Ingredient profile
Saw Palmetto in Vapofil: 20 mg Checked Against the Research
Vapofil prints 20 mg of saw palmetto berry extract per two capsules. That is 1/16 of the 320 mg a day used in prostate trials, per the NIH's LiverTox (LiverTox: Saw palmetto). Full doses did no better than placebo in a 2023 Cochrane review of 27 trials (AFP/Cochrane 2023: Saw palmetto for BPH). No sexual benefit is shown, and MSK lists lower libido as a side effect (MSK: Saw palmetto).
Written by the Vapofil editorial teamUpdated
The basics
What is saw palmetto, and how much is in Vapofil?
Saw palmetto is a low palm from the southeastern United States. Its dark berries are dried and made into extracts. Vapofil lists "Saw Palmetto Berry Extract" at 20 mg per two-capsule serving.
It is the first line on the Supplement Facts panel. Wild yam, sarsaparilla and nettle leaf share the same 20 mg. The whole formula adds up to 118 mg.
The label gives no extract strength or standardization, so 20 mg is the only number a buyer can check.
For decades it has been sold to older men for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), an enlarged prostate that is not cancer. Sex and desire were never its research topic.
Dose check
How does 20 mg of saw palmetto compare with the 320 mg trial dose?
It is one sixteenth of it. LiverTox, the NIH's liver safety database, lists 320 mg once a day, or 160 mg twice a day, as the amounts used in the main trials (LiverTox: Saw palmetto).
| Amount | Milligrams a day | Next to Vapofil |
|---|---|---|
| Vapofil, two capsules | 20 mg | As printed |
| Usual trial dose | 320 mg | 16 times more |
| Highest NIH-funded trial dose | About 960 mg (3 times usual) | About 48 times more |
Matching 320 mg would take 32 capsules a day. The label says two and warns against more, so the gap cannot be closed safely.
At a glance
Saw palmetto in Vapofil, in five numbers
The evidence
What do NCCIH, LiverTox, MSK and Cochrane say about saw palmetto?
All four agree: saw palmetto does not beat placebo for prostate symptoms. None describes a sexual benefit.
NCCIH, updated April 2025
NCCIH says saw palmetto alone "provides little or no benefit" for BPH symptoms. Two NIH-funded trials found no improvement, even at three times the usual dose (NCCIH: Saw palmetto).
LiverTox
A one-year trial of 225 men in 2006 found no difference from placebo. Symptoms, urine flow, prostate size and quality of life all matched (LiverTox: Saw palmetto).
Memorial Sloan Kettering
MSK calls the prostate data conflicting. Saw palmetto did not change PSA, even at high doses, and has not been shown to prevent or treat prostate cancer (MSK: Saw palmetto).
Cochrane review, 2023
Pooled results from 27 trials and 4,656 men found no improvement that patients would notice. American Family Physician gave that finding its top evidence grade, A (AFP/Cochrane 2023: Saw palmetto for BPH).
The Cochrane numbers are worth a look. Over three to six months, symptom scores fell 0.90 points more than on placebo. A change under 3 points is too small to feel (AFP/Cochrane 2023: Saw palmetto for BPH). Over 12 to 17 months, there was no real change.
None of these trials tested 20 mg, or Vapofil.
The sales claim
Why is saw palmetto in a men's sex formula?
The bottle does not say. The Vapofil sales page claims saw palmetto "reduces the impact of DHT", a strong male hormone made from testosterone. We could not find support for that as a sexual benefit.
MSK describes saw palmetto as antiandrogenic. In lab terms, it acts on 5-alpha-reductase, the enzyme that turns testosterone into DHT (MSK: Saw palmetto). That is why it was tested for the prostate, which grows under DHT's influence.
Working against male hormones is an odd fit for a desire product. The idea did not even pay off for the prostate (NCCIH: Saw palmetto). No study has measured a hormone effect from 20 mg.
Side effects
Can saw palmetto lower libido?
It may. Memorial Sloan Kettering lists decreased libido among saw palmetto's possible side effects, along with stomach upset and headache (MSK: Saw palmetto).
That matters in a product sold for desire. The effect is listed as possible, not common, and no study of 20 mg exists. If your interest in sex drops after starting Vapofil, stop and tell your doctor.
| Effect | Who reports it | How often |
|---|---|---|
| Stomach upset, digestive symptoms | NCCIH (NCCIH: Saw palmetto), MSK (MSK: Saw palmetto) | Mild and infrequent |
| Headache, dizziness | NCCIH (NCCIH: Saw palmetto) | Mild and infrequent |
| Decreased libido | MSK (MSK: Saw palmetto) | Listed as possible |
| Liver injury | LiverTox (LiverTox: Saw palmetto) | Rare; score D; cleared in 1 to 3 months |
| Any adverse event vs placebo | Cochrane (AFP/Cochrane 2023: Saw palmetto for BPH) | No difference (risk ratio 1.01) |
Effects of the other six ingredients are on the Vapofil side effects page.
Medicines
Is saw palmetto safe with blood thinners?
Ask your doctor first. MSK advises against saw palmetto with warfarin or other blood thinners, because it may raise the risk of bruising and bleeding. It may also add to the effect of clopidogrel (MSK: Saw palmetto).
MSK cites case reports of bleeding around the heart in a man on rivaroxaban, plus heavy bleeding during and after surgery (MSK: Saw palmetto). Vapofil also holds horny goat weed, which may slow clotting too (RxList: Horny goat weed). Show the label to your doctor or pharmacist before you start.
Our view
Does the saw palmetto in Vapofil do anything?
Probably not. The amount is tiny, full-dose trials were negative, and no sexual effect is shown.
Pros
- Amount printed: 20 mg, not hidden in a blend
- Side effects usually mild in trials
- Rare liver problems cleared after stopping
Cons
- 1/16 of the 320 mg trial dose
- No better than placebo even at full dose
- Antiandrogen action in a men's desire formula
- Bleeding caution with blood thinners
Compare it with the rest of the panel on the Vapofil Supplement Facts page.
| Label name | Saw Palmetto Berry Extract |
|---|---|
| What it is | Serenoa repens berry · Berry extract |
| Position on the label | Printed with its own amount |
| Amount per serving (2 capsules) | 20 mg, printed |
| Amount used in research | 320 mg a day in prostate trials (no better than placebo) |
| Strength of evidence | No better than placebo, at 16x this dose |
| Why it is used | Palm berry long sold for urinary symptoms |
| Main caution | Ask first if you take warfarin or other blood thinners. |
FAQ
Saw palmetto in Vapofil: common questions
How much saw palmetto is in Vapofil?
Vapofil prints 20 mg of saw palmetto berry extract per two-capsule serving. LiverTox lists 320 mg a day as the usual trial dose (LiverTox: Saw palmetto), so the label amount is one sixteenth of it. The label gives no extract strength.
Is saw palmetto an anti-androgen?
Yes, in lab terms. MSK describes saw palmetto as antiandrogenic because it acts on 5-alpha-reductase, the enzyme that makes DHT (MSK: Saw palmetto). In people, full doses did not improve prostate symptoms (NCCIH: Saw palmetto). No study has measured any hormone effect from 20 mg, and none links it to better sex.
Does saw palmetto help with erections?
No good study shows that it does. The research on saw palmetto is about urinary symptoms from an enlarged prostate, and there it did no better than placebo (AFP/Cochrane 2023: Saw palmetto for BPH). Erection problems can signal heart disease or diabetes, so see a doctor (NIDDK: ED symptoms & causes).
Is saw palmetto bad for the liver?
Liver injury is rare. LiverTox gives saw palmetto a likelihood score of D, based on a few cases that cleared one to three months after stopping (LiverTox: Saw palmetto). Stop and get checked if you notice dark urine, yellow skin or eyes, or belly pain.
What did the 2023 Cochrane review find on saw palmetto?
It found no benefit that patients would notice. The review pooled 27 trials with 4,656 men. Short-term symptom scores improved by under 1 point more than placebo, below the 3-point change people can feel (AFP/Cochrane 2023: Saw palmetto for BPH).
Does saw palmetto raise bleeding risk?
It may, mainly with blood thinners. MSK advises against saw palmetto with warfarin or other blood thinners and reports a bleeding case on rivaroxaban, a drug in the same class as Eliquis (MSK: Saw palmetto).
Who wrote this
Written and reviewed by
Plain-language pages built from the bottle label, the order page and linked public health sources such as NIH, FDA and CDC.
Last updated . Read our editorial standards and how we check reviews. This website is run by a licensed U.S. retail desk for Vapofil, not by the manufacturer. We earn money when you buy through our order links.
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