Saw palmetto berries contain the plant’s active ingredients, which are fatty acids. The plant’s berries can be made into tea. Saw palmetto is also available as tablets, capsules, and a liquid extract. (See also Overview of Dietary Supplements Overview of Dietary Supplements Integrative medicine and health (IMH) and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) include healing approaches and therapies that historically have not been included in conventional, mainstream... read more .)
Medicinal claims
Saw palmetto opposes the actions of testosterone. Many men take saw palmetto to treat benign enlargement of the prostate gland (benign prostatic hyperplasia Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a noncancerous (benign) enlargement of the prostate gland that can make urination difficult. The prostate gland enlarges as men age. Men may have difficulty... read more ). In a number of studies, saw palmetto relieved the symptoms of an enlarged prostate gland, such as frequent urination. Although well-designed studies did not show any benefit from saw palmetto for those symptoms, some evidence suggests that a specific chemical extracted from saw palmetto decreases night-time urination and improves urine flow.
Claims that it increases sperm production, breast size, or sexual vigor are unproved.
Possible side effects
Headache and diarrhea occasionally occur. Because saw palmetto may have hormonal effects, women who are pregnant or who may become pregnant should not take it. There has been a case reported of acute liver damage and a case of pancreatitis possibly due to saw palmetto.
Possible drug interactions
Women taking hormone therapy should consult their doctor before they take saw palmetto. Saw palmetto may interact with estrogen therapy and oral contraceptives and may decrease warfarin's blood clot–preventing effects.
More Information about Saw Palmetto
The following is an English-language resource that may be useful. Please note that THE MANUAL is not responsible for the content of this resource.
National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: General information on the use of saw palmetto as a dietary supplement
Drugs Mentioned In This Article
| Generic Name | Select Brand Names |
|---|---|
warfarin |
COUMADIN |
