Saw palmetto, also known as Serenoa repens or Sabal serrulata, is a member of the fan palm family, and grows wild in Mediterranean countries and along the Atlantic coast of North America. It is a small palm with fan-shaped leaves and dark brownish-black berry-like fruit the size of olives.

These berries contain palmetto oil, a volatile and fatty oil containing beneficial lipids and sterols. According to clinical reports, saw palmetto appears to be a nutritive tonic. Over the centuries it has had many traditional uses, but its most pronounced effect is on the urino-genital tracts of both men and women, and most particularly on the prostate gland.
It has earned the nickname "old man's friend" due to its historic ability to prevent or relieve many of the annoyances associated with an enlarged prostate gland.

Saw Palmetto is primarily used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BHP), an elargement of the prostate gland that affects 1 in 3 men over 50 and 2 in 3 men over 60. BPH is a noncancerous growth of the prostate gland. If the prostate grows in mature men, it pinches the urethra, or urine tube, and problems begin, including painful urination and frequent nighttime trips to the bathroom.