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A trial of saw palmetto in men with moderate to severe prostate problems has found that it doesn't work. Having prostate problems is one of the blights of male ageing; your stream's weak, you get up during the night and in general it's harder to pass a loo without going in. And it since no-one wants to have surgery on an enlarged prostate unnecessarily, a herbal medication sounds like a good option and the extract of the saw palmetto berry has been very popular. Several trials have suggested saw palmetto relieves prostate symptoms and it's apparently loved by German urologists even though the active ingredient isn't known. Well, the love affair's probably over because a well conducted, year-long trial of saw palmetto in men with moderate to severe prostate problems has found that it doesn't work. Nothing they measured from symptoms to size and beyond was different from a placebo. The reason other trials showed benefit was almost certainly due to major flaws in the studies. So what are you to do about the dribbles? Well there are medications but be careful about surgery. There isn't good evidence it helps much unless your life's badly disrupted by the problem.
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