Saw palmetto: A $87M ingredient that targets the same enzyme as a blockbuster prostate drug

Saw palmetto inhibits 5-alpha reductase, the exact same enzyme target as finasteride (Proscar), a prescription drug for BPH and male pattern baldness. The mechanism is identical. But the clinical evidence is mixed (some large trials failed), which suggests the extract standardization, on "fatty acids" generically, may be missing the specific bioactive fraction. The mechanism is validated; the product may just be wrong.Publications of interest:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20623347/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11337315/https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6859144/