Saw palmetto, also known as cabbage palm and American dwarf palm tree, is a small palm plant that forms dense clumps in sandy coastal regions along the southeastern US. It is so-named because the fan-like leaves are edged with saw-toothed lobes.
For centuries, this herb has been used by various Native American tribes and was later adopted by the Eclectic physicians of the 19th century. Long considered a tonic herb for men, the actions of saw palmetto on the prostate are largely due to compounds that block 5 alpha reductase, an enzyme that allows the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone.
