Saw Palmetto

The saw palmetto is a small palm-like plant. A native to the Southeastern United States, it can be found along the coastal plain from South Carolina through Florida and Texas. The plant typically grows in habitats ranging from pine lands to hammocks, coastal dunes, and sand hills. It can also be found in parts of Africa and Southern Europe.

The palm plant itself is a clump-forming shrub, meaning it becomes tree-like a few times but not often. The trunks of the saw palmetto itself usually lie prostate on the ground. The leaves take on silvery white to blue-green or greenish hues, and feature saw-like teeth along their sides (thus giving the palm its colloquial name).

A History of the Healing Powers of Saw Palmetto

While many people use the saw palmetto as a garden ground cover, it contains a mysterious variety of medicinal and useful purposes as well. Native Americans took advantage of the berries for hundreds of years before Europeans began appearing on the mainland. They would grind up the berries as food and extract the oil from them to make medicine. Later on, English settlers would use the branches of the plant to make brooms and baskets.

Today, many people take saw palmetto in powder or oil extract forms as a dietary supplement. The most common use of saw palmetto is for the treatment of urinary complications associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). There are a number of other benefits to the herbal oil as well, including treatments for feminine menstrual pains, headaches, urinary and bladder infections, balding, persistent coughs, and digestive problems.

Other people use the oils directly on their skin or scalp to improve dermatological conditions. These include irritation, dryness, dull hair, hair loss, and other aesthetic problems. Some women also claim the herbal extract can help them increase their breast size and reduce hot flashes and vaginal dryness during menopause.

Risks Associated With Taking Saw Palmetto

The saw palmetto (otherwise known as the cabbage or fan palm, serenoa repens, sabal serrulata, or scrub palm) has not yet been the subject of a review by the U.S. FDA (United States Food and Drug Administration). It has not been approved as a legal drug and should be treated as an herbal remedy and dietary supplement only. For these reasons, individuals should take care when adding saw palmetto to their diets and ask their doctors about possible drug interactions with current medications.

The plant sterols contained in saw palmetto have profound hormonal effects upon the human body. Children and pregnant or breast-feeding women should avoid taking the extract. People who are under hormonal therapy should also refrain from using saw palmetto until speaking with their doctors about the proper dosage.

Where to Purchase Saw Palmetto

The oil, powder, or liquid extracts from the saw palmetto can be found in health food stores, gyms and clubs, and the offices of herbal specialists. Saw palmetto can also be found through alternative health websites. Take extra time to make sure the milligram dosage is properly manufactured to contain between 85 to 95 percent fatty acids.