Saw palmetto: what it is for and how to use it

Saw palmetto is a medicinal plant, of the species Serenoa repens, which produces small blue-black berries similar to blackberries, which contain anti-inflammatory, diuretic and antiandrogenic properties. Therefore, saw palmetto is widely used as a home remedy for impotence, urinary problems or an enlarged prostate, for example.

This medicinal plant can be used in the form of tea, capsules or lotion, prepared from the dry extract of saw palmetto fruit, which can be purchased at health food stores or compounding pharmacies.

However, its use should always be carried out under the guidance of a doctor or other healthcare professional who has experience with the use of medicinal plants.

What is it for

Saw palmetto can be used for:

1. Control prostate cancer

Saw palmetto has anti-inflammatory properties that slow prostate growth and can help alleviate urinary symptoms associated with a benign prostate tumor, such as difficulty urinating or the urge to urinate frequently, as well as improving quality of life and sexual function. , as it promotes hormonal balance.

Furthermore, this plant works by blocking some hormonal processes that prevent the growth of prostate cells, helping to prevent the development and progression of prostate cancer. See more about prostate cancer.

2. Prevent hair loss

Saw palmetto improves hair health, increasing growth and volume, being very useful for people who suffer from baldness, as this medicinal plant works to balance hormones that help reduce hair loss.

3. Improve sexual performance in men

This medicinal plant helps regulate testosterone levels in men, improving muscular resistance and increasing libido and the number of sperm, increasing fertility.

4. Relieve urinary symptoms

Saw palmetto acts on bladder receptors and nerves, helping to alleviate some urinary symptoms in men and women, such as difficulty retaining urine and increased urinary frequency.

5. Reduce pain

As it contains anti-inflammatory properties, saw palmetto also helps reduce irritation and sore throat, as well as cough and headache.

How to use

The normally used part of saw palmetto is its entire fruit from which its active substances are extracted and can be consumed in the form of powdered tea or capsules and also as a skin lotion.

The main ways to use saw palmetto are:

• Saw palmetto in capsules: take 1 capsule of 160 mg, twice a day, after breakfast and dinner;
• Saw palmetto tea: put 1 tablespoon of saw palmetto powder in 1 glass of water. Mix until the powder completely dissolves and drink twice a day.
• Skin lotion: After washing and drying your hair, apply to the scalp on areas where hair is falling. You should massage the scalp for 2 or 3 minutes, pressing gently and making circular movements with your fingers. Saw palmetto lotion can also be applied to the skin in cases of eczema.

The duration and dosages of saw palmetto treatment depend on medical advice.

Possible side effects

Saw palmetto is a safe plant for most adults, as long as it is consumed orally in the form of a capsule or tea, for up to 3 years. However, it may cause some mild side effects that include dizziness, headache, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, bitter taste in the mouth, constipation or diarrhea.

Furthermore, saw palmetto can delay blood clotting and, therefore, its use must be stopped 2 weeks before any surgery to avoid bleeding or hemorrhage.

Who shouldn’t use

Saw palmetto should not be used by children, pregnant women or women who are breastfeeding. It is also contraindicated for people with blood clotting problems, such as hemophilia, liver diseases, such as liver failure, or pancreas problems, such as pancreatitis.

This medicinal plant should also not be used by people who use anticoagulants such as warfarin, acetylsalicylic acid or clopidogrel, for example, or who use other medicinal plants or supplements that can affect blood clotting such as ginger, ginkgo biloba, ginseng, horse chestnut, turmeric, willow, clove, red clover or vitamin E.