by Melissa Chichester
In the Southeastern United States, a historical plant with fan-shaped leaves grows in sandy coastal areas (up to nearly ten feet tall!) and can live up to 700 years. This plant is the saw palmetto, and extract from its fleshy, reddish fruit has been traditionally used for centuries by Native Americans in traditional health practices.
According to the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, saw palmetto has been referenced for use in health practices in scientific literature since the 1800s. Despite the fruit’s unpleasant taste, tinctures made from the fruit and crushed seeds were documented.
The Seminole tribe not only ate the fruit (which is about the size of an olive) but also used its dried leaves in weaving and used its fibers to make cords. The plant was also used to produce oil and wax.
Today, saw palmetto can be seen growing all over Florida, Georgia, Cuba, and the Bahamas. It is still used for its wellness benefits, especially for men.*
>>Shop all saw palmetto supplements
Modern-day saw palmetto can be found all over the holistic health market in several forms. Dried and ground berries are sold in powder form and in supplemental capsules. The berries are also used to make tea.
Oil extracted from the saw palmetto seeds are another popular supplement and contain beneficial fatty acids.
>>Making Sense of Men’s Health Risks
Saw palmetto is well-known as a supportive herb for men.* It contains phytochemicals, and supports the prostate, which is a gland that contributes to reproductive and urinary health.* Even during the early part of the twentieth century, American Eclectic practitioners used it for prostate and urinary health.*
Today, it remains a top herbal supplement for men, especially as they age.* Saw palmetto supports a man’s most personal assets.*
Are you interested in saw palmetto? Check out our Prosta-Metto® softgels, which deliver 160 mg of standardized saw palmetto to support prostate and urinary health in men.* This formulation also includes pumpkin seed oil and herbal uva-ursi, traditional ingredients for men’s health, plus essential trace mineral zinc for the immune system.*
