Does Saw Palmetto Work For Hair Loss ? Those who are losing their hair naturally want to know if there is any hope through supplements. Saw palmetto is commonly recommended as a possible remedy. Results from any type of herbal treatment, vitamin or mineral can never be expected to be miraculous. And the testimonials from individuals who have taken such treatments on an ongoing basis are usually quite varied. Some people will report noticeable improvements. Others experienced the exact opposite with no results whatsoever. And yet, the rest are not quite sure what to think.

Does Saw Palmetto Work For Hair Loss? Background on Saw Palmetto

Saw palmetto is actually a small palm plant that grows along the eastern coasts of states like Florida and Georgia. The supplements which are sold online and in health food stores are extracts derived from its bluish brown berries.

Native Americans used Saw palmetto to help heal breast issues in women and urinary conditions in men.

Does Saw Palmetto Work For Hair Loss — (image- Creative Commons) Saw Palmetto is often cited as a natural hair restoration treatment. Researchers believe it blocks the enzyme which converts testosterone into DHT

Saw Palmetto and Its Comparative Function to Finasteride

The reason why Saw palmetto is linked to hair loss is because it is reported to act in the same way as Propecia. Scientists are continuing to learn about the many chemical pathways associated with male pattern baldness. But the most prominent one has to do with the effects of DHT on the hair follicles.

An enzyme called 5-alpha-reductase reacts with testosterone to break it down into smaller components. One of these is DHT (dehydrotestosterone).

Some people have inherited the genes to create protein receptors which have a different structure. This causes their follicles to be sensitive to DHT and unable to absorb critical nutrients from the blood stream. Shrinkage results from this. Hair will grow much thinner or stop altogether.

Research suggests that Saw palmetto helps to block the 5-alpha-reductase enzyme which would ultimately lower the levels of DHT in the body. Doctors in Germany, Austria and Italy use these extracts to treat benign prostate hypertrophy. Studies show that urinary symptoms related to this condition improved at about the same level as Proscar (finasteride). However the exact effect of Saw palmetto on those who are losing hair remains uncertain.

Does Saw Palmetto Work For Hair Loss : Research Studies

There is one study which seems to support the positive effects of the supplement on hair loss. However, the research design was somewhat flawed because it involved a small sample size of only nineteen men who suffered from initial to moderate stages of androgenic alopecia. The subjects were all considered healthy with no pre-existing conditions. They were divided into two groups:

(1) those who received 200mg of Saw palmetto along with 50mg of beta-sitosterol two times a day.

(2) those who received a placebo

The time period for this intervention was 4.6 months. A standardized scale was used to evaluate the subjects’ hair before and after the treatment. Sixty percent of the participants showed signs of improvement as a result of taking saw palmetto.

Other research initiatives did not show any promise. And overall the results have been scattered and inconclusive. Despite its similarities to Propecia, Saw palmetto is not FDA approved for hair loss.

To learn more about vitamins to address or prevent signs of baldness, click here