Arecaceae · fruit
Saw palmetto
Serenoa repens
Fruit extract mapped to conflicting lower-urinary-tract symptom literature in older men.
Safety first
Does not exclude prostate cancer or urinary retention. Lipidosterolic extracts have conflicting LUTS data. Not a 5-alpha-reductase drug equivalent.
Tradition vs trials
Traditional record. Southeastern North American berry later European BPH-adjacent extract.
Trial literature. Some older trials were positive; larger later trials were disappointing. This catalog tags conflicting.
Practical ranges
Educational ranges — not a prescription. Culinary use is not an extract.
lipidosterolic extract
Many products provide about 320 mg/day of specified extract — that is a product convention, not a prescription
ESCOP / NCCIH — Educational range only — not a prescription. A licensed clinician individualizes product, dose, and duration.
Pregnancy, nursing, children
- Pregnancy. Not a plant for pregnancy (androgen-adjacent marketing).
- Nursing. Insufficient reliable data; avoid unless a clinician directs otherwise.
- Children. Insufficient reliable data; avoid unless a clinician directs otherwise.
Contraindications
- do not delay retention, hematuria, or cancer workup
Key interactions
- hormonal therapies / anticoagulants · note
Signals are mixed; still tell the urologist.