Heart of palm is a vegetable harvested from the inner core and growing bud of certain palm trees.
The main variety that has been domesticated is peach palm. This variety is the most widely used for canning. Since harvesting is still labour-intensive, palm hearts are regarded as a delicacy.
Hearts of palm are rich in fiber, potassium, iron, zinc, phosphorus, copper, vitamins B2, B6, and C. They are ranked as a "good" source of protein, riboflavin, and potassium, and as a "very good source" of dietary fiber, vitamin C, folate, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, and especially, manganese, along with being a good ratio between omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. The high sodium content noted on the chart for hearts of palm relates to the canned product; it is not present in the fresh product.