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Saw Palmetto

Saw Palmetto

Best for

Calm an overactive bladder

Promising early signal · 320 mg/day for 12 weeks · 3 studies , n=178

19 papers · 4 claims · 20 outcomes scored · 2 positive

Outcomes

What saw palmetto actually does, by outcome

Each row is one outcome with effect size, evidence base, the dose that worked in trials, and time to first effect. Magnitude tiers come from native-unit MCID where available, Cohen's d otherwise.

Outcome Effect Evidence Dose Weeks Rank
Calm an overactive bladder Promising early signal
moderate 		3 RCTs n=178 320 mg 12 wk —
Ease enlarged-prostate urinary symptoms Proven modest benefit
small 		10 meta-analyses n=11k Meta-analyzed 320–960 mg 12–72 wk —
Ease enlarged prostate symptoms Doesn't appear to help
trivial 		2 meta-analyses n=2.0k Meta-analyzed 320–400 mg 16–52 wk —
Shrink an enlarged prostate Doesn't appear to help
trivial 		3 meta-analyses n=468 Meta-analyzed 320 mg 19–52 wk —
Buy well

Recommended Saw Palmetto products

Real products that dose Saw Palmetto where the research does, in a clean formulation, from brands we've audited. We only list ones we'd stand behind.

Chosen for adequate Saw Palmetto dosing vs. the studied range, a clean formulation (grade A–C), and independent brand-quality audits. Not sponsored.

Risk profile

Adverse events and known drug interactions

Safety events

Complete urinary retention moderate
nausea mild
nausea and stomach discomfort mild
hypertension mild
lumbago mild
Common cold and similar upper respiratory infections (reported as mild AEs) mild
Headache mild
All adverse events

Drug interactions

Cyclosporine moderate unknown
Antithrombotic Agents moderate additive
Silodosin moderate additive
Warfarin minor increases effect
Losartan minor unknown
Tamsulosin minor additive
Antithrombotic Agents minor unknown

Sources

  1. 1. Effects of pumpkin seed oil and saw palmetto oil in Korean men with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia. (2009) ↑
  2. 2. Effect of increasing doses of saw palmetto extract on lower urinary tract symptoms: a randomized trial. (2011) ↑
  3. 3. Serenoa repens monotherapy for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH): an updated Cochrane systematic review. (2012) ↑
  4. 4. Serenoa repens for benign prostatic hyperplasia. (2012) ↑
  5. 5. The Clinical Impact of Hexanic Extract of Serenoa repens in Men with Prostatic Inflammation: A Post Hoc Analysis of a Randomized Biopsy Study. (2020) ↑
  6. 6. A double blind, placebo-controlled randomized comparative study on the efficacy of phytosterol-enriched and conventional saw palmetto oil in mitigating benign prostate hyperplasia and androgen deficiency. (2020) ↑
  7. 7. Effects of saw palmetto fruit extract intake on improving urination issues in Japanese men: A randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled study. (2020) ↑
  8. 8. Serenoa repens for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic enlargement: A systematic review and meta-analysis. (2021) ↑
  9. 9. Serenoa repens for the Treatment of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Due to Benign Prostatic Enlargement: An Updated Cochrane Review. (2024) ↑
  10. 10. Multi-pharmacological treatment for young subfertile males with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome. (2024) ↑

Generated August 14, 2026

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