What Is Saw Palmetto?
Saw palmetto, also called the American dwarf palm tree, is a palm plant that grows mostly along the coast of the southeastern United States and can be found as far west as California. It gets its name from its green leaves, which look like the teeth of a saw.
The plant has white flowers that produce yellow berries that turn black when they’re ripe. The ripe fruit of saw palmetto can be used in several forms, including ground and dried fruit or whole berries. It’s available as a liquid extract, tablets, capsules, and as an infusion or a tea.
Benefits of Saw Palmetto
Saw palmetto berries can be dried and used to make an herb or dietary supplement. Throughout history, this remedy has been used to treat health conditions like coughs and problems involving the reproductive organs.
Today, manufacturers of saw palmetto herb or supplement promote it for managing conditions like:
But research has yet to back up these claims.
Saw palmetto for women
Saw palmetto is often marketed to women to help with urinary issues, problems related to the reproductive system, like enlarged ovaries and painful periods, milk production during breastfeeding, and breast enlargement.
However, research on saw palmetto has mostly been done to understand its benefits for enlarged prostrate glands in men. Little is known about how safe it is for managing conditions in women, nor its side effects. Experts even warn that it could be potentially harmful to women, especially people who are pregnant and breastfeeding.
Saw palmetto for men
Saw palmetto has been studied for its potential benefits for men with urinary tract symptoms caused by having an enlarged prostate. However, researchers don’t know much about its benefits for other health conditions.
Some manufacturers say that saw palmetto can help men produce more sperm, improve sexual function, and promote hair growth in people with male pattern baldness. But we need more research to know for sure if saw palmetto really works as existing research doesn’t support these claims.
However, the active ingredient, likely fatty acids, seems to stop the hormone testosterone from being converted into the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which may be relevant for health conditions associated with DHT, like prostate growth and male pattern baldness. More research is still needed to support its usefulness for these conditions.
Saw Palmetto and Prostate Health
Some studies in animals have shown that saw palmetto may help keep tumor cells from growing, raising hopes about its potential as a treatment for prostate cancer. But there’s no proof that it can treat the condition or lower your chances of getting it. More research is needed to understand whether it has any effects on prostate cancer.
But there is some evidence that it might help ease the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
The prostate gland, which is about the size of a walnut, helps make seminal fluid (semen). BPH, which is very common among men and people assigned male at birth as they get older, happens when that gland gets larger than it should be. That can start to block the urethra, the tube that carries urine out of the body, and cause trouble with urination, like starting or stopping, peeing too often, or having to pee during the night.
It’s not clear how or why saw palmetto may help with BPH. Some studies show that the supplement might shrink the prostate gland. Other possibilities are that it eases inflammation or keeps your body from changing the hormone testosterone into another hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which may play a role in BPH.
However it works, many other countries use saw palmetto in treatments for BPH. For example, it’s found in 90% of BPH treatments in Germany and in 50% in Italy.
Saw Palmetto Supplements
Dried saw palmetto berries can be put into tablets, capsules, powders, and liquids as a supplement.
Saw Palmetto Dosage
Saw palmetto supplements may be taken as a dose of 320 milligrams once a day or 160 milligrams twice a day.
Side Effects of Saw Palmetto
Saw palmetto is considered a dietary supplement or herbal product. It’s generally thought to be safe for adults when taken as directed. Saw palmetto may cause mild side effects like:
- Stomach discomfort
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Tender breasts
- Decline in sexual desire
Saw palmetto drug interactions
Research hasn’t found that taking saw palmetto supplements can affect how other supplements or medicines work. But talk to your doctor before taking saw palmetto supplements or other supplements.
That said, don’t take saw palmetto if you take medications for BPH, like finasteride, or certain blood thinners like aspirin, clopidogrel (Plavix), or warfarin (Coumadin) as it could affect blood clotting.
Who Shouldn't Take Saw Palmetto Supplements?
Saw palmetto is not recommended for children, anyone pregnant or nursing, or women who have had (or who are at higher risk of) hormone-related cancer.
Talk to your doctor before trying saw palmetto, and make sure they know about any other herbs or dietary supplements you take.
Takeaways
Saw palmetto is a plant whose berries can be made into a liquid extract, tablets, capsules, and as an infusion or tea. It is studied for its benefits for prostate health, but not much is known about its other uses, especially in women. Researchers do not know much about its safety and side effects. That said, talk to a doctor before starting saw palmetto supplements or other supplements.
Saw Palmetto FAQs
Does saw palmetto reduce testosterone? There isn’t much research on the effect of saw palmetto on testosterone levels.
Is it safe to take saw palmetto every day? Saw palmetto is generally safe to take as a supplement. But talk to your doctor before taking it as a daily supplement.
Can saw palmetto regrow hair? Saw palmetto is often an ingredient in supplements that claim to help with hair growth. However, there isn't much evidence that suggests that it can regrow hair.
