Saw palmetto is a plant-derived supplement that’s used by men for achieving better prostate health, reversing hair loss, and treating sexual dysfunction.
It has strong biological activity when it comes to regulating the levels of the different forms of testosterone in your body, and this power has been demonstrated in a number of clinical trials.
While its area of focus is pretty narrow, what it does do, it does well. Our research team took a look at the best saw palmetto supplements on the market for men looking for better prostate health, better sexual wellness, and a solution for hair loss.
Our advisory panel and our research team rank the best health products and supplements based on performance, label accuracy, and the efficacy of the ingredients in the products.
- Best Overall: Essential Elements Saw Palmetto
- Best for hair loss: Zhou Saw Palmetto
- Havasu Nutrition Saw Palmetto
- Best for Prostate Health: Pure Encapsulations Saw Palmetto 320
- Oregon’s Wild Harvest Saw Palmetto
Research
Rankings
Last updated: September 19, 2022
Saw palmetto supplements considered: 22
Hours of research: 39
Experts reviewed: X
Scientific papers referenced: X
| IMAGE | PRODUCT | |
|---|---|---|
Best Overall  | 1. Essential Elements Saw Palmetto
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Best for hair loss  | 2. Zhou Saw Palmetto
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 | 3. Havasu Nutrition Saw Palmetto
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Best for prostate health  | 4. Pure Encapsulations Saw Palmetto 320
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 | 5. Oregon’s Wild Harvest Saw Palmetto
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 | 6. Jarrow Formulas Saw Palmetto
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 | 7. Advanced Nutrition Labs Saw Palmetto Berries
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 | 8. Nature’s Way Saw Palmetto
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 | 9. Sundown Naturals Saw Palmetto
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 | 10. Dr. Martin’s Nutrition Saw Palmetto
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1. Essential Elements Saw Palmetto
Essential Elements Saw palmetto contains one of the most potent formula’s on the market: saw palmetto oil, pumpkin seed oil, and cranberry seed oil. Together, these 3 super-oils help improve testosterone production, prostate health and reduce hair loss. This formula can also help reduce the amount of oxidative damage to tissues caused by free radicals.
Made in the USA and third party lab tested, essential elements provides the clear winner for BodyNutrition’s #1 recommended saw palmetto supplement.
2. Zhou Saw Palmetto
Zhou Nutrition makes a great saw palmetto supplement that’s got 500 mg of saw palmetto material total; 50 mg of which is a standardized saw palmetto berry extract.
With a gelatin capsule and just one additional ingredient (magnesium stearate), it’s very pure and it’s got a solid dosage, making it an excellent choice.
3. Havasu Nutrition Saw Palmetto
Havasu Nutrition Saw Palmetto is a solid source of raw saw palmetto material as well as standardized extract.
The gelatin capsule is pretty simple and the dosage is high, so it’s very tough to find a flaw with this saw palmetto supplement.
4. Pure Encapsulations Saw Palmetto 320
Pure Encapsulations makes a pure and concentrated saw palmetto supplement that focuses on delivering the active ingredients in as high of a concentration as possible.
The plant materials are standardized to contain 85% total fatty acids, and aside from gelatin in the capsule, there are no additional ingredients, making this a good choice for those who need a higher than average dosage.
5. Oregon’s Wild Harvest Saw Palmetto
Oregon’s Wild Harvest Saw Palmetto is a super-pure supplement whose only two ingredients are saw palmetto and pullulan (a plant-derived material) used in the capsules.
Moreover, the saw palmetto is organically grown, making this a great choice for people who value pesticide-free ingredients in their supplements.
The main downside is that the fatty acid content of this supplement is not standardized, so it’s hard to follow dosing protocols precisely as a result.
6. Advanced Nutrition Labs Saw Palmetto Berries
Advanced Nutrition Labs makes a good saw palmetto supplement if you are looking for a high dose of raw plant material.
Each vegetarian capsule has 750 mg of saw palmetto berry, which is higher than other supplements. However, the proportion of this that is saw palmetto extract isn’t clear, and further, the fatty acid content isn’t disclosed either.
While the raw plant content of this supplement may be high, the active ingredient dosage is probably lower than average.
7. Nature’s Way Saw Palmetto
Nature’s Way Saw Palmetto has a slightly higher than average dosage of raw saw palmetto per capsule, though unlike some other saw palmetto sources, this supplement doesn’t have a standardized fatty acid content.
It’s still a good source of raw saw palmetto material, but it’s hard to compare the dosage of the active ingredients to some of the other top-rated supplements.
8. Horbaach Saw Palmetto
Horbaach Saw Palmetto provides a high dose of quick-release saw palmetto, though the exact details of the formulation are hidden in a proprietary blend.
This fact and a couple of extra binders in the capsule mean it winds up lower in our rankings.
9. Sundown Naturals Saw Palmetto
Sundown Naturals Saw Palmetto has 450 mg of raw plant material per capsule, but doesn’t bother with standardizing the fatty acid content or the saw palmetto extract content.
This is a good choice if you want to use raw plant material as your unit of dosing, but not if you want to maximize the content of the saw palmetto fatty acids in the extract.
10. Dr. Martin’s Nutrition Saw Palmetto
Dr. Martin’s Nutrition Saw Palmetto is a higher dose saw palmetto supplement, but don’t let the packaging fool you―the raw plant material is still only 500 mg per capsule.
The pure extract content is higher, accounting for 125 mg of this, but the fatty acid content isn’t reported, making it hard to tell if this is truly a higher dose supplement, or if the fatty acid content is low.
Category winners
Best saw palmetto overall: Essential Elements Saw Palmetto
Essential Elements blends saw palmetto with two other naturally-sourced compounds (cranberry seed oil and pumpkin seed oil) for maximum efficacy. This, plus its excellent dosage, makes it our top overall choice.
Best saw palmetto for boosting testosterone: Essential Elements Saw Palmetto
For boosting your testosterone, the multi-ingredient formulation of Essential Elements is a great choice. The saw palmetto dosage is high, and you get the added benefit of two additional naturally-sourced oils that are designed to enhance the androgen-enhancing effects of the active compounds in saw palmetto extract.
Best saw palmetto for prostate health: Pure Encapsulations Saw Palmetto
If you’re looking to mimic the protocols used in scientific research on saw palmetto for an enlarged prostate, our recommendation is Pure Encapsulations Saw Palmetto. Its formulation is devoid of extraneous ingredients, and its dosage of 320 mg is spot-on with the most common dose used in clinical research.
Best saw palmetto for sexual wellness: Essential Elements Saw Palmetto
Whether you’re looking for a supplement for sexual dysfunction or just want something for more energy in the bedroom, Essential Elements Saw Palmetto is a solid bet.
The high dose of saw palmetto combines well with the synergistic effects of the pumpkin seed oil and cranberry seed oil, but the formulation doesn’t get overly complicated with too many ingredients like some sexual wellness supplements.
Best saw palmetto for women: Pure Encapsulations Saw Palmetto
While saw palmetto is most commonly taken by men, some women find it helpful for hair loss, PCOS, and a range of other health problems.
For them, we recommend Pure Encapsulations thanks to its simple formulation that hews close to the best-studied dosage of saw palmetto in research studies.
Best saw palmetto for hair loss: Zhou Saw Palmetto
The potent dosage of Zhou Saw Palmetto makes it our pick for combating hair loss—with 500 mg of saw palmetto in each capsule, you get a powerful DHT-inhibiting effect from this simple and powerful formulation.
Who should buy saw palmetto?
Saw palmetto is most often used by men for three purposes:
Men who want to boost their testosterone levels. Saw palmetto is a near-ubiquitous ingredient in testosterone boosters thanks to its role in androgen metabolism inside the body.
Because saw palmetto appears to inhibit the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone, it’s thought that it could boost the overall availability of testosterone in your body.
Men who want better sexual performance. Because of saw palmetto’s interactions with androgens in the body, it’s also quite popular as a way to improve libido and enhance sexual stamina, which is why you’ll find it in many male enhancement pills.
Men looking to treat hair loss. Saw palmetto acts on many of the same biological signalling pathways as other supplements for hair loss: cutting down on dihydrotestosterone levels by retaining more testosterone molecules,
Since dihydrotestosterone, or DHT, is what kills off hair cells, decreasing its levels is a sound method for reversing hair loss.
Men who want to improve their prostate health. Saw palmetto has been heavily researched as a way to reduce the symptoms of an enlarged prostate, a condition that many men find themselves with as they get older. Saw palmetto may prove to be a useful natural remedy for reducing symptoms of an enlarged prostate, again thanks to its action on androgen metabolism.
How we ranked
To formulate our rankings of the best saw palmetto products on the market, we collected a huge range of contenders, then evaluated them on the following criteria:
Effective dosage of saw palmetto. According to research, 320 mg per day, standardized to 50% fatty acids, or more is likely to be effective.
Unfortunately, many products on the market don’t provide standardized numbers, which is why we filtered out a lot of popular products. Pure Encapsulations ranked in our top 3 here as it contained 85% total fatty acids with 320 mg per serving.
Delivery in a bioavailable fatty acid form. We also looked at the type of saw palmetto included in each supplement. Since the fatty acid content of a saw palmetto is a key determinant of its bioavailability, we rewarded supplements that paid attention to their fatty acid content.
Products like Dr. Martin’s that included whole-plant extracts without noting the fatty acid content were ranked lower. Advanced Nutrition Labs also did not provide fatty acid content numbers, but was ranked higher for providing significantly more (25%) saw palmetto per serving.
Strong preference for pure products. Lastly, we analyzed any additional ingredients that may be included in the supplements.
We preferred pure products with minimal additives because we wanted to ensure high doses of pure saw palmetto. As such, products with proprietary blends, or testosterone boosters with saw palmetto added were axed from our list.
FAQ
Q: Why is saw palmetto popular for use among men?
A: Saw palmetto extract contains a number of biologically active compounds that interact with male hormones. For this reason, it’s a popular supplement for prostate health, reversing hair loss, and treating sexual dysfunction in men.
It’s been tested in a number of clinical studies, and has some of the same properties as prescription medications used to treat hair loss and treat an enlarged prostate.
The research is strongest when it comes to using saw palmetto for prostate health, but other applications have some evidence in their favor too: its biochemical effects are quite similar to FDA-approved treatments for hair loss, but without some of the same negative sexual side effects.
Q: Does saw palmetto result in increasing testosterone levels?
A: Saw palmetto inhibits the conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), thereby leading to the growth of male hormones.
As per one study, males who consumed saw palmetto for two weeks experienced a rush in their testosterone levels as compared to the ones in the placebo category. However, there are still not enough reports that establish a positive relationship between testosterone and saw palmetto (1).
Q: What is saw palmetto?
A: Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens) is a species of palm, endemic to the subtropical plains of the United States, Mexico, and the Atlantic. It is a short-statured plant and bears large red-black fruit, which is an important source of food for the local wildlife.
The fruit serves as a medicinal herb for humans and is widely known for its positive effects in treating prostate cancer and Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), among other medicinal uses.
Q: Is saw palmetto recommended for dealing with hair loss issues?
A: Testosterone in the body (both males and females) is converted into DHT (Dihydrotestosterone) by Types 1 & 2 5-alpha-reductase, which causes hair loss. This is a natural process of aging.
Saw palmetto has been proven to contain 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors, which prevent testosterone from being converted to DHT.
Studies have been performed on men and women of varied age groups that suggest a positive effect of the herb on prevention of hair loss, increase in hair density, and aid in sebum reduction.
While this essentially means the herb could be a possible treatment for hair loss, the studies are still limited, and self-medication is not recommended by healthcare communities (2).
Q: Does saw palmetto affect the prostate?
A: Saw palmetto is mainly known for its actions on the prostate. It is used as a cure to an enlarged and inflamed prostate, and a potential drug to cure prostate cancer.
It helps in the reduction of the inner wall thickness of the prostate, thereby reducing the inflammation of the urinary tract. However, the consumption of the plant extract is not suggested for the prevention of prostate-related problems.
Q: What forms is saw palmetto available?
A: Saw palmetto is commercially available for oral consumption in the form of dried berries, seeds, capsules, and tablets, which may be consumed as is, or in the form of herbal teas. It is also available in the form of a shampoo base for hair loss prevention.
Q: Does saw palmetto affect body weight?
A: While there could be a possible debate about the effect of saw palmetto on weight gain as it controls the production of androgens in the body, there are no studies or established results that promise weight gain due to its consumption.
Q: Is saw palmetto safe?
A: Saw palmetto is considered to be safe for human consumption as it has been widely used for a long time now, regardless of its proven efficiency as a potential medicinal herb. While there have been reports of mild side effects such as dizziness, nausea, and diarrhea, no major or long-term side effects are observed.
Q: Does saw palmetto affect your blood pressure levels?
A: In a generalized concept, anti-inflammatory drugs can cause an increase in blood pressure levels. Saw palmetto, being a medicinal herb that has anti-inflammatory properties, can likely lead to an increase in the blood pressure levels. People with pre-existing high blood pressure may experience a surge in their levels after the consumption of Saw Palmetto.
Q: Can saw palmetto trigger liver problems?
A: Saw palmetto has no effect on the liver or pre-existing liver problems. There is no established study to prove a relationship between the plant and the liver. Some people have, however, reported damaged livers, but there is no conclusive evidence that this was caused due to the consumption of Saw Palmetto.
Q: Does saw palmetto interact with other medications?
A: Yes. Since saw palmetto interacts with the androgens and estrogens of the body, it may also react with other drugs that interact with sex hormones.
This may react with medicines used for avoiding pregnancy, medicines that aid in blood clotting, and anti-inflammatory prescriptions. Self-administration of saw palmetto while using a pre-existing medical prescription is not advisable (3).
Q: How long does it take saw palmetto to show results?
As with most herbal medicines, saw palmetto may take anywhere between 4 to 6 weeks to begin showing any results depending on the frequency of intake and the dosage.
To get any promising results, the herb must be consumed on a regular basis in appropriate doses. Breaking a course may result in minimal or no results (4).
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Recap
Saw palmetto is a strong supplement for men who want to improve their prostate health, sexual wellness, or treat baldness.
It’s been demonstrated as an effective way to address an enlarged prostate with a lower rate of sexual side effects than standard prescription medications.
It’s also been studied as a direct treatment for sexual dysfunction, as a way to boost testosterone, and for its ability to reverse male pattern baldness, though the research on these uses is preliminary.
For BodyNutrition’s #1 recommended saw palmetto supplement, click here.
