Saw palmetto, an herbal supplement that's been around for centuries, most commonly sees use today as a product for men to reduce the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia, or benign prostate enlargement. It works by lowering your levels of circulating male hormones, which might mean it could be useful to treat a condition called polycystic ovary syndrome, which causes irregular menstruation and other problems in women. However, there's no proof that it works for this, and you should talk with your doctor before using it or any herbal product for your condition.
Basics
Saw palmetto, a member of the palm family that's native to the southeastern United States, appears to lower the amount of circulating testosterone in your body. Because it has hormonal effects -- specifically, it can shift the balance of hormones in your body toward the so-called "female" hormones, estrogen and progesterone -- it also can affect your menstrual cycles, potentially shortening or lengthening them or making them irregular, depending on how much saw palmetto you take and when.
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Women who have polycystic ovary syndrome suffer from a wide array of symptoms, including irregular menstruation, missed periods, infertility, facial hair growth and bad acne. They're also frequently overweight and at high risk for diabetes and heart disease. Although it's not clear what causes polycystic ovary syndrome, these women also have higher-than-normal levels of circulating "male" hormones, including testosterone, which likely cause some of their symptoms.
Speculation
There's no medical research showing that saw palmetto might work in treating irregular menstruation or polycystic ovary syndrome, but the University of Maryland Medical Center notes that its effects on lowering the levels of testosterone and other male hormones in women might be effective in treating the male-pattern hair growth that frequently appears with polycystic ovary syndrome.
Considerations
Saw palmetto carries a list of side effects, including the risk of bleeding. Although most people likely can use it safely, according to the National Institutes of Health, you might experience dizziness, headaches and gastrointestinal effects while taking it. Before you take saw palmetto to treat your irregular menstruation or anything else, talk to your doctor about your options and about potential interactions between saw palmetto and other medications you're taking.
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