Saw Palmetto, Serenoa repens, in the Treatment of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia, Mechanisms of Action and Reasons for its Use

Saw palmetto, Serenoa repens (Arecaceae), is a traditional medicine of American Indians of the southeast. The berries are used as medicine and as food. The leaves are used to make thatching, baskets, fans, brushes, brooms, rope, fire kindling, fish traps and dolls [1]. European immigrants to the Florida area learned from American Indians to use the berries as medicine. S. repens is the third most popular plant medicine in the USA and is very popular in Europe. In 2006, it was reported that over 2 million men in the USA used S. repens daily [2]. Global sales are more than $700 million per year, as reported in 2014 by the Valens Company, a manufacturer of the plant medicine. Men are most likely to use S. repens to help with nocturnal urination that prevents them from sleeping through the night. Men use this plant medicine because it helps them with their symptoms.