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Sawpalmetto
Whatisit?
Sawpalmettoisaplant.Itsripefruitisusedtomakemedicine.
Sawpalmettoisbestknownforitsuseindecreasingsymptomsofanenlargedprostate(benign
prostatichypertrophy,BPH).Accordingtomanyresearchstudies,itiseffectiveforthisuse.
Sawpalmettoisusedfortreatingcertaintypesofprostateinfections.Itisalsosometimesused,in
combinationwithotherherbs,totreatprostatecancer.
Somepeopleusesawpalmettoforcoldsandcoughs,sorethroat,asthma,chronicbronchitis,
chronicpelvicpainsyndrome,andmigraineheadache.Itisalsousedtoincreaseurineflow(asa
diuretic),topromoterelaxation(asasedative),andtoenhancesexualdrive(asanaphrodisiac).

Howeffectiveisit?
NaturalMedicinesComprehensiveDatabaserateseffectivenessbasedonscientificevidence
accordingtothefollowingscale:Effective,LikelyEffective,PossiblyEffective,PossiblyIneffective,
LikelyIneffective,Ineffective,andInsufficientEvidencetoRate.
TheeffectivenessratingsforSAWPALMETTOareasfollows:

Possiblyeffectivefor...
Prostatesurgery(transurethralresectionoftheprostateTURP).Researchshowsthat
taking320mgofsawpalmettodailyfor2monthsbeforeprostatesurgerycanreducethetime
spentinsurgery,bloodloss,thedevelopmentofproblemsduringsurgery,andthetotaltime
spentinthehospital.However,onesmallstudyfoundthattaking160mgdaily5weeksbefore
surgerydoesnotlowertheriskofproblemsduringsurgery.

Possiblyineffectivefor...
Enlargedprostate(benignprostatichyperplasiaBPH).Thereisconflictingandcontradictory
researchaboutthebenefitsofsawpalmettoforprostatesymptoms.Someresearchhasshown

thatsawpalmettomightmodestlyimprovesymptomssuchasgoingtothebathroomatnightin
somemenwithBPH.However,higherqualityandmorereliableresearchseemstoindicatethat
sawpalmettohaslittleornobenefitforreducingthesesymptoms.Anybenefitismodestatbest.

Insufficientevidencetorateeffectivenessfor...
Prostateswellingandchronicpelvicpainsyndrome.Someearlyresearchfoundthatsaw
palmettocanimproveprostateswellingsymptoms.Otherearlyresearchfoundthattakingsaw
palmetto,selenium,andlycopene,butnotsawpalmettoalone,canimprovesymptomsof
prostateswellingandchronicpelvicpainsyndrome.Takingcertainherbalcombinations
containingsawpalmettoseemstoimprovetheeffectsofsparfloxacinorprulifloxacinintreating
prostateswellingsymptomsduetoinfection.However,sawpalmettodoesntseemtoimprove
prostateswellingsymptomsnotduetoinfection.
Prostatecancer.Researchstudiestodatehavefoundthattakingsawpalmettodoesntseemto
preventprostatecancer.
Baldness.Somemenreportthatusingsawpalmettowithbetasitosterolmakesthemgrowmore
andbetterhair.
Bladdercontrol(neurogenicbladder).Earlyresearchsuggeststhattaking90120dropsofa
combinationofechinaceaandsawpalmettofor77daysimprovestheamountofurinethe
bladdercanholdandtheamountleftinthebladderafterurinationinwomenwithneurogenic
bladder.
Coldsandcoughs.
Sorethroat.
Asthma.
Chronicbronchitis.
Migraineheadache.
Increasingbreastsize.
Reducingbleedingafterprostatesurgery.
Otherconditions.
Moreevidenceisneededtoratetheeffectivenessofsawpalmettofortheseuses.

Howdoesitwork?
Sawpalmettodoesntshrinktheoverallsizeoftheprostate,butitseemstoshrinktheinnerlining
thatputspressureonthetubesthatcarryurine.

Aretheresafetyconcerns?
SawpalmettoisLIKELYSAFEformostpeople.Sideeffectsareusuallymild.Somepeoplehave
reporteddizziness,headache,nausea,vomiting,constipation,anddiarrhea.Somepeoplehave

reportedthatsawpalmettocausesimpotence.However,thesesideeffectsdonotseemtooccur
anymoreoftenwithsawpalmettothanwithasugarpill.
Thereissomeconcernthatsawpalmettomightcauseliverorpancreasproblemsinsomepeople.
Therehavebeentworeportsofliverdamageandonereportofpancreasdamageinpeoplewho
tooksawpalmetto.However,thereisnotenoughinformationtoknowifsawpalmettowastheactual
causeofthesesideeffects.
SawpalmettoisPOSSIBLYSAFEwhenadministeredintotherectumappropriatelyforupto30
days.However,itisnotknownifitissafetouseforlongerperiodsoftime.
Specialprecautions&warnings:
Pregnancyandbreastfeeding:SawpalmettoisLIKELYUNSAFEwhenusedduringpregnancy
orbreastfeeding.Itactslikeahormone,andthiscouldbedangeroustothepregnancy.Dontuse
duringpregnancyorbreastfeeding.
Surgery:Sawpalmettomightslowbloodclotting.Thereissomeconcernthatitmightcauseextra
bleedingduringandaftersurgery.Stopusingsawpalmettoatleast2weeksbeforeascheduled
surgery.

Arethereinteractionswithmedications?
Moderate
Becautiouswiththiscombination.
Birthcontrolpills(Contraceptivedrugs)
Somebirthcontrolpillscontainestrogen.Sawpalmettomightdecreasetheeffectsofestrogeninthe
body.Takingsawpalmettoalongwithbirthcontrolpillsmightdecreasetheeffectivenessofbirth
controlpills.Ifyoutakebirthcontrolpillsalongwithsawpalmetto,useanadditionalformofbirth
controlsuchasacondom.
Somebirthcontrolpillsincludeethinylestradiolandlevonorgestrel(Triphasil),ethinylestradioland
norethindrone(OrthoNovum1/35,OrthoNovum7/7/7),andothers.
Estrogens
Sawpalmettoseemstodecreaseestrogenlevelsinthebody.Takingsawpalmettoalongwith
estrogenpillsmightdecreasetheeffectivenessofestrogenpills.
Someestrogenpillsincludeconjugatedequineestrogens(Premarin),ethinylestradiol,estradiol,and
others.
Medicationsthatslowbloodclotting(Anticoagulant/Antiplateletdrugs)
Sawpalmettomightslowbloodclotting.Takingsawpalmettoalongwithmedicationsthatalsoslow
clottingmightincreasethechancesofbruisingandbleeding.

Somemedicationsthatslowbloodclottingincludeaspirin,clopidogrel(Plavix),diclofenac(Voltaren,
Cataflam,others),ibuprofen(Advil,Motrin,others),naproxen(Anaprox,Naprosyn,others),
dalteparin(Fragmin),enoxaparin(Lovenox),heparin,warfarin(Coumadin),andothers.

Arethereinteractionswithherbsandsupplements?
Herbsandsupplementsthatmightslowbloodclotting
Usingsawpalmettowithotherherbsthatcanslowbloodclottingmightincreasetheriskofbleeding
insomepeople.Theseotherherbsincludeangelica,clove,danshen,garlic,ginger,ginkgo,Panax
ginseng,redclover,turmeric,vitaminE,willow,andothers.

Arethereinteractionswithfoods?
Therearenoknowninteractionswithfoods.

Whatdoseisused?
Thefollowingdoseshavebeenstudiedinscientificresearch:
BYMOUTH:
Forbenignprostatichyperplasia(BPH):160mgtwicedailyor320mgoncedaily.
Forthetreatmentofbaldspots:200mgtwicedailycombinedwithbetasitosterol50mgtwice
daily.

Othernames
AmericanDwarfPalmTree,BaiesduChouPalmiste,BaiesduPalmierScie,CabbagePalm,Chou
Palmiste,JuZhong,PalmaEnanaAmericana,PalmierdeFloride,PalmierNain,PalmierNain
Amricain,PalmierScie,Sabal,SabalFructus,Sabalserrulata,SawPalmettoBerry,Serenoa
repens,Serenoaserrulata.

Methodology
Tolearnmoreabouthowthisarticlewaswritten,pleaseseetheNaturalMedicinesComprehensive
Databasemethodology[https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/methodology.html].

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Lastreviewed02/16/2015

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Pagelastupdated:09June2015