Saw Palmetto for Women: Top 5 Uses and Benefits

You may have heard about the popular benefit of saw palmetto for men’s prostate health. But did you know that saw palmetto for women has tons of shocking benefits for females too? Curious?

Sneak peek: We will be discussing DHT blockers, saw palmetto for hair growth, PCOS, skin health, and how Havasu Nutrition can help. Keep reading below if you want to know the top 5 uses of saw palmetto for women and its possible side effects.

Saw palmetto is a type of palm native to the southeastern United States and may grow between 7–10 feet. The plant is native in some states such as Florida, Georgia, and some parts of Alabama. 

Saw palmetto berries and extract have been traditionally used in dietary supplements because of its ability in reinforcing prostate and urinary health, balancing hormone levels, and preventing hair loss (as it is a potent DHT blocker) in both men and women. In modern times, saw palmetto dietary supplements are commonly found in pill or capsule form for convenient everyday use. 

Absolutely! This natural dietary supplement is not only for men’s use as it offers several health benefits for women as well. Here are some saw palmetto benefits for women: 

1. It helps counter excess testosterone production. 
2. Performs well as a DHT blocker which then helps support hair health.  
3. It helps prevent female hormone imbalance, helping eliminate unwanted postpartum issues.

The effects of saw palmetto extract vary between women and men. 

For men, saw palmetto extract primarily helps increase and improve sexual vigor which helps sperm production. But its function does not stop there; saw palmetto is also a traditional diuretic, meaning it helps reduce fluid buildup in the body, helping relieve urinary problems. This is one common health benefit that saw palmetto extract offers both men and women. 

Granted that there are similar effects on both men and women, there is a remarkable difference in saw palmetto’s effect on a woman’s body. In females, saw palmetto blocks the conversion and activation of high levels of testosterone which may either cause hair loss or increased facial hair. It may also lead to female hormonal imbalance, such as menopause and PMS.  

Testosterone (which women also have) stimulates hair growth, but TOO MUCH testosterone production may cause negative changes in the hair follicles and lead to alopecia or simply put, hair loss! When the body’s 5-alpha-reductase (an enzyme in the hair follicles in the scalp) come in contact with testosterone, it is converted to dihydrotestosterone or DHT. Hair loss can be a gradual and distressing transition that commonly begins with a thinning stage in which hair strength evidently declines and strand after strand starts to fall off.  

Saw palmetto and hair loss share a relatively straightforward relationship with one another. Saw palmetto performs well as a DHT blocker for women (as it helps counter the overproduction of t-levels), making it an exemplary agent against unwanted hair loss. This is especially valuable for women who endure months of postpartum hair loss.  

Saw palmetto berries benefit women’s body by lowering androgen levels (your sex hormones), or more specifically, testosterone levels. When this happens, your skin may produce less oil—oily skin makes you more prone to acne! 

Because saw palmetto acts as a natural DHT blocker for women, this helps break the cycle of getting skin problems like acne. It may also help in reducing acne caused by hormonal fluctuations brought about by menstruation or menopause. Using saw palmetto specifically for the reduction of acne can be done in several ways: You may directly eat saw palmetto berries, take saw palmetto dietary supplements, or you may also mix saw palmetto essential oil with a carrier oil and directly apply to your skin. 

As versatile as it is, always check with your dermatologist and request personalized, professional skin health support.  

Weight management might be one of the trickiest parts in an individual’s health journey, chiefly because of how different we are from one another. But there is one thing we collectively share: hormones. Studies have shown that saw palmetto may help maintain and regulate hormones, which are associated with healthy weight loss and/or weight management. In addition to that, preliminary research has found saw palmetto to inhibit fat tissue from growing.  

Although there are studies that show the effects of saw palmetto on weight loss, it is important to seek professional advice from a health expert for your personal health journey.

As a diuretic, saw palmetto extract for women may provide relief or improvement in urogenital disorders such as ovarian enlargement, dysmenorrhea, and PCOS. PCOS is a hormonal disorder characterized by enlarged ovaries and this may result in prolonged or infrequent menstrual periods. Unfortunately, when left untreated, PCOS may result in unhealthy mood swings, sleep issues or infertility. 

Studies have found that saw palmetto extract may be beneficial for women who have PCOS as it contains several fatty acids (liposterols) which helps prevent 5-alpha reductase, thus discouraging the conversion of testosterone into DHT. In a more general sense, saw palmetto extract benefits the entire urinary tract.  

According to a medical blog post (Khalife & Anil, 2022), 50% of adult women suffer from urine incontinence, or the involuntary control of urine excretion (or leakage). This results in women collectively trying to find easy-to-use dietary supplements that may help address this issue.  

Saw palmetto extract helps alleviate the disruptive, sometimes upsetting, effects of nocturnal enuresis or the involuntary urination that happens at nighttime as you sleep. If you have been enduring nocturnal enuresis pre- or post-pregnancy, you may want to consult with your doctor and inquire about how saw palmetto dietary supplements can be involved in your health accordingly.  

Our Saw Palmetto + Biotin capsules are recommended to be consumed by twos every day, with a meal. One bottle generally has 30 days of usage (60 count) although, customers may double the serving to 4 capsules per day for double potency and quicker result.  

Havasu Nutrition recommends that you check with your doctor first before deciding on increasing your intake, especially if you are contemplating pregnancy or have existing health issues.  

Saw palmetto for women is highly discouraged if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking contraceptives. As discussed above, saw palmetto influences your hormones, therefore potentially bringing about negative complications to your health. 

Side effects of saw palmetto in females may vary from person to person. Before consuming any saw palmetto dietary supplement, make sure to consult with your doctor.  

References: 

Kubala, J., & Ajmera, R. (2021). 5 promising benefits and uses of saw palmetto. Healthline.  https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/saw-palmetto-benefits 

Parra, A. (2023, September). Saw palmetto for women: What are the benefits? BensNaturalHealth. https://www.bensnaturalhealth.com/blog/saw-palmetto-for-women/ 

National Library of Medicine. (n.d.). Prototype focused monograph: Review of antiandrogenic risks of saw palmetto ingestion by women. In Dietary supplements: A framework for evaluating safety. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK216069/

Khalife, T., & Anil, G. (2022, November). Is urine incontinence normal for women? Mayo Clinic Health System. https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/is-urine-incontinence-normal-for-women#:~:text=Urine%20incontinence%2C%20or%20the%20involuntary,affects%2050%25%20of%20adult%20women. 

Whelan, C. (2019, April). Saw palmetto and acne. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/saw-palmetto-acne#:~:text=Essential%20fatty%20acids%20can%20help,oily%2C%20acne%2Dprone%20skin. 

Do, B. (2019, May). 5 top benefits of saw palmetto for women. DrFormulas. https://drformulas.com/blogs/news/benefits-of-saw-palmetto-for-women. 

Sloan, R. (2023, July). Does palmetto help in weight loss? Reba Sloan. https://rebasloannutrition.com/blog/diet-questions/anti-obesity.html#:~:text=Research%20suggests%20that%20the%20anti,balance%2C%20helping%20with%20weight%20loss