#30 Saw Palmetto Extract

Saw palmetto is a plant with small berries that has been used by Native Americans as medicine and food for hundreds of years. There is evidence that this herbal remedy may treat an enlarged prostate. It also has been used to treat hair loss, bladder infections, prostate cancer, and decreased sexual drive.  For years, Saw Palmetto is believed to be a successful extract that can help prevent hair fall and stimulate healthy hair growth by blocking the formation of DHT (the cause of baldness). 

Research on the effectiveness of saw palmetto in treating hair loss is promising. An extract of saw palmetto berries may block 5-alpha-reductase, an enzyme that converts testosterone to DHT.  DHT is the molecule responsible for hair loss, and also is involved in the enlargement of the prostate.

A study was taken for men with moderate cases of male pattern baldness where they were given a saw palmetto oral supplement to take twice daily for a few months. When asked to rate their balding patterns before and after the study, over sixty percent reported that their condition improved.

Saw palmetto extracts contains various benefits for women, most of which have to do with hormonal balancing. It has been stated that taking the herb can enhance breast size and may also be used to regulate periods, reduce cramps, and regulate hair growth. Research shows that saw palmetto is thought to work on BPH by lowering levels of testosterone, a male hormone, and it is believed to work in the same way for women, by regulating and equalising hormone levels in the blood.  High levels of testosterone can ead to early stages of pattern baldness.

Saw Palmetto does not cause hair to grow, but it can play a key role in preventing the rate of hair fall.  This is why many of the best hair supplements on the market contain a dosage of saw palmetto combined with a dosage of a hair growth additive such as Vitamin B7 - they work in conjunction with each other to help prevent hair loss and promote hair growth.

More tests are needed to provide further evidence of saw palmetto's effectiveness for blocking DHT, but as it stands, this North American plant is proving to be one of the most highly rates ingredients for the prevention of alopecia in men and women.