development and maintenance of masculine characteristics. It is also called an androgenic hormone.
Typically testosterone is broken down by an enzyme called 5 alpha-reductase to dihydrotestosterone. DHT causes a gradual shrinking of the length and thickness of the hair over a period of time until it completely disappears.
To prevent and treat hair loss, the level of DHT in the body must be decreased. This can be accomplished in different ways. There are prescription drugs designed to inhibit DHT - such as finasteride also known as Propecia - which block conversion of free testosterone into dihydrotestosterone. Being synthetic substances, prescription drugs for treating hair loss often have serious side effects, such as gynecomastia and even erectile dysfunction.
Saw Palmetto, a palm plant native to North America, on the other hand is a herbal DHT inhibitor. It has similar mechanism of action to finasteride, but it doesn't affect the rest of the organism and thus have no side effects associated with finasteride and other prescription drugs. A number of scientific studies show that Saw Palmetto is an effective anti-androgen and has shown conclusively to be effective in the treatment of benign prostatic disease.
Since ancient times, Saw Palmetto has been used by Native Americans to treat urinary disorders in men. It is considered an effective alternative treatment to benign prostate gland enlargement. Only recently it was found out that Saw Palmetto can also treat hair loss. It turned out that it blocks the 5-alpha-reductase enzyme, which is responsible for converting testosterone into DHT, thus preventing and reversing hair loss.
Saw Palmetto is a natural ingredient, which reduces the level of DHT, thus stopping and reversing hair loss.