Saw palmetto extract as an anti-androgen

[louise000]

A google search on Saw Palmetto produced the following information:-

"Saw palmetto extract comes from berries of the palm tree Saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) which is indigenous to the Atlantic Southeast coast of North America. Studies have shown that Saw palmetto is an effective anti-androgen. It acts in a similar way that Propecia does. Firstly it lowers levels of DHT in the body by blocking 5 alpha-reductase. Secondly Saw Palmetto blocks receptor sites on cell membranes required for cells to absorb DHT. Although no studies have been carried out on Saw palmetto and its relation to hair growth. Studies have been performed on the use of Saw palmetto in the treatment of benign prostatic disease which similar to Androgenetic Alopecia also depends on the production of dihydrotestosterone(DHT). All of the studies that have been performed to date show that Saw palmetto is an effective anti-androgen and has shown conclusively to be effective in the treatment of benign prostate disease. One may assume from this that since Saw palmetto is an effective anti-androgen and is used in the treatment of prostatic disease then it may also be effective in the treatment of Androgenetic alopecia. More and more people around the globe are starting to use Saw palmetto in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasma and in the treatment of Androgenetic alopecia".

I would be interested to know whether this product, which I assume is herbal, lives up to the claim that it reduces DHT and whether it might be considered as an effective alternative to prescription drugs such as spironolactone or androcur.

[Kate]

I researched it years ago, and decided NO... it's not worth it.

Those sorts of claims and assumptions are usually made from companies pushing to sell their miracle cures to people who for some reason won't just go get a prescription for Propecia or Avodart.

In the reports I read, Saw Palmetto does NOT reduce blood serum DHT, while Propecia and Avodart do. There seems to be some evidence that maybe, possibly, Saw Palmetto helps with prostate problems. A little. MAYBE. But if so, it does it by a different mechanism than the prescription anti-DHT drugs, so with all that, there's NO reason to believe it acts as a general anti-DHT drug that will help with hair loss.

The question ya gotta ask yourself is: is it worth risking permanently losing more hair to find out if Saw Palmetto works?

~Kate~

[Tanya1]

herbs give VERY insignificant changes. I don't recommend you relay on herbs for your transition. -maybe as a supplement WITH HRT drugs but not as your only source- you will have disappoint.

[Kate]

herbs give VERY insignificant changes. I don't recommend you relay on herbs for your transition. -maybe as a supplement WITH HRT drugs

I wouldn't even do that. We have no real idea how most herbals interact with prescription meds (and know that some DO interefere with feminization). I feared Saw Palmetto (or anything else) might somehow compete with the prescription estrogens or anti-androgens and make everything LESS effective overall. Or even dangerous.

The bottom line is most regimens prescribed by doctors work very well. But as soon as you start complicating the issue with herbals and supplements, you've destroyed that surety.

That was my thinking on it all anyway. I couldn't sleep at night with the worry that I might somehow be messing up my transition by experimenting with herbals.

~Kate~

[Tanya1]

yea my doc said to try to avoid other estrogens as they may try to compete with the prescription drugs which will slow down results.