Saw Palmetto Dosage
Answered by: Susan Eagles
Question from: J. Parker
Posted on: November 19, 1998

I understand the use for this product. My questions are as follows: What type of this product should I buy? Powder or gel tabs?

I was told (health store) that the liquid (gel) capsules are 4 times as powerful as powder. Is this true? And if so what good would become of taking a pill 4 times as strong as the other?

How much of this product should be taken, given the strength of a product?

Is it a better buy to buy the gel instead of the powder?

The dosage recommended in the British Herbal Pharmacopoeia is 0.5 - 1.0 gram of the dried saw palmetto fruits or 0.6 - 1.5 ml of the liquid extract, three times a day. A liquid extract, made by preserving the active ingredients from the berries in alcohol or glycerin, is a reliable method of preserving the potency of the herb.

A couple of things you can check on the labels of herbal products are:

* "standardization", guaranteeing a minimum quantity of active ingredients.

* A capsule or tablet should be protected from loss of potency with the addition of an anti-oxidant, and this addition should be represented on the label.

An expert at a health food stores usually know which herb distributors supply the most reliable quality products.

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