Saw palmetto is a health supplement used to treat several health conditions, including enlarged prostrate. Although saw palmetto is known to occasionally cause minor side effects, weight gain is not widely reported as a side effect. As with any health supplement, consult a qualified healthcare provider before taking saw palmetto supplements.
Description
Saw palmetto, also known as Serenoa repens, is a plant similar to palm trees and grows throughout the southeastern United States. Saw palmetto health supplements are extracted from the berries of this plant. The supplements are most commonly used to treat a condition known as benign prostatic hyperplasia, or enlarged prostate. Additionally, saw palmetto is sometimes used to treat sore throat, baldness, migraine headache and prostate cancer, as well as increase breast size, although there is not enough evidence to prove its effectiveness for these uses, according to MedlinePlus.
Weight Gain
There have been isolated reports of weight gain among women taking saw palmetto to increase breast size, but there is no evidence directly linking saw palmetto to weight gain, according to NutritionalSupplementsHealthGuide.com. Most health authorities, such as the MayoClinic.com, do not recognize weight gain as a possible side effect of saw palmetto.
Known Side Effects
The known side effects of saw palmetto typically affect the gastrointestinal system. Nausea, bad breath, stomach pain, vomiting, constipation and diarrhea are the most commonly reported side effects, explains MedlinePlus. Headache and dizziness may also occur. Saw palmetto has also been reported to cause impotence, liver damage and jaundice, but the evidence linking these side effects to saw palmetto is not clear, according to the MayoClinic.com.
Interactions
Saw palmetto may possibly cause interactions with other medications. Saw palmetto may have a blood-thinning effect and could possibly increase the risk of severe bleeding in people taking blood-thinning medications, such as aspirin or warfarin, warns MedlinePlus. There are indications that saw palmetto may reduce the effectiveness of estrogen or estrogenlike compounds found in birth control pills or hormone replacement therapies.
References
- MedlinePlus; Saw Palmetto; December 2010
- National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine; Saw Palmetto; July 2010
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Saw Palmetto; Steven D. Ehrlich et al.; February 2009
- MayoClinic.com; Saw Palmetto (Serenoa Repens [Bartram] Small); August 2011
- NutritionalSupplementsHealthGuide.com: The Potential Side Effects of Palmetto
Member Comments