What is the Serenoa repens
Serenoa ( Serenoa repens = Sabal serrulata = Serenoa serrulata ) is the name of a palm tree that grows in states overlooking the southern Atlantic coast of the United States, southern Europe and northern Africa. This small palm (does not exceed 3 meters in height) produces dark red, monoseme and similar sized olives, which constitute the drug.
Healing properties
Against benign prostatic hyperplasia
Serenoa repens is today widely used in the treatment of benign prostatic hypertrophy and androgenic alopecia (hair loss sustained by endocrine disorders). Its active principles (triglycerides, phytosterols, sitosterol derivatives, flavonoids) give it antiandrogenic properties, which it performs mainly through a direct action on dihydrotestosterone receptors, and indirect, through the inhibition of the 5-alpha-reductase enzyme.
What is DHT
Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is the body's most powerful androgenic hormone and its activity is 4-5 times higher than the testosterone from which it derives.
Dihydrotestosterone is synthesized thanks to the action of the 5-alpha reductase enzyme which makes the double bond between carbon 4 and carbon simple 5. This banal chemical modification considerably increases the affinity of the hormone for androgen receptors, enhancing, consequently, the activity.
The 5-alpha reductase enzyme is highly concentrated in the skin, liver, central nervous system (where the type 1 isoform is present above all) and in the prostate (where the type 2 isoform is concentrated).
If produced in excess, dihydrotestosterone, by virtue of its strong androgenic power, promotes the appearance of acne, accelerates hair loss and causes prostatic hypertrophy. Hence the use of drugs capable of blocking the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase, of phytotherapic derivation (such as Serenoa) or of synthesis (such as finasteride), in the treatment of these conditions.
Unlike finasteride and dutasteride, which only inhibit one or both isoforms of the 5α-reductase enzyme, the serenoa acts on a dual level, blocking the enzyme on one side and preventing the interaction of DHT with its receptor from 'other.
The inhibition of the 5-alpha-reductase enzyme, resulting in blocking the conversion of testosterone to DHT, and the link between dihydrotestosterone and its receptor, have been demonstrated in vitro, but seem too weak for them to be realized in vivo. All this is also supported by the fact that, although it is quite effective in solving the symptoms associated with benign prostatic hypertrophy, the drug does not lead to significant reductions in prostate volume.
Against androgenetic alopecia
This observation would also limit its effectiveness in treating baldness of androgenic origin ("seborrheic alopecia") and acne. This does not mean, however, that the serenoa represents a valid adjuvant in the treatment of these conditions, to be used in association with other products capable of enhancing their action or acting on different fronts.
Additional health applications
The serenoa also has anti-inflammatory and spasm-like effects on the urinary tract muscles, following in this sense the action of another category of drugs used in the treatment of prostate hypertrophy and called alpha-blockers. The contraction of the prostate muscles favors the obstruction of the urethra, responsible for the urination disorders associated with the IBP.
The sum of all these effects would be responsible for the clinical efficacy of the serenoa in reducing the symptoms associated with prostatic hypertrophy, with an action comparable to that of finasteride. The tolerability of the drug would seem, however, even higher. The side effects associated with the use of serenoa are in fact generally rare and in any case mild; they include itching, headache, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, decreased libido and gastrointestinal problems (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation).
Intake dose
The action of the serenoa in the most accredited clinical studies was evaluated with titrated and standardized extracts in free fatty acids and phytosterols at 85-95%, at a dosage of 320 mg / day. Serenoa liposterol extract is also available as a registered medicinal product ( Permixon ®). Alternatively you can use the raw drug at dosages of 1-2 grams a day.
Serenoa is found mainly as a single preparation, but in some products it can be associated with drugs with similar activity, such as pumpkin seeds, nettle or African pigeo.
