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Saw Palmetto at a Glance
Serenoa repens is a low-growing palm in the Arecaceae family native to the southeastern United States. The dark ripe fruits are used in herbal products.
Traditional Use
Saw palmetto berries have food and traditional-use history among Indigenous peoples of the Southeast and later became popular in prostate and urinary formulas.
Research
Large modern trials have found that common saw-palmetto extracts do not consistently improve urinary symptoms from benign prostatic hyperplasia better than placebo. Product variability remains a problem, but the evidence does not support presenting saw palmetto as a proven BPH treatment.
Safety
Saw palmetto is generally well tolerated, with possible stomach upset, headache or dizziness. Because urinary difficulty can reflect prostate enlargement, infection or cancer, persistent or worsening symptoms require medical evaluation. People taking anticoagulant or antiplatelet medicines should mention saw palmetto to their clinician, although bleeding interaction evidence is limited. Pregnancy and breastfeeding use is inappropriate because the herb is not intended for those populations and hormonal effects are uncertain.
Bottom Line
Saw palmetto has a strong prostate-market reputation, but high-quality research has not shown consistent benefit for BPH symptoms. For educational purposes only.