Pygeum

[NigelKennedy]

Anybody know where to buy Pygeum or saw palmetto in CM..thanks in advance

[elektrified]

Hadn't heard of Pygeum before until I googled it. Saw Palmetto can be found from time to time but the cost here is ridiculous. You can order 180 capsules from www.iherb.com for the same price that a little bottle of 30 capsules cost here and the ones from iherb.com are more potent and have pumpkin seed oil and zinc in them as well.

But to be honest with you, they don't work. I tried taking very high doses perhaps 3X the recommended dosage as an experiment and I may as well have been taking placebo. You can read about it in the health forum. Many studies have been done and the same as placebo.

[Dante99]

Hadn't heard of Pygeum before until I googled it. Saw Palmetto can be found from time to time but the cost here is ridiculous. You can order 180 capsules from www.iherb.com for the same price that a little bottle of 30 capsules cost here and the ones from iherb.com are more potent and have pumpkin seed oil and zinc in them as well.

But to be honest with you, they don't work. I tried taking very high doses perhaps 3X the recommended dosage as an experiment and I may as well have been taking placebo. You can read about it in the health forum. Many studies have been done and the same as placebo.

They don't work for what problem?

[elektrified]

Hadn't heard of Pygeum before until I googled it. Saw Palmetto can be found from time to time but the cost here is ridiculous. You can order 180 capsules from www.iherb.com for the same price that a little bottle of 30 capsules cost here and the ones from iherb.com are more potent and have pumpkin seed oil and zinc in them as well.

But to be honest with you, they don't work. I tried taking very high doses perhaps 3X the recommended dosage as an experiment and I may as well have been taking placebo. You can read about it in the health forum. Many studies have been done and the same as placebo.

They don't work for what problem?

BPH and prostate related problems.

[FolkGuitar]

One important fact needs to be considered with regards to using herbal remedies, and that is, they affect different people differently.

For some people saw palmetto and pumpkin seed oil do ameliorate the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia. For others, it does nothing. When I needed it, I found it to be very effective.

Same with herbals such as melatonin as a sleep aid. I ate bottles of the stuff and it didn't do a thing... for me. Other people swear by its effectiveness. Many folks take glucosamine & chondroitin for joint problems. They swear by the effectiveness of this combination too. Other folks get no relief at all no matter how much they take. They aren't lying. We all have different bodies, and herbal remedies affect us differently.

[Suradit69]

One important fact needs to be considered with regards to using herbal remedies, and that is, they affect different people differently.

For some people saw palmetto and pumpkin seed oil do ameliorate the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia. For others, it does nothing. When I needed it, I found it to be very effective.

Same with herbals such as melatonin as a sleep aid. I ate bottles of the stuff and it didn't do a thing... for me. Other people swear by its effectiveness. Many folks take glucosamine & chondroitin for joint problems. They swear by the effectiveness of this combination too. Other folks get no relief at all no matter how much they take. They aren't lying. We all have different bodies, and herbal remedies affect us differently.

"One important fact needs to be considered with regards to using herbal remedies, and that is, they affect different people differently"

The same can be said for sugar pills and other placebos. Tell people this tablet will cure this or that and sure enough some of them will experience symptomatic relief and others nothing.

And taking herbal remedies can and does cause side-effects, some of them trivial and some significant. Using the word "herbal" makes it sound like you're in sync with Mother Nature, but in fact you're screwing around with your body chemistry. Many plants defend themselves against animals that want to eat them by being toxic. Animals usually know which plants to avoid. Most humans are clueless.

And the logic behind the notion that if taking the daily recommended dosage doesn't seem to be doing much, then taking 3 x as much is sure to be good for me has one or two flaws in it.

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction while taking saw palmetto: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Stop using saw palmetto and call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

• weakness or fainting;

• black, bloody, or tarry stools;

• coughing up blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds;

• pain or swelling in your breasts or testicles;

• chest pain;

• fast, slow, or uneven heart rate;

• easy bruising or bleeding; or

• nausea, stomach pain, loss of appetite, itching, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).

[FolkGuitar]

"One important fact needs to be considered with regards to using herbal remedies, and that is, they affect different people differently"

The same can be said for sugar pills and other placebos. Tell people this tablet will cure this or that and sure enough some of them will experience symptomatic relief and others nothing.

That's very true! And considering the fact that sugar kills approximately 180,000 people around the world every year, it's certainly something of which we should be careful! Sugar can be very dangerous!

And taking herbal remedies can and does cause side-effects, some of them trivial and some significant.

And that's a fact! Of course, so does taking prescription medication, which is why EVERY medicine sold today has a long list of possible negative side effects included in the package. ANYTHING you take into your body 'can' be dangerous to 'some' people. Allergic reactions have been found for virtually every thing from apples to zebrawood. It's wise to get to know your own body, and how it reacts to different things.

When I'm planning on trying a new medicine or a new herbal remedy, I first crush up one tablet or open a capsule and rub some onto my forearm and wait a few hours to see if there is any reaction. It's not a surefire guarantee, but it's a start. Even the wisest medical doctors can't tell just by looking at you if you will be allergic to some prescribed medication.

Using the word "herbal" makes it sound like you're in sync with Mother Nature, but in fact you're screwing around with your body chemistry.

And that too is very true. If you have a headache and someone tells you to go out, find a Willow tree and remove the outer bark to expose the green inner layer, then gather that into a pot with water and bring to a boil and drink it, most folks would tell you to go piss up a rope! Much easier to just open a bottle and take an aspirin. Of course, the University of Maryland Medical Center tells us:

"The use of willow bark dates back thousands of years, to the time of Hippocrates (400 BC) when patients were advised to chew on the bark to reduce fever and inflammation. Willow bark has been used throughout the centuries in China and Europe, and continues to be used today for the treatment of pain (particularly low back pain and osteoarthritis), headache, and inflammatory conditions, such as bursitis and tendinitis. The bark of white willow contains salicin, which is a chemical similar to aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid). In combination with the herb's powerful anti-inflammatory plant compounds (called flavonoids), salicin is thought to be responsible for the pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory effects of the herb. In fact, in the 1800s, salicin was used to develop aspirin."

Source: Willow bark | University of Maryland Medical Center http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/willow-bark#ixzz3OwnwGFDo

University of Maryland Medical Center

Many plants defend themselves against animals that want to eat them by being toxic. Animals usually know which plants to avoid. Most humans are clueless

Which is why it's NOT a really good idea to go out and graze the North 40. Far safer to purchase your herbals from a reliable company, having people who have made a study of which ones are poisonous and which are beneficial. I had an Advanced Biology professor in college who said "The only way to know for sure if a mushroom is poisonous or not is to feed one to your younger brother."

Just like modern medicines (which all have their roots (no pun intended) in herbal studies,) herbals can help some people, do nothing for other people, and even hurt a few. According to the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, in 2012 alone there were 27,000 deaths in the US directly caused by prescription drugs. Prescription drugs... ordered by medical doctors.

For death by herbals, the only information I can find seems to be for recreational use/mis-use of herbals by teenagers looking to get high.

(Hmmmmmm.... I wonder if saw palmetto can get you high?)

For 'Unintentional Deaths' by plant matter, it seems the Boy Scouts take the lead on this one, using Oleander branches to cook their hot dogs, and toddlers chewing on 'Dieffenbachia' house plants... (This is a really popular plant here in Thailand, so if you have toddlers in the house, take care.)

Some folks won't take any medicine. The figure God will cure them. Others believe that if their bodies are working correctly, they shouldn't need to take medicine. Others will only believe that drugs that come from a medical doctor certified in Western Medicine can work, while still other believe that Oriental medicines and other herbals are the cure.

For all of these 'cures,' some will work for some people and not for others. Your mileage may vary.