Saw palmetto

Saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) is a small palm native to the south-eastern United States, recognisable by its fan-shaped leaves and creeping stems and prized for its medicinal fruits.

Type

Plant

Botanical name

Serenoa repens

Other names

American dwarf palm tree, cabbage palm; synonym Sabal serrulata

Plant

Its stems grow horizontally at or below ground level. The leaves are fans of about 20 leaflets, and the leaf stalk has fine, sharp spines along its edges, which give the plant its name. The white flowers grow in dense clusters; the fleshy fruits are green, yellow and orange when unripe and bluish-black when ripe. It is native to the West Indies and the south-east coast of North America.

Uses

Although they taste unpleasant, the fruits have been eaten by people, including the Indigenous peoples of Florida, and the plant is used for landscaping in the south-eastern United States. Its berries have long served health purposes, and today they go into dietary supplements.

Medicines made from the fruit, as oily saw palmetto fruit extract, are used for the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia in adult men. Health Canada lists the same use but advises men to see a doctor first to rule out prostate cancer. It also lists a traditional use of the dried fruit as a mild diuretic for the burning and frequent urination of minor urinary tract infections. A 2023 review of 27 studies found that saw palmetto alone gives little or no benefit for prostate symptoms.

Safety

Saw palmetto is well tolerated and has been used safely in studies for up to 3 years. Side effects are mild and infrequent and may include digestive symptoms, dizziness and headache. Saw palmetto does not appear to affect prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test results, but it may be unsafe in pregnancy or while breastfeeding.

Products containing it

• Sabal Forte capsules (D 235)