What Does Saw Palmetto Do for You and What Are the Long-Term Effects?

Saw palmetto is mainly used as a dietary supplement for several health conditions. Saw palmetto reduces inflammation, improves prostate health, decreases urinary symptoms, and provides other benefits.

Despite the powerful curative properties of allopathic medications, natural supplements are becoming increasingly popular due to their lack of major side effects. One such health supplement is saw palmetto, which is being touted as a remedy for conditions like hair loss and urinary problems. 

Read on to learn more about the health benefits of saw palmetto, as well as potential side effects, precautions, and more.

The saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) tree gets its name from its pointy, saw-toothed leaves, which are arranged like fans on thorny stems. This short palm tree can grow up to 10 feet in height with massive leaf clusters. It grows in warmer climates with sandy soil. 

Saw palmetto is native to the southeastern United States, with a range extending from South Carolina to Florida. Its white flowers produce yellow berries that darken as they ripen. The berry-like saw palmetto fruit contains a huge seed.

Native Americans first used this plant in the early 1900s as a staple food and medicinal ingredient to treat illnesses like coughs, urinary conditions, and poor libido.

These days, saw palmetto is mainly used as a dietary supplement for several health conditions. Its berries can be eaten whole or dried and used in herbal teas. 

Saw palmetto supplements are available as tablets, powdered capsules, tinctures, and extracts. 

These supplements should contain 75% to 90% of fats (sterols) extracted from the fruits. They are a good source of beneficial substances like antioxidants and Vitamin E.

Supplements aren’t recommended for children. If you’re an adult, though, you can take supplements containing fat-soluble extract in capsules based on the dosage recommended by your healthcare provider.

Note that the active ingredients in dried saw palmetto fruits aren’t water soluble, so teas made from these berries might not be particularly effective. Capsules may produce better results. You might also want to take these supplements with food to minimize digestive issues and other side effects. 

You’re likely to notice beneficial effects within 8 weeks. 

The potential health benefits of saw palmetto include:

1. Reduced inflammation

Some animal studies have noted that saw palmetto exhibits antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which could provide pain relief. For example, saw palmetto extract was used to reduce swelling and decrease the levels of inflammatory markers like interleukins and cytokines in mice with enlarged prostates.

A rat study examining the effect of saw palmetto on prostate enlargement also reported decreased inflammation.

Research in humans is warranted, though, to confirm these effects.

2. Improved prostate health

The prostate gland is located just below the bladder and surrounds the urinary tube running through the penis. The prostate gland helps maintain sperm quality.

Saw palmetto has been found to improve prostate health and protect against conditions like enlarged prostate and prostate cancer.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common condition that affects around 75% of men older than 70 years. According to a survey that took place over 15 years, saw palmetto limited the progression of BPH in 30 men who took 320 mg of saw palmetto extract daily.

However, other studies have failed to replicate such results, warranting additional research.

3. Decreased urinary symptoms

A study of 354 men with BPH reported that taking 320 mg of saw palmetto for 6 months resulted in improved urinary flow, enhanced sexual function, and better quality of life. 

However, saw palmetto supplements aren’t particularly effective when used alone. Research remains ongoing in this field.

4. Enhanced testosterone levels

Testosterone is a hormone that plays a role in maintaining body composition, mood, libido, and brain function.

Saw palmetto regulates testosterone levels by blocking an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase, which is responsible for converting testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). It can also reduce DHT’s ability to bind to androgen receptors by almost 50%, thus maintaining testosterone levels.

In people who took Resettin, which is a supplement containing saw palmetto and an antioxidant called astaxanthin, testosterone levels were found to be increased by 38%.

Saw palmetto also improved muscle endurance, increased sperm count, and boosted testosterone production in rats, according to one study. These findings need to be confirmed in humans.

5. Decreased hair loss

DHT is an androgen hormone that is responsible for shortening the hair growth cycle, resulting in the growth of shorter and thinner hair. 

Saw palmetto can block the enzyme that converts testosterone to DHT, thus reducing hair loss. It can also prevent DHT from binding to hormone receptors in your hair follicles.

Oral and topical supplements of saw palmetto improved hair density in 83% of people with hair loss. It also increased the hair count by 27% and enhanced hair quality by 67%.

Men with male-pattern baldness (alopecia) who took 200 mg of saw palmetto daily observed a 60% reduction in hair loss. However, these effects might be limited, and further research is needed before drawing any conclusions.

Saw palmetto is considered safe and generally well-tolerated with minimal side effects. Some of the most common side effects that you may experience when taking saw palmetto supplements, though, include constipation, nausea, headache, and dizziness. You need to keep these and other things in mind if you’re taking or planning to take saw palmetto supplements. 

Because saw palmetto can impact hormone levels, they’re not recommended if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, taking hormone-based contraceptives, or undergoing hormone replacement therapy. Supplements can increase the chances of unplanned pregnancy by making contraceptives less effective.

Saw palmetto can also increase the risk of bleeding by affecting the body’s blooding-clotting ability and interfering with the activity of blood thinners like warfarin and coumadin. Saw palmetto may also impact the absorption of iron by the body.

There have been extremely rare reports of liver damage and pancreas damage in people who took saw palmetto, though nothing can be concluded due to the small number of instances.

Regardless, though, be careful when consuming any herbs with medicinal effects. Don’t self-medicate with saw palmetto. Seek your doctor’s opinion before adding saw palmetto to your health regimen.

The fruit of saw palmetto has been associated with many potential health benefits. These include improvements in urinary symptoms, sexual function, hair growth, pain relief, and prostate health.

However, these uses, the safety of saw palmetto, and its long-term effects are still being studied. Additional research is needed, especially among the female population.

If you’d like to try a saw palmetto supplement but remain unsure, consult your healthcare provider to confirm whether they are likely to be a good fit for you.