Serenoa

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Serenoa (lat.serenoa repens) Is a monotypic plant from the Palm family.

History

The Saw Palmetto plant got its interesting name in honor of Sereno Watson, an American botanist. It was he who first described this interesting palm.

Description

Serenoa is a miniature slowly growing palm, the height of which, as a rule, does not exceed two to four meters, although some specimens can sometimes reach six meters.

The herbaceous trunk of Saw Palmetto is characterized by the complete absence of cambium. And the leaves of this plant are complex. Most often, their length is in the range from half a meter to a meter. Yellowish-white and up to 5 mm in diameter, Saw Palmetto flowers boast a surprisingly pleasant smell. All of them are collected in rather dense panicles up to sixty centimeters long. And the fruits of this unusual culture are oval drupes of reddish-blackish shades, reaching a length of two to three centimeters. By the way, outwardly, the fruits of Saw Palmetto are somewhat reminiscent of dried dates or olives.

Where grows

Serenoa grows mainly in Southeast Asia and the United States. Often this plant can be found in Western India. In addition, in a number of regions it grows in the wild.

Application

Saw palmetto fruits are actively used for food. And in order to have the opportunity to feast on the fruits of Saw Palmetto throughout the year, they are dried.

Saw palmetto is also used in medicine - these fruits are an excellent adjuvant in the treatment of disorders of the prostate gland. By the way, such preparations as ProstOptima, Prostavit, Permikson and Prostamol are made on the basis of this plant. Even the Indians at one time noticed the property of serenoa to increase male potency. And in women, serenoa helps to normalize the endocrine system.

In addition, this fruit contains a huge amount of substances that help support the body as a whole and strengthen the immune system. And the carotene contained in it has a beneficial effect on vision and helps to significantly reduce the risk of a wide variety of eye ailments. Serenoa helps to even out the complexion, visibly reducing the risk of age spots and especially age-related pigmentation. Often, the extract of miraculous fruits is used in the treatment of acne and as one of the strongest aphrodisiacs. And this plant also has a number of cosmetological properties - products with the content of Saw Palmetto are aimed at stimulating the production of collagen.

Also, the extract of this unusual plant is endowed with the ability to absorb ultraviolet radiation - this property makes it possible to use Saw Palmetto as an excellent natural sunscreen.

At the moment, scientists are trying to prove a couple of useful properties of Saw Palmetto - anti-inflammatory effect and the ability to reduce the amount of "bad" cholesterol.

Contraindications

Serenoa can only harm people with individual intolerance - this culture contains substances that can provoke allergies. In addition, these fruits must be eaten with extreme caution in case of stomach and duodenal ulcers. And it is generally not recommended for nursing mothers and pregnant women to consume this fruit.

One cannot discount the fact that serenoa affects the level of hormones (in particular, reduces the production of male sex hormones), respectively, during hormone therapy or with prostate cancer, it is permissible to consume these juicy fruits only with the permission of a doctor.