Serenoa Repens as an Endocrine Disruptor in a 10-Year-Old Girl: A New Case Report
January 2015
in “
Pharmacology
”
TLDR Serenoa repens may cause early puberty and should be used cautiously in children.
In 2015, a 10-year-old girl developed hot flashes and early menarche after taking 320 mg daily of a food supplement containing Serenoa repens for hirsutism. The symptoms began during the third month of treatment and included rapid weight gain. The hot flashes stopped when the supplement was discontinued but returned with rechallenge. Menarche occurred four months after starting the supplement, accompanied by polymenorrhea and hypermenorrhea. The case report suggests that S. repens may act as an endocrine disruptor, prompting early menarche, and advises caution when using such phytotherapeutic agents in prepubertal children due to their potential endocrine effects.
