CHASTE BERRY
(Agnus castus)
Other Names: Vitex, Chaste Tree, Agnolyt®
General Description: The Chaste berry is the fruit of a small Eurasian Tree.
Parts Used: The berries and leaves.
Active Ingredients: flavonoids,agnuside and aucubin.
Traditional Uses: The Chaste berry was well known to many of the ancients "If blood flows from the womb, let the woman drink dark wine in which the leaves of the Vitex have been steeped" Hippocrates ( 460-377 B.C. )"The trees furnish medicines that promote urine and menstruation" Pliny
( A.D. 23-79 ). The herb also appears in Homer's 6th. century B.C. epic, The Iliad.
Current Status: Chaste berries may have some use in treating PMS, menopausal symptoms and irregular perimenopausal bleeding. In Germany physicians prescribe chaste berry for
menstrual problems, swelling in the breasts and PMS.
Clinical Studies: The two most quoted studies are from Germany. Each trial included over 1,500 women.
Both patients and physicians reported 90% relief from symptoms of PMS after one month.
In a similar study patients were followed for up to 6 years. In 90% the chaste berry
relieved their PMS symptoms. In a more recent study (1997) chaste berry was compared to vitamin B6 for relief of PMS symptoms. This was a randomized comparative study of 127 patients. Effectiveness was based on scores on two standardized tests the PMTS and the CGI scale.
Both groups showed significant improvement after three months.
Precautions: Excess use may cause itching, rash, stomach upset, headache, or nausea. Not recommended for use in pregnancy.
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