Lower urinary tract symptoms are common disorders in the elderly. They usually manifest as increased frequency of urination, nocturia, urgency, hesitancy and weak urine stream. Saw palmetto is frequently used for the management of urinary symptoms in older men, but its efficacy in women is unclear. This multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluated the effect of supplementation with 320 mg/day of saw palmetto berry extract (SPE) in 72 elderly women for 12 weeks.

The results showed a decrease in daytime frequency score according to the Central Lower Urinary Symptom Score (CLSS) questionnaire in the SPE group compared to the placebo group (p = 0.04). In addition, a subgroup analysis revealed that SPE relieved symptoms of diurnal frequency (CLSS Q1) (p = 0.03) and nocturia (CLSS Q2) (p = 0.04) in a subset of subjects with a CLSS Q5 score of 1 or higher. Daytime frequency of urination in the Overactive Bladder Symptom Score (OABSS) Q1 was also significantly improved by SPE treatment (p < 0.05).

Thus, saw palmetto berry extract could relieve overall lower urinary tract symptoms in older women. 

Shizuo Yamada, Michiyo Shirai, Ken Ono, Shinji Kageyama. Beneficial effects of saw palmetto fruit extract on urinary symptoms in Japanese female subjects by a multicentre, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Nutrients. 2022 Mar 11;14(6):1190.