Best Saw Palmetto Supplements 2024: Reviews & Buyer’s Guide
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- Written by Blanca Garcia, RDN
Medically reviewed by
Kathy Shattler, MS, RDN
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1MD ProstateMD
- Certified as a Good Manufacturing Practices Facility or cGMP- 3rd-party tested
- Ingredients help urinary function
Peak Performance Saw Palmetto
- Vegan formulated, free of gluten
- GMP-certified, Non-GMO ingredients
- Third-party tested
GNC Men’s Saw Palmetto Formula
- Includes calcium, zinc, and selenium
- Third-party tested by US Pharmacopeia
- No artificial additives and gluten-free
The use of saw palmetto as a supplement is often now promoted for prostate health, to improve urinary health, and hair growth, to prevent thinning hair, and possibly to help men that have benign prostatic hyperplasia, BPH,[1] and other lower urinary tract symptoms.
In the past, it had been used for various ailments related to the reproductive system, as a diuretic, sedative, aphrodisiac, or to create a soothing vapor that helps with cough.
In these cases, saw palmetto is often used as whole fruit, in dried form, or as tea. It did not include the lipid and sterol extracts commonly added to saw palmetto supplements.
The variety of supplements is made from saw palmetto berry extract, saw palmetto berry powder, saw palmetto berries, and saw palmetto berry oil. Extracts provide a higher amount of bioavailable substances.
The whole ripe berries contain more antioxidants and fatty acids beneficial for overall male health.
The most potent saw palmetto supplements are the ones with the highest amount of beta-sitosterol,[2] a plant sterol found in high concentrations in this plant. Read on for the best saw palmetto supplements.
What Is Saw Palmetto?
Serenoa repens,[3] commonly known as saw palmetto, is a small shrub-like palm tree; it prefers to grow in sandy soil and has a fan palm with pointy leaves, which gives it the common name. It makes dark berries with a big seed; this is where the extract for palmetto supplements is taken out.
Another name for the saw palmetto is the American dwarf palm tree which grows mainly in the southeastern United States. It is found most abundantly in Florida and the states of Georgia, the Bahamas, and Cuba.
It has been approved as a herbal supplement in Canada to help with urine flow. But it has also been approved as a drug requiring a prescription in various countries like Austria, Italy, Poland, and Spain. In Spain, extracts that contain standardized lipid and sterol extracts are available as prescriptions; non-standardized prescriptions are available over the counter.
Saw palmetto extract will often include oil extracts that are the most common form and are often promoted to solve or improve health issues. Yet, dietary supplements cannot always guarantee success if the research available is not good enough to support their claims.
5 Best Saw Palmetto Supplements To Buy In 2024
- 1MD ProstateMD – Editor’s Choice
- Peak Performance Saw Palmetto – Most Transparent
- GNC Men’s Saw Palmetto Formula – Best Value
- Essential Elements Saw Palmetto Plus – Best Money-Back Guarantee
- Proaxil – Most Ingredients
How Does It Work?
Saw palmetto can often be consumed in a variety of ways. The fruit is a berry that can be consumed raw, dried, or taken as tea, as mentioned earlier.
Palmetto extract is most often used in making supplements and what is specifically used is the palmetto berry extract oil from dried fruit. It can also be found as saw palmetto berries powder.
According to some research,[4] saw palmetto can increase urinary flow and possibly reduce frequent urination at nighttime for men with BPH. Mainly, the saw palmetto supplements contain the extract in the form of lipids and sterol; these can be extracted through various extractions, which vary depending on the supplement.
In several clinical trials,[3] the dosage for saw palmetto used was 320 milligrams divided into one to three oral dosages per day; some trials will administer it rectally. Depending on the trial, these dosages were given for several weeks or years. Most supplement companies will add saw palmetto at 320 milligrams or more.
But other research from the Cochrane review[5] in 2012 states that there is little evidence that saw palmetto improves lower urinary tract symptoms. It also recommends that more research is needed with long-term follow-up of branded (proprietary) saw palmetto with at minimum a one-year follow-up, has a good methodology, uses symptom-scaled scores, its use validated, and includes a placebo arm to it.
5 Best Saw Palmetto Supplements To Buy In 2024
1MD Prostate MD
1MD is a supplement containing 320 milligrams of saw palmetto targeted for men’s health to help improve prostate health and urinary tract flow.
- cGMP from U.S. Pharmacopeia or USP and Consumer Labs
- 3rd-party tested
- Ingredients help urinary function
- May leave a bad taste in the mouth
1MD Prostate MD is a prostate health supplement that contains patented USPlus®. This patent of saw palmetto extract has three times the amount of beta carotene, 10x the amount of lutein, and 30x the amount of zeaxanthin of other more common similar supplements.
As the favorite saw palmetto supplement, Prostate MD’s ingredients are free from genetically modified organisms or non-GMO and are free of dairy, peanuts, wheat, and shellfish. It is also GMP certified, entirely made in the U.S., and is third-party tested by U.S. Pharmacopeia and Consumer Labs.
The ingredients include the patented USPlus® ingredients consisting of the following: copper, boron, pumpkin seed oil extract, Pygeum africanum bark extract, Monterey pine bark extract, stinging nettle leaf, sunflower seed lecithin, safflower seed oil, and lycopene extract from the tomato.
Research[1] indicates that using saw palmetto, pumpkin seed oil, or a combination of both could potentially improve symptoms of men with BPH.
The bottle contains a 30-day supply with a recommended dosage of one capsule daily. With a 90-day money-back guarantee as long as you return the product.
Peak Performance Saw Palmetto
A 1,000 milligram saw palmetto supplement that supports prostate health, urinary health, and healthy hair.
- Vegan formulated, free of gluten
- GMP-certified, Non-GMO ingredients
- Third-party tested
- Donates to the Vitamin Angels
- Whole herb extract, unclear what is extracted
Peak Performance’s saw palmetto is vegan formulated so that you won’t get any animal-derived ingredients in the capsules. It claims to protect the prostate and urinary health and help maintain hair growth.
The ingredients are third-party tested to ensure they are free of pesticides and use non-GMO ingredients. It’s also not manufactured with wheat, gluten, milk, egg, fish, shellfish, or tree nut ingredients and is safe for vegan consumers.
The only ingredient in this saw palmetto is one gram of saw palmetto berries, the technique used to extract the beneficial part from saw palmetto is unknown. Making this the best saw palmetto supplement for women, a supplement that provides the one ingredient a woman may be looking for if trying to improve urinary function.
The recommended dosage is two capsules per day. You can make a single purchase or bundle purchase and save while getting free shipping. If you are not satisfied, you get a 30-day money-back guarantee.
The company also donates to the Vitamins for Angels program, meaning that every unit you purchase will supply a child at risk of malnutrition with free vitamins for one year.
GNC Men’s Saw Palmetto Formula
GNC Men’s saw palmetto formula helps support prostate health, and urinary health and comes with additional nutrients not often found in other saw palmetto supplements.
- Includes minerals, pumpkin seed meal, and lycopene
- Third-party tested by US Pharmacopeia known as USP certified
- No artificial additives and gluten-free.
- May be challenging to swallow
GNC Men’s saw palmetto prostate health formula includes natural ingredients that promote prostate health and support healthy urinary flow.
Some of the ingredients included can also help promote male health, such as a combination of minerals like calcium[6] with a 5% daily value or DV, zinc oxide[7] with 50% DV, and selenium[8] with 50% DV. It also contains saw palmetto berry powder at 500 milligrams, pumpkin seed meal powder[9] at 80 milligrams, and lycopene[10] at 1 milligrams.
This saw palmetto berry powder supplement is well-rounded to help healthy prostate function with more than just saw palmetto, including additional ingredients naturally found in foods and needed by the male body, in particular, for optimum health of the male reproduction and urinary systems.
This product’s zinc is verified for potency, conforming to USP for weight and disintegration. This saw palmetto product does not contain artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, wheat, gluten, soy, dairy, sodium, or yeast.
You can make a single purchase or subscribe and save. You get a 30-day money-back guarantee. Each bottle contains either 120 or 240 capsules, with a recommended dosage of two capsules per day with food.
Essential Elements Saw Palmetto Plus
Saw Palmetto Plus utilizes CO2 extraction to make a supplement geared toward prostate health, with traditionally used ingredients for healthy prostate and urinary tract function.
- 365-money back guarantee
- Additional ingredients to support prostate health
- Free of common allergens
- Not vegan
Essential Elements saw palmetto plus help naturally promote prostate health and support healthy hair and urinary function. It claims on its label to support healthy prostate size, encourages hair growth, and encourage healthy bladder function.
The ingredients in this formula are saw palmetto berry extract oil (320 milligrams), pumpkin seed oil[11] (260 milligrams), and cranberry seed oil[12] (15 milligrams).
It is free of dairy, gluten, peanuts, shellfish, and soy. It is also free of preservatives, and its ingredients are non-GMO. It does, however, contain gelatin for those seeking vegan alternatives.
You can make a single purchase or subscribe and save. You get a 365-day money-back guarantee for used or unused saw palmetto products, with a limit of up to two unused supplement bottles. The recommended dosage is two soft gels per day.
Proaxil
Proaxil is a saw palmetto dietary supplement that claims to improve prostate health, that includes plant sterols, a proprietary blend, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals in a 30-day supply.
- GMP certified
- Includes amino acids, vitamins, and minerals
- Free of allergens, sweeteners, and sugars
- Vegan-friendly
- High dosage of vitamin D (500%DV)
Proaxil’s saw palmetto has the most ingredients making it one of the best saw palmetto supplements. It’s one of the best saw palmetto supplements because of all the ingredients that can help overall prostate health.
Proaxil claims high-quality ingredients with proprietary blends, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals.
The following are all 17 ingredients:
- BetaMD
- BioPerine
- Green tree extract
- Saw Palmetto
- Muira Puama extract
- Pygeum bark extract
- Stinging nettle extract
- L-alanine
- L-glutamine acid
- L-glycine
- Lycopene
- Quercetin
- Rye flower extract
- Soy isoflavones
- Vitamin B6-100 micrograms at 1765% DV
- Vitamin D3- 30 milligrams at 500% DV
- Zinc-20 milligrams at 182% DV
Proaxil is meant for men. Its ingredients are meant for improved male health, with ingredients that promote better prostate health.
The recommended dosage is three capsules daily; take all three at once or one capsule with a meal spread throughout the day. You get a 60-day money-back guarantee with the requirement that you contact customer service first.
Benefits Of Saw Palmetto
The main benefit of saw palmetto is to help manage the symptoms of BPH, and it could also potentially promote healthy prostate function while facilitating a stronger urine flow.
Another potential benefit is that saw palmetto, through a proprietary extract, may reduce inflammation inside prostate cells;[13] it limited negative effects on sexual function when compared to other drugs that affected sexual function[14] in a systematic review and meta-analysis. These studies, although promising, are not enough, especially when other studies indicate the opposite.[15]
Some studies have looked into the benefits of saw palmetto and how it can benefit prostate function. There are many factors to consider regarding dosages, techniques of extracting the medicinal components out of the saw palmetto berry and actual ways of verifying which extract works and for how long.
Techniques used to extract saw palmetto[3] can differ in that some components are extractable based on different techniques. For example, the n-hexane technique can help extract phytosterols, phenolic components, free fatty acids, ethyl esters of fatty acids, and other lipid components.
The extraction with ethanol can extract polyphenols, flavonoid components, phenolic glycosides, and fatty alcohols, and fluid extraction with fluid carbon dioxide can help extract commonly found sugars and unique high-molecular-weight acidic polysaccharides.
What To Look For In A Saw Palmetto Supplement?
Saw palmetto supplements come in varieties. To help narrow down a good choice, choose a GMP-certified supplement with at least 320 milligrams per serving size that includes a variety of vitamins and minerals for overall health.
Safety Tips & Dosage Of Saw Palmetto Supplements
Saw palmetto supplements are generally safe, but it’s important to be aware that some saw palmetto supplements include other ingredients. Some saw palmetto supplements might have vitamins and minerals that can exceed the recommended daily values, which may pose a problem with potential side effects depending on the nutrient in excess. For instance, fat-soluble vitamins such as A, D, E, and K can be stored in the fatty tissues and potentially cause toxicity if consumed in excess quantities over a prolonged period of time.
For example, taking vitamin D,[16] a fat-soluble vitamin in excess, can cause hypercalcemia with secondary symptoms of nausea, vomiting, muscle weakness, loss of appetite, dehydration, increased urination, excessive thirst, and kidney stones.
Now it’s important to note that if you are already taking other over-the-counter supplements, there is a possibility that you may exceed this or other vitamins and minerals in the body, as you need to consider the combined totality of the supplements you are taking.
Older recommendations are that vitamins A, D, E, folic acid, and niacin[17] should be considered over-the-counter medications and include such information as tolerable upper limits and recommendations for dosage and side effects.
Final Thought
Although studies support saw palmetto’s health claims, studies indicate more research is needed.
When consuming palmetto extract from a supplement, consider that dietary supplements are not regulated by the FDA and cannot guarantee results.
When taking supplements, always consult with your doctor. This supplement should not be taken by children, pregnant women, or breastfeeding women.
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s not recommended for children, pregnant women, or breastfeeding women, these groups of people are not included in the research, and its effects on them are unknown. Always consult with your doctor before taking any supplements.
Some claims saw palmetto can increase testosterone levels[18] or even normalize testosterone levels; however, not enough recent research has been conducted to back this claim.
Some claim saw palmetto can prevent hair loss or help grow hair. Some small studies looked at hair loss in men, a two-year study,[19] but there still needs to be more research to verify that saw palmetto can help hair grow.
There isn’t enough research to say that saw palmetto can prevent hair loss.
Saw palmetto is considered generally safe; some mild side effects[15] include diarrhea, fatigue, headache, decreased libido, nausea, vomiting, and dizziness.
There isn’t enough research to guarantee that saw palmetto can reduce the prostate size or prevent an enlarged prostate.
No research indicates that saw palmetto cures prostate cancer.
There isn’t a standardized dose to take. You can follow the recommended dosage on the label provided by the manufacturer. Some frequently seen dosage recommendations are between 320 milligrams to 1000 milligrams; many studies use the dose of 320 mg daily. Each manufacturer will vary dosage per serving and may require one capsule per day, one capsule per meal, two capsules per day, or three capsules per day.
According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, the standard daily dose is 320 mg.
+ 19 sources
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- Hong, H., Kim, C.-S. and Maeng, S. (2009). Effects of pumpkin seed oil and saw palmetto oil in Korean men with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia. Nutrition Research and Practice, [online] 3(4), p.323. doi:10.4162/nrp.2009.3.4.323.
- Pacetti, D., Lucci, P. and Frega, N.G. (2015). Unsaponifiable Matter of Coffee. Coffee in Health and Disease Prevention, [online] pp.119–127. doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-409517-5.00013-9.
- US), M. (2022). Prototype Focused Monograph: Review of Antiandrogenic Risks of Saw Palmetto Ingestion by Women. [online] Nih.gov. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK216069/
- Wilt, T.J., Ishani, A., Rutks, I. and MacDonald, R. (2000). Phytotherapy for benign prostatic hyperplasia. Public Health Nutrition, [online] 3(4a), pp.459–472. doi:10.1017/s1368980000000549.
- Tacklind, J., MacDonald, R., Rutks, I., Stanke, J.U. and Wilt, T.J. (2012). Serenoa repensfor benign prostatic hyperplasia. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. [online] doi:10.1002/14651858.cd001423.pub3.
- Nih.gov. (2012). Office of Dietary Supplements – Calcium. [online] Available at: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/calcium-healthprofessional/.
- Nih.gov. (2016). Office of Dietary Supplements – Zinc. [online] Available at: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/zinc-HealthProfessional/.
- Nih.gov. (2020). Office of Dietary Supplements – Selenium. [online] Available at: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/selenium-healthprofessional/.
- Journal of Medicinal Food. (2021). Effects of an Oil-Free Hydroethanolic Pumpkin Seed Extract on Symptom Frequency and Severity in Men with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: A Pilot Study in Humans | Journal of Medicinal Food. [online] Available at: https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/jmf.2018.0106.
- PubChem (2022). Lycopene. [online] @pubchem. Available at: https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/lycopene.
- Food Reviews International. (2019). The beneficial effects of Pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L.) seed oil for health condition of men. [online] Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/87559129.2018.1482496.
- Nemr, E., El Helou, E., Mjaess, G., Semaan, A. and Chebel, J.A. (2020). Prospective Multicenter Open-Label One-Arm Trial Investigating a Pumpkin Seed, Isoflavonoids, and Cranberry Mix in Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms/Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: A Pilot Study. Advances in Urology, [online] 2020, pp.1–6. doi:10.1155/2020/6325490.
- Latil, A., Libon, C., Templier, M., Junquero, D., Lantoine-Adam, F. and Nguyen, T. (2012). Hexanic lipidosterolic extract ofSerenoa repensinhibits the expression of two key inflammatory mediators, MCP-1/CCL2 and VCAM-1,in vitro. BJU International, [online] 110(6b), pp.E301–E307. doi:10.1111/j.1464-410x.2012.11144.x.
- Novara, G., Giannarini, G., Alcaraz, A., Cózar-Olmo, José-M., Descazeaud, A., Montorsi, F. and Ficarra, V. (2016). Efficacy and Safety of Hexanic Lipidosterolic Extract of Serenoa repens (Permixon) in the Treatment of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Due to Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. European Urology Focus, [online] 2(5), pp.553–561. doi:10.1016/j.euf.2016.04.002.
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- Rossi, A., Mari, E., Scarnò, M., Garelli, V., Maxia, C., Scali, E., Iorio, A. and Carlesimo, M. (2012). Comparitive Effectiveness and Finasteride Vs Serenoa Repens in Male Androgenetic Alopecia: A Two-Year Study. International Journal of Immunopathology and Pharmacology, [online] 25(4), pp.1167–1173. doi:10.1177/039463201202500435.
Written by:
Blanca Garcia, RDN
Medically reviewed by:
Medically reviewed by:
