Supplement doesn’t reduce prostate problems, study finds

NEW YORK – A popular herbal pill used by millions of men doesn’t reduce the frequent urge to go to the bathroom or other annoying symptoms of an enlarged prostate, a rigorous new study concludes.

The yearlong research found the plant extract saw palmetto was no more effective than dummy capsules in easing symptoms for the 225 men in the study. The results contrast with previous research that showed it helped.

More than 2 million American men take the herb to treat an enlarged prostate and it is widely used in Europe, the researchers said. Until their results are confirmed by more studies, men who take saw palmetto and feel it works should probably keep using it, said the lead researcher, Dr. Stephen Bent, of the San Francisco VA Medical Center.

The findings are published in today’s New England Journal of Medicine.

Saw palmetto is a small palm native to the southeastern United States. The extract comes from its olive-size berries and is sold over-the-counter in capsule form. It is the third-highest-selling herbal dietary supplement in the United States, after garlic and echinacea.