The Side Effects of Saw Palmetto

To understand the side effects of Saw Palmetto you must first understand what it is. Saw Palmetto extract comes from the white flowers that grow on the palm plant and produces berries, and is comprised of fatty acids including lauric acid, oleic acid, myristic acid, along with palmitic acid. Saw Palmetto also contains plant sterols and polysaccharides, which are known to help balance hormones. 

Now that an understanding of where the plant comes from lets proceed to explain the side effects of saw palmetto along with the long-term effects. 

Although saw palmetto is used in a variety of ways and is effective for treating many BPH symptoms there are no known long-term side affects noted at this time due to the lack of documented information. What this means is that because of the undocumented information we really do not know if there are long-term side effects connected to using saw palmetto.

What we do know is that there are a few noted minor side effects directly related to the use of saw palmetto. Some of the information that has been provided by the medical field and scientific studies state that some people who participated had one or several of the following minor side effects that were directly related to using saw palmetto.

These side effects included: loss of sexual desire, sore or tender breasts and mild stomach discomfort, dizziness, insomnia, fatigue, rash, diarrhea and mild headaches. Many of these side effects may or may not occur as with any herbal extract you take. It is always suggested that you consult with a medical professional before taking any herbal supplement as it ensures safe and coordinated care.

This article was written using a variety of online and offline sources for information. If you would like additional information on this topic, a quick Internet search in any search engine would yield the results you are looking for.