Is there nothing else in saw palmetto except for free fatty acids, free fatty alcohols, phytosterols, and monoglycerines?
Every herb has dozens or hundreds of substances and the four categories you mention form the bulk of this herb. There may be minor substances also but I have not studied these in detail. How does it work? Mechanism of action Unfortunately, many herbal and natural medicines have had far less research money devoted to them than they deserve. Saw palmetto is no exception. Consequently, we don’t know all the answers to the exact mechanisms of how the different compounds within saw palmetto work. However, there have been enough studies to give us some clues. Some of the most likely mechanisms include the reduction in the amount of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in prostate tissue, inhibition of the binding of DHT to androgen receptors in prostate cells, and the anti-estrogenic action in prostate tissue. Another possibility is the ability of compounds within saw palmetto to reduce the action of IGF-1 on prostate tissue. Insulin-like growth factor (IGF) action is important for prostate growth and
