Horse Honey Saw Palmetto: Why Is This Herb in a Men's Capsule?
Horse Honey saw palmetto is the odd name out in a blend called Test Boost. It is third of eight, followed by nettle root. Both are known from prostate products, not from hormone products. This post explains what is known, what is not, and which medicines to raise with a pharmacist first.
By the Thehorsehoney Editorial DeskMedically reviewed by Dr. Kambiz Tajkarimi, MD, PhysicianReviewed Published Last updated
Horse Honey saw palmetto is third of eight names in the 1,200 mg blend, with nettle root fourth. A 2023 review of 27 studies found saw palmetto alone gives little or no benefit for prostate symptoms. The amount in the capsule is not published. Ask a pharmacist first if you take prostate medicine.
- Key facts
- Where does saw palmetto sit in the Horse Honey blend?
- What does the research say about saw palmetto?
- What does nettle root add to the Horse Honey saw palmetto pair?
- Which medicines should you raise with a pharmacist?
- Who should skip Horse Honey saw palmetto altogether?
- How should you weigh Horse Honey saw palmetto before buying?
- Frequently asked questions
- Our view
Want to read the panel before you decide?
Take the panel to a pharmacist first if you use prostate medicine. The checkout shows the price and the return window.
See today's price and return windowEarnings disclosure: Thehorsehoney is the U.S. stocking partner for Horse Honey and earns a commission on orders placed through this site.Key facts
- Saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) is third of eight in the Test Boost Proprietary Blend, listed as fruit extract. Nettle root is fourth.
- The amount of either is not published. The blend total is 1,200 mg per two-capsule serving.
- A 2023 review of 27 studies found saw palmetto alone gives little or no benefit for benign prostatic hyperplasia symptoms.
- Nettle has been studied mainly alongside saw palmetto, not on its own for hormones.
- Raise both with a pharmacist if you take finasteride, dutasteride or are monitored for a prostate condition.
- Horse Honey is not a treatment for any condition and is not FDA approved.
Where does saw palmetto sit in the Horse Honey blend?
Saw palmetto is the third name on the panel, after horny goat weed and tongkat ali. It is written as Saw Palmetto Extract (Serenoa repens), fruit, with its fatty acids and sterols named as the compounds of interest. It is the fruit of a small American palm.
The panel prints one blend total of 1,200 mg and eight names in descending order of weight. So saw palmetto weighs more than nettle root and less than tongkat ali. The label gives no milligram figure for it.
Saw palmetto is best known in men's prostate products. Nothing on the label links it to raising testosterone. It looks out of place in a blend called Test Boost.
What does the research say about saw palmetto?
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health summarises the evidence. A 2023 review of 27 studies found that saw palmetto, used alone, gives little or no benefit for the urinary symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia. That is the condition it is best known for.
This is a relevant finding even though Horse Honey does not claim to treat that condition. It tells you the ingredient does not have strong support for its best-known use. It says nothing about the capsule as a whole.
The studies behind that review used standard doses. The Horse Honey panel gives no dose for saw palmetto, so you cannot line the capsule up against them.
What does nettle root add to the Horse Honey saw palmetto pair?
Nettle root is fourth of eight, listed as Nettle Extract (Urtica dioica L.), root, with lignans named. It is studied alongside saw palmetto for urinary symptoms rather than on its own for hormones.
Memorial Sloan Kettering notes that positive clinical results are reported mainly when nettle is combined with other herbs. One example is a saw palmetto combination for nighttime urinary frequency. The same source lists possible additive effects between nettle and diuretics or blood pressure drugs, and a possible effect on drugs processed by CYP450 enzymes.
That makes the two names a pair. They sit next to each other in the order, they share a research story, and they share the medicine questions below.
Which medicines should you raise with a pharmacist?
Every row below is about an ingredient on this panel. None can be judged by amount, because no amount is published. That is itself the reason to ask.
| Ingredient | What to raise | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Saw palmetto | Finasteride, dutasteride, prostate monitoring, PSA testing | It is used for the same urinary symptoms those medicines treat. Tell whoever monitors you that you take it |
| Nettle root | The same prostate conversation, plus blood pressure or diuretic medicine | Studied mainly with saw palmetto. Possible additive effects with diuretics and blood pressure drugs |
| The whole blend | Any prescription medicine at all | No safety study of the finished product has been published, and no individual amount is printed |
The practical version is one sentence. If you take anything for your prostate, anything hormonal or any prescription medicine, show the pharmacist the panel before you start.
Who should skip Horse Honey saw palmetto altogether?
Some people should not take this capsule without a doctor's say-so, and some should not take it at all.
- Anyone under 18, or pregnant or nursing. The label asks them to see a physician first.
- Anyone with a known medical condition, or who takes prescription medicine, until a doctor or pharmacist has seen the panel.
- Anyone who avoids animal products. The shell is gelatin, and the blend holds orchic substance from cattle.
- Anyone with new urinary changes. These are a reason to see a doctor first, not to add a supplement.
Stop and see a doctor if a dose leaves you feeling wrong. Keep the bottle, because the lot code helps anyone who needs to look into it.
How should you weigh Horse Honey saw palmetto before buying?
Treat saw palmetto as a name that belongs to a category. Many men's formulas carry it. In this one it is third of eight. The research on it alone is weak for its best-known use, and the label does not say how much is in the capsule.
If a prostate herb is what you want, a single-ingredient product that prints its amount is a simpler way to know what you take. If you want one capsule with eight names, then this is that, and the doctor-first list applies.
Check the return window before you pay. Start with one bottle. A month at the label dose is a fair first trial.
Which sources does this post use?
Only sources named on this site. Each link goes to the original page.
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, saw palmetto: nccih.nih.gov.
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, About Herbs, nettle: mskcc.org.
- The side effects page on this site.
Frequently asked questions
Is there saw palmetto in Horse Honey?
Yes. It is third of eight names in the 1,200 mg Test Boost Proprietary Blend, listed as fruit extract. Nettle root is fourth.
How much saw palmetto is in Horse Honey?
Not published. The label prints only the blend total, and no extract states a standardisation percentage.
Does saw palmetto raise testosterone?
Nothing on the label says so. It is studied for prostate symptoms, and a 2023 review of 27 studies found little or no benefit for those symptoms when used alone.
What if I already take finasteride or dutasteride?
Ask your doctor or pharmacist first and show them the panel. Saw palmetto and nettle root are used for the same urinary symptoms those medicines treat.
Does nettle root interact with blood pressure medicine?
Memorial Sloan Kettering lists possible additive effects between nettle and diuretics or blood pressure drugs. Show your pharmacist the panel before you start.
Is Horse Honey safe for everyone over 18?
No safety study of the finished product has been published. Check with a doctor first if you take prescription medicine or have a medical condition.
Our view
Saw palmetto and nettle root are the least surprising names on this panel, and the most surprising to find in a blend called Test Boost. They belong to prostate shelves. Their research is about urinary symptoms, and the best summary we cite found little or no benefit for saw palmetto alone.
None of that makes them harmful. It makes them worth a conversation if you take medicine for your prostate. The blend hides the amounts, so a pharmacist cannot rule anything in or out from the bottle alone.
Take the panel to a pharmacist. It takes two minutes and costs nothing.
Horse Honey is not FDA approved, and no dietary supplement is. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Pregnant or nursing mothers, children under the age of 18 and individuals with a known medical condition should consult a physician before using this or any dietary supplement. Questions about your own health belong with your doctor.
Spoken to your pharmacist?
If the panel looks fine to them, you will find the price and the return window at checkout.
See today's price and return windowEarnings disclosure: Thehorsehoney is the U.S. stocking partner for Horse Honey and earns a commission on orders placed through this site.Last updated . Written by the Thehorsehoney Editorial Desk and medically reviewed by Dr. Kambiz Tajkarimi, MD, Physician.