Saw Palmetto/Pumpkin Seeds/Green Tea

[giant]

Haven't seen too many threads about these natural cures. There is a lot of info out there on them and I thought there would be some discussion here on the topic. What say you?

 

[wstef]

I used to use Saw Palmetto and have drank green tea for years. I still lost my hair.

4 months ago I started the "big three" and I am really happy with the results (there's a topic from me about my success so far, which is more than I anticipated).

I think those holding hope for herbal remedies should look harder into it. There is no properly reported evidence that they work and I have yet to see a single example on forums like this which shows promising results for them.

Plus, if they did work the side effects people suffer from would surely be the same because their proposed function is the same as the likes of finasteride, where it blocks the formation of DHT?

Drugs often take influence from nature but they are manufactured to be more potent versions of the active ingredient.

I don't doubt that they have some effect, but it's too minor to make a different.

 

[Sparky4444]

I
Plus, if they did work the side effects people suffer from would surely be the same because their proposed function is the same as the likes of finasteride, where it blocks the formation of DHT?

Drugs often take influence from nature but they are manufactured to be more potent versions of the active ingredient.

I don't doubt that they have some effect, but it's too minor to make a different.

I think it's time people recognize that finasteride works on the 5-alpha-reducatase enzyme as it's mechanism to reduce DHT and not on DHT directly....This enzyme also serves other functions in the body...Other drugs or natural remedies MAY not work this way....I think more education on the significance of this enzyme would be beneficial to all of us

 

[abcdefg]

We all want more information on what 5 ar 2 does exactly but in those years what are you going to do exactly? I mean let your hair loss get worse knowing it can not be reversed or to roll the dice and maybe keep your hair with no problems until we have a safer better treatment such as CB 03 01?

 

[sxyhairwatch]

A lot of people repeat the mantra "Saw Palmetto does nothing"

Let's start with what I can say, for me it is chemical castration, even 1 or 2 caps a day for 2 days, even with abnormally elevated androgens floating around me (I've used steroids occasionally) is chemical castration for the next 3 days or so.

Saw Palmetto does something alright.

I've just started dabbling with it again re hair loss, and it's too early to make any firm conclusions. But I suspect it is having an effect there, but I would need to review it in the long term. Some people do speak about it favorably for this, while others don't and I imagine, for some people, it is could be useful.

I also have a suspicion that SP's actions are not entirely about one kind of 5-ar, it may have some other interaction with androgens that's not yet understood.

We all want more information on what 5 ar 2 does exactly but in those years what are you going to do exactly? I mean let your hair loss get worse knowing it can not be reversed or to roll the dice and maybe keep your hair with no problems until we have a safer better treatment such as CB 03 01?

 

[The Natural]

These are weak "DHT-blocking" supplements which may slow down hair loss in those recently suffering from thinning hair.

 

[pidda]

Saw palmetto made my prostate feel amazing way before I even touched finasteride. SP with finasteride makes my prostate feel like there is a euphoria coming from there. Even if I didn't have hair loss, I'd just take both just because of how good it makes my prostate feel. However, I think saw palmetto caused me to shed especially when I used the topical version. I've been told that shedding is a good sign? I jumped on finasteride because the lack of scientific evidence and increased hair shed freaked me out too much.

 

[Jack A]

Personally, I would give Saw P a go. I noticed balding about 2 years ago and with Regaine 5ml/night + Nizoral 2x/week and Saw Palmetto 950mg/daily I have maintained. I don't know how much an influence it had obviously but i've had no side effects off it, if you do try it then give it 3-6 months before you judge it.

 

[rwhairlosstalk]

Alone sp did nothing for me. Along with spironolactone sp cuts my shedding by half. Go figure.

 

[LawOfThelema]

Saw palmetto made my prostate feel amazing way before I even touched finasteride. SP with finasteride makes my prostate feel like there is a euphoria coming from there. Even if I didn't have hair loss, I'd just take both just because of how good it makes my prostate feel. However, I think saw palmetto caused me to shed especially when I used the topical version. I've been told that shedding is a good sign? I jumped on finasteride because the lack of scientific evidence and increased hair shed freaked me out too much.

u dont know how hilarious this post is given your new age looking avatar... u getting high off those waves of pleasure emanating from ur prostate rofl

 

[Jacob]

Pumpkin seed oil. Mmmmmmm... http://hayriver.net/home/

Good for your eyes at least. http://hayriver.net/healthbenefits/

 

[twenty.five]

I'm thinking of taking a green tea supplement. It's good for general health (anti-cancer, etc) and cheap. That's why I'd take it over saw palmetto and other things- at least I know it's doing some good for my health, even if only minimal good for my hair.

No harm in trying a few extra things on top of more proven treatments.

 

[abcdefg]

Does anyone know any good but also cheap supplements that have saw palmetto 320mg standardized to 85-95 percent fatty acid in gel cap form, pygeum, pumpkin seed,beta sis, and nettle root in it? I want all of these in 1 gel cap but not having to take all these different pills a day or spend a ton of money on it. Prostate supplements tend to group these but some are not gel caps or have less saw palmetto. Maybe links to reliable sites selling these? Now foods is expensive but are they good brand?
I dont think powder caps get absorbed the same as gel caps.

 

[Jacob]

You could try Swanson's- their own label products. Same for Vitacost...Nutrition Express..etc. Maybe even GNC.

 

[casperz]

I don't know if I've posted this link before http://www.follacure.com/t/saw-palmetto about Saw Palmetto but there are some links at the bottom of the page and
one of the studies says Saw Palmetto was 15 times more effective than finasteride and the side effects seem to be much less. LSESr is the scientific name for Saw Palmetto.

Remarkably, in another biochemical study, it was found that LSESr was a 3-fold more effective inhibitor than finasteride (5 mg/day) at
concentrations adjusted to the recommended doses for BPH treatment. It should be noted that finasteride as indicated for Androgenetic Alopecia
is dosed significantly lower (1 mg/day), suggesting, a 15-fold more potent level of inhibition at the recommended daily dose of
LSESr (320 mg/day) (Delos et al. 1994).

 

[Jaded]

Gonna quote myself:

I was looking at this pdf and wondering why doesn't more people use Saw plametto?

http://www.usrf.org/research/best_poster.pdf

Finasteride reduced DHT from 5.01ng/g to 1.05ng/g
Saw Palmetto reduced DHT from 6.49ng/g to 4.40ng/g

I would say Saw Palmetto decrease is more healthy, plus unlike finasteride, it didn't reduced DHT serum, which in my book is a good thing. So if it was able to reduce DHT on the prostate without reducing serum DHT, the only explanation possible, it's because it blocked the binding of the DHT. It isn't this the thing that everyone wants and is looking for? Something that doesn't inhibit DHT production but only the binding?

Unfortunally i can't seem to find the dosage used.

I might give it a go, along with nettle and pigeum.

 

[abcdefg]

I hear conflicting reports on what saw palmetto does. It might act on DHT by lowering it somehow or it might do something with the receptors in the hair or however hair interacts with androgens such as DHT. I also think though if it does work at the 320mg standardized to 85 percent sterols that it is a lot weaker at that dose then propecia. 320mg at best might slow it down to some degree but propecia would work a lot better and my opinion is its much stronger then saw palmetto.
Honestly I wish propecia was sold at different strengths I dont know why your forced to take 1mg even splitting into 4 pieces inhibits a lot of DHT. What if I want to inhibit only 10 percent just to see how I react to it I still might get a positive on my hair with less sides its kind of stupid when everyone is different body mass.