Herbs in the News

More Americans are turning to herbs than ever before, demonstrating a greater interest in natural remedies and self health care. According to several sources including SPINS data, Nutrition Business Journal and Symphony IRL, 2010 sales of herbal remedies crept up 3.3 percent over sales in 2009. HerbalGram, the Journal of the American Botanical Council, reported that Americans spent an estimated 5.2 billion in herbal supplement sales in 2010. The biggest shares of supplement sales went to flax seed oil, wheat grass and barley grass juices, aloe vera, turmeric, cranberry, saw palmetto, soy, garlic and ginkgo.

In a recent review of anti-rheumatic herbals, preparations of Devil’s claw (Harpagophytum procumbens), a sharp thorny desert plant from Africa demonstrated efficacy, especially for lower back pain . Capsaicin, the resinous oil of hot peppers, showed pain-relieving properties when applied topically. Neither result is much of a surprise, given that other studies have shown similar efficacy. Capsaicin in particular is widely used, and creams made with this natural oil are the most widely recommended topical arthritis pain relievers recommended by physicians. In the review, Sativex, a fluid cannabis-based drug from the UK also showed pain-relieving properties, as did Cat’s claw bark (Uncaria tomentosa) from the Amazon rainforest. All the pain-relieving agents except the Sativex are readily available in the U.S. market.

According to a recent article in the October 11, 2010 issue of the Journal of Pharmacology, Spanish sage (Salvia lavandulifolia)is such a potent brain-enhancer, it can improve cognition in a single dose. In a study, thirty-six young men and women were trained in a battery of tests. One week later, they returned to the testing center, where they were given either a single capsule of Spanish sage essential oil or a placebo of pure olive oil. One hour and four hours after consuming the oil, the individuals were run through the battery of tests. According to their scores, those who took the single capsules of Spanish sage essential oil scored better in a simple reaction time test, delayed word recall, delayed word recognition, and delayed picture recognition. The individuals who took the sage oil also reported less fatigue after testing than other participants. The conclusion of the authors of the study is that Spanish sage oil may play a significant role in mental enhancement, and may prove valuable to those who are memory impaired.

Can a man take propecia and saw palmetto at the same time, or is ...

Saw palmetto is a natural plant which has been shown in tests to do the same (and women can safely use it for hair growth). It can be purchased at health food/ all natural stores or aisles of larger department stores. Should a person only use one at a time? Are their any side effects if both are taken together?

Sounds like that combination would do quite the number on your prostate. Judging by the findings of the study posted below, it was concluded that Saw Palmetto only reduces the concentration of DHT in prostate tissue, and has no substantial effect on DHT levels in the blood, thus, probably isn’t useful for MPB.

But if you’re looking to shrink your prostate via involution, this would be effective. I’m not a doctor but if you’re worried about side effects, I would say taking both fin and saw palmetto increases your risk of developing impotence from androgen deprivation.

Good luck

Sounds like that combination would do quite the number on your prostate. Judging by the findings of the study posted below, it was concluded that Saw Palmetto only reduces the concentration of DHT in prostate tissue, and has no substantial effect on DHT levels in the blood, thus, probably isn’t useful for MPB.

But if you’re looking to shrink your prostate via involution, this would be effective. I’m not a doctor but if you’re worried about side effects, I would say taking both fin and saw palmetto increases your risk of developing impotence from androgen deprivation.

Saw Palmetto for Men & Women, Herbal Healing for the Prostate, Urinary Tract, Immune System and More

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