⚠️WARNING: Saw Palmetto For Prostate – Nasty Side Effect (2024)

Today I’m going to talk about one of the most popular supplements used for prostate health and Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH): Saw Palmetto Extract.

saw palmetto prostate health

If you’re currently taking this ingredient or are thinking about using it – make sure you read this article because there could be some major side effects from it.

Additionally, at the end of today’s article, I’ll share with you another article  I’ve done about the exact causes AND solutions for shrinking your prostate and improving urinary flow, which ultimately can help you avoid prostate problems.

Remember, this is a hormonal problem and thus, it CAN be fixed IF you know what to do, which is what you’ll discover today.

History Of Saw Palmetto

I first heard about and started using Saw Palmetto in the late 1980s. I did so because I read about studies on how it helped increase testosterone levels, and decrease estrogens (the female hormone) and DHT (the balding hormone).

ThinningHair

The side benefit was that it would be good at also preventing hair loss and prostate health (BPH). So, it was a win/win solution for us guys.

I wanted to use it for improving my hormones, building more muscle, and so forth. And I wanted to give it to my dad to help with his prostate enlargement.

And there were lots of studies about Saw Palmetto at that time, primarily based on an Italian prescription version of it called Permixon.

permixon

The good news was that you didn’t need a prescription, nor go to Italy to get Permixon™. It was available in the US at half the price, of its original herbal extract of Saw Palmetto Berry Extract (Serenoa repens).

And the good news is that Permixon and thus, Saw Palmetto Extract (if you get the correct form and dosage), does work. It helps with prostate enlargement and improves your hormones.

My Personal Experience With Saw Palmetto

In fact, we did blood tests initially on me, my 2 brothers, and my dad. ALL of us showed improvements in our testosterone levels, while a decrease in DHT and Estrogen. Plus, my dad’s PSA (prostate score) was also improved.

This was all great.

Except, for one main issue – ALL of us also had LOWER libido.

Which on paper, didn’t make sense since your testosterone levels improved and the negative hormones decreased.

Well, initially the sex drive did improve for the first week or two, but then it slowly decreased over time.

Another negative side-effect was the decrease in “drive” for life. It was subtle, but I wasn’t as driven, as energetic, as passionate.

Drive

It’s hard to explain… I just felt a little more “blah”. I had less “fire”.

My brothers eventually stopped taking it because they also felt a slow decline in their libido. Whatever positives they may have gotten, weren’t enough to justify continued use.

But, my dad and I still continued using Saw Palmetto extract.

Now, I didn’t talk about “sex” or “libido” with my dad. But I do remember after a few months he said he reduced the dosage because he said he “didn’t feel good on it”. As he put it, “I don’t feel as manly.”

I got the point; I didn’t ask for details.

And eventually, he just stopped taking it as well.

Now, I was young, so my hormones were still very good. So it didn’t affect me as much. However, I remember I once ran out and I forgot to buy more and about a week later my libido just shot up and I finally realized it was the Saw Palmetto.

What CAN You Do

Of course, not everyone feels the drop in sex drive from it. But, there are many complaints about this for sure. So, I wanted to share it with you because it is subtle, and over time, it gets worse and worse.

Similar to taking Proscar or Propecia, there are many guys who have lowered sex drive, but there are also lots of men who don’t seem to complain about it.

All I can say is if you want to improve your prostate health, you can give Saw Palmetto a try and see how you feel. But be honest with yourself. Pay attention to how you feel and look.

Also, if you do try it, make sure it’s the EXTRACT version at 85-95% extract. It should be 160 mg per 1 soft gel and the minimum dosage is 2 pills and thus, 320 mg daily.

SerenoaRepens

Do NOT get the “powder” or “root” or “berry” versions, which typically come in a capsule, NOT a soft gel caplet. These “powdered” versions are essentially dead – there are no active ingredients and it’s a waste of money. It might have a higher mg dose, but it won’t work.

SawPalmettoBerry

A Better Solution

It’s too bad that Saw Palmetto does have this nasty side-effect, similar to Propecia/Proscar for many guys – just not as bad.

But don’t worry, there are always other solutions to a problem.

If you want to increase testosterone levels, there are other vitamins, minerals, and herbs without negative side effects.