Saw palmetto extract is taken from the deep purple berries of the saw palmetto fan palm, which is known as Serenoa repens. It grows as a tree or shrub and has lush, green leaves that fan out from its thorn stem. The benefits of saw palmetto berry powder have been known for centuries, and the plant has been used in traditional, eclectic and alternative medicine. Its active ingredients include fatty acids, plant sterols and flavonoids.
Saw palmetto extract (SPE) had been widely used as a therapeutic remedy for urinary dysfunction due to the effectiveness of treating benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in Europe.