A Taste of Saw Palmetto

Deep in the steamy heart of Florida, amidst sand pine scrub and in the undergrowth of other flat woodland areas, grows the saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) plant. Saw palmetto is a low-growing palm whose berries have been cherished by herbalists and natural medicine practitioners for years, while the shrub has been reviled by ranchers and developers for being persistent and undesirable. Now, as international awareness grows of the therapeutic properties of saw palmetto, the plant has become so valuable that poachers have taken to raiding saw palmetto plants on private land and in wild areas, selling the precious berries to the highest bidder.

The Windmill Palm

Saw palmetto, sometimes known as sawtooth palm or windmill palm, grows in the southeastern United States from South Carolina to Southern Mississippi. It grows naturally in every county of Florida. Saw palmettos grow in dense clumps, and have broad, fan-like leaves. The berries are sheltered inside the thick foliage on small stems attached to the trunk. The hard saw teeth for which the plant is named run along the petiole, or leaf stalk, making collection of the protected berries very dangerous and difficult. The hardy, compact saw palmetto is very fire resistant, and it often grows in areas which are naturally prone to fire. Saw palmettos flower from December to March, bearing deep purple berries between April and October.

These berries produce a juice, the taste and smell of which have inspired hot debate. One of the herbalists at Frontier has claimed that the fruity, pungent saw palmetto is "the worst herb I've ever tasted" while others find the flavor deep and satisfying, like a fine wine. Frontier always uses whole ripe berries, which are firm and undamaged before they are processed. We use only certified organic saw palmetto in our Fresh Herb Extracts and Whole Organic Berries sold in bulk; the berries we use for our other bulk products are grown on plots of cooperatively-owned private land in Florida. To make our Saw Palmetto Berries Powder, we have our supplier partners gently dry these whole berries and then we grind them cryogenically (at sub-zero temperatures) so that their active constituent fatty acids are preserved from the heat and friction which occur in a conventional grinding process.

The Healthy Berry

Saw palmetto has been used for centuries. Native Americans, dating back perhaps to pre-Mayan civilizations, used the berries for food and medicine. Early American botanists noted that animals who were fed with these berries grew sleek and robust. Saw palmetto is useful as a nutritive tonic, supporting the function of a healthy appetite and smooth digestion. Saw palmetto berry also tones the urethra, and it may be used to uphold the healthy function of the thyroid gland and urinary system. In one of its more exotic uses, saw palmetto has been employed as an ingredient in love potions (though of course Herb Notes cannot promise love, only knowledge). However, much of the recent attention paid to saw palmetto in the United States and Europe has focused on its properties in relation to the prostate gland.

Good prostate health can be threatened by the hormone dihydrotes-tosterone (DHT). DHT is converted from the male hormone testosterone in the prostate, particularly in men over 50. One of the effects of DHT is to cause prostate cells to multiply, which induces the prostate to become larger. Saw palmetto inhibits the functioning of DHT by preventing it from binding to prostate cells. Furthermore, it actually prevents the conversion of testosterone into DHT in the prostate. This remarkable herbal action makes saw palmetto a superior supplement in maintaining a normal, healthy prostate function.

The Consequences of Recognition

Studies demonstrating these therapeutic properties have caused the demand for saw palmetto berries to escalate dramatically. This has produced something of a saw palmetto boom in parts of Florida. The raiders who have taken to sneaking into cultivated fields and wild areas to poach the valuable berries can earn handsome profits in the marketplace. In addition to hurting those growers and landowners who are being robbed, this situation may be upsetting the delicate balance of some of the area ecosystems. Saw palmettos are an important source of food and shelter for a number of wildlife species. Among them, the very rare Florida panther often makes its den amidst tall stands of mature saw palmettos. The indiscriminate harvesting of wild saw palmetto berries could negatively impact some of these species. For example, research is currently being conducted at the University of Florida to determine the effect of saw palmetto harvesting on the black bear, a threatened species in Florida.

At Frontier, we're trying not to contribute to these problems. We buy our raw materials directly from a small network of independent growers and landowners who are raising saw palmettos and collecting the berries according to our rigorous standards for quality and ethical harvesting. By going directly to the source, we not only maintain access to a consistently excellent supply of berries, but we also ensure we know the origin of the products we use. We are confident about our suppliers' high degree of integrity, and we are pleased to know that we're buying neither poached product nor unethically harvested wild berries, berries which may be quite important to the eco-balance of Florida and the Southeast. There's always more to learn, but while studies are being conducted, we will continue to strive to source products which do not significantly inhibit our environment's ability to provide an abundant supply of herbs for humans and animals - today and in the future.

You can also find extenxive information on the following herbs:

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