Taking an herbal supplement containing saw palmetto extract may help reduce inflammation of the prostate, a problem from which millions of American men suffer. This alternative therapy has been used for over a century to improve prostate health, so it is little wonder that another alternative regimen is making headlines for its ability to ease the side effects of a prostate cancer treatment.

Research appearing in the International Journal of Radiation: Oncology, Biology, Physics has found that acupuncture may relieve hot flashes caused by androgen deprivation therapy, a course of treatment in which testosterone is temporarily eliminated from the bloodstream.

This course of medication can cause severe hot flashes in men, often necessitating the use of a prescription antidepressant to reverse these uncomfortable sensations.

In lieu of pharmacological intervention, researchers at the New York Methodist Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical College tested the response of 14 men to eight rounds of acupuncture delivered over a period of one month.

The team found that men reported an average 75 percent reduction in the severity of their hot flashes at the end of the study. By taking regular saw palmetto supplements, men with prostate issues may also reduce inflammation caused by benign prostate enlargement.