What is it?
Saw palmetto is an herbal supplement that is believed to have a variety of health benefits, including improving hair growth. Some people believe that saw palmetto can help to stimulate hair growth by blocking the production of a hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT is a hormone that is produced when testosterone is converted by an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase. High levels of DHT are thought to contribute to hair loss, so by blocking its production, saw palmetto may be able to help prevent hair loss and promote hair growth.
However, more research is needed to confirm the effectiveness of saw palmetto for improving hair growth, and if additional compounds can augment this treatment.
Scientific Research behind Saw Palmetto:
Study #1:
From the European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences, authors H.-L. Zhu, Y.-H. Gao, J.-Q. Yang, J.-B. Li, J. Gao determined that Serenoa repens extracts promote hair regeneration and repair of hair loss mouse models by activating TGF-β and mitochondrial signaling pathway.
They concluded that:
"LSESr treatment significantly enhanced Bcl-2 expression and reduced Bax expression compared to that of DHT treated mice (p<0.05). Meanwhile, effects of LSESr were substantial even achieving to the potential of finasteride."
For the full article, see here.