When should you not take saw palmetto?
Don’t use during pregnancy or breast-feeding. Surgery: Saw palmetto might slow blood clotting. It might cause extra bleeding during and after surgery. Stop using saw palmetto at least 2 weeks before a scheduled surgery.
What is the most effective form of saw palmetto?
Saw palmetto can be taken in many forms. Little research exists on effective dosages when the saw palmetto berries are eaten whole or steeped to make a tea. When taken as a dried supplement or an oily liquid extraction, saw palmetto appears most effective in daily dosages of 160–320 mg ( 12 , 13 , 16 , 17 ).
What is better than saw palmetto?
One study in 100 men with BPH found that taking 600 mg per day of nettle extract for 8 weeks significantly improved reported BPH symptoms, compared with a placebo ( 6 ). This supplement also contains saw palmetto and beta-sitosterol, which may be more effective than consuming saw palmetto on its own ( 14 ).
Can saw palmetto raise blood pressure?
Saw palmetto comes as tablets, capsules, teas and berries. Although side effects are rare, they may include high blood pressure, abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, decreased sex drive, impotence, urinary retention and headache.
Does saw palmetto actually work?
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) state that there is no scientific evidence to suggest that saw palmetto is effective for any health condition, despite its popularity as an herbal remedy.
What are the long term side effects of saw palmetto?
Common side effects of saw palmetto include bad breath, stomach upset, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, headache, dizziness, and fatigue. In rare cases, saw palmetto has been known to cause erectile dysfunction, loss of sex drive, and abnormally enlarged breasts in males.
Is saw palmetto good for your heart?
Saw Palmetto And Heart Disease A possible link between heart disease and saw palmetto is that saw palmetto contains the chemical beta-sitosterol which is similar to cholesterol. Raised sitosterol concentrations are linked to an increased frequency of heart problems in men at high risk of coronary heart disease [4].