It’s often used to treat enlarged prostate, improve urinary function, and enhance hair growth. Some also use the supplement to boost libido and fertility and reduce inflammation. Finally, saw palmetto is claimed to have anticancer effects.
Saw palmetto may help treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) — a medical condition characterized by a slow, noncancerous yet abnormal enlargement of the prostate.
Saw palmetto may help prevent androgenic alopecia — a type of hair loss also known as male and female pattern baldness in men and women, respectively.
It’s thought to work by blocking the enzyme that converts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), an androgen-type hormone believed to cause this form of hair loss