Saw Palmetto Is Not Just for Men: 5 Benefits for Women

For years, men have used Saw Palmetto to help treat enlarged prostate, improve urinary function, enhance hair growth and more. But studies demonstrate that women can also benefit from this versatile dietary supplement.

Regardless of gender, Saw Palmetto can help boost reproductive health and help balance hormones. Research suggests that daily use of this supplement can treat colds, coughs and sore throat, it also works as a natural remedy for asthma, chronic bronchitis, migraine headaches and more. Here are five reasons women should consider adding Saw Palmetto to their daily health regimen:

As with men, androgenetic alopecia in women is caused by the conversion of testosterone into DHT. The excess DHT causes hair follicles in the scalp to shrink. This shortens the hair cycle’s growth phase while lengthening the resting phase, resulting in lost hair. 

Men naturally have more testosterone than women, but balding can still occur in women, especially as they get older. In men, balding typically starts at the temples and the top of the head. Women usually experience thinning hair that starts at the part, where hair goes down either side of the head. Testosterone is not just a hormone found in men. Women also produce testosterone, which plays a vital role in several bodily functions, but too much testosterone can cause hormonal imbalances. 

Saw Palmetto can inhibit testosterone and help maintain a hormonal balance in women. Not only does it help prevent hair loss, but it can also promote hair growth!

Medical conditions such as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) can spike androgen levels, causing oily skin and acne. Saw Palmetto for women may help reduce acne flair-ups caused by hormonal fluctuations associated with menstruation and menopause. Many dermatologists suggest taking a daily dose of Saw Palmetto to help control the production of DHT and help prevent blackheads, acne and other skin conditions caused by excess oil.

The average woman begins menopause in their mid-40s, although there is a wide age range for the onset of the physical change. Menopause occurs when the ovaries stop creating reproductive hormones, namely estrogen and progesterone. Symptoms include:

• Hot flashes and night sweats
• Irregular periods
• Sleep problems
• Mood swings
• Thinning hair

Saw Palmetto interacts with estrogen receptors and can help support hormonal balance during menopause.

Saw Palmetto may benefit women suffering with chronic pelvic pain syndrome, a pain below the belly button and between the hips that lasts six months or longer. Little is known about CPPS, but a study published in Urologia Internationalis revealed that Saw Palmetto provided relief of CPPS symptoms.

Men use Saw Palmetto to enhance fertility – and it also helps women’s facing fertility issues. Saw Palmetto is considered a “reproductive amphoteric” – which simply means it normalizes reproductive function.

For years, research into the benefits of Saw Palmetto focused primarily on men’s health. But as modern science discovers how it interacts in the human body it is becoming clear that women can also benefit. 

“Saw Palmetto works the same for both men and women [because] it’s targeting the androgen hormone component to hair thinning,” naturopath Tess Marshall, N.M.D., director of product science & innovation at Nutrafol, told Sunday Edit. “It was found that there are 40 percent less androgen receptors on the scalp in women compared to men, possibly explaining why men complain of hair thinning earlier than some women.”

If you are nearing the age of menopause or are looking for ways to prevent hair loss and skin flare-ups, Saw Palmetto could be just what the doctor ordered.