[Is there a rational therapy for symptomatic treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia with phytogenic drugs? Illustrated with the example of the prostate agent from Serenoa repens (Sabal fructus)].

In summary, even when the scientific findings are subjected to a stringently critical evaluation, it must be concluded that the denigration of herbal prostate drugs to mere placebos, as occasionally occurs, is not scientifically tenable. This is especially true of the lipophilic extract of Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens fruits) in a daily dose of 320 mg extract. All in all, far more experimental and clinical studies have been conducted with herbal prostate drugs than with "fashionable" drugs, such as alpha 1-receptor antagonists and finasteride, since with the latter only studies of recent design are available. A dogmatic evaluation of one drug group or another is certainly not in the patients' best interest. As the overview shows, both groups of substances are useful for individualized treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), provided that conservative pharmacological treatment of BPH is basically accepted and that the patients' quality of life is also considered. Phytomedicines have less side effects and lower costs.