A shrubby palm that produces dark purple berries.
An herbal remedy used to treat prostate disease. The berries of the saw palmetto tree have been used to treat prostate disorders for many years, first by Native Americans, who also used it to treat stomachache and dysentery. It reportedly helps increase urinary flow through the prostate without affecting prostate size, although this has not been proven scientifically. Saw palmetto is used today in France and Germany to treat prostate disorders, and it is available over-the-counter in the United States.
A low-growing, spreading palm (Serenoa repens) native to Florida and the coastal southeastern U.S. whose extract is used as a treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia. Some evidence suggests it is clinically effective, and some research indicates that it is not.