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| Agnus Castus Flowers © Ann Walker |
The medicinal use of the berries of Vitex agnus-castus (also called Chaste tree) goes back thousands of years. Much of this is documented, including reference to the use of the herb for ‘‘diseases of the uterus’’ by Hippocrates in the 4th century BCE. Vitex continues to be a favourite herb amongst herbal practitioners. It is either used on its own or with other herbs, for ameliorating women’s health problems, such as menstrual disorders, PMS, cyclical breast pain, infertility, and menopausal symptoms.
A substantial amount of modern research, including randomized clinical trials, has focused on the use of Vitex for the relief of PMS symptoms, including low mood, anxiety, headaches, fluid retention, acne, and breast tenderness. One such trial (PMID: 23022391) was carried out in Germany on 183 women with PMS aged between 18 and 45 years. This study compared three doses of Vitex against placebo. After analysing the trial outcome after three menstrual cycles, the researchers concluded that Vitex was effective in the relief of premenstrual symptoms if the dose of the dried berry was at least 20 mg per day. This is a low dose for a herb to be effective.
Treatment of PMS can be a challenge in modern medicine and even though many women put up with mild-to-moderate symptoms, the effects can be debilitating for others. Something so simple a low-dose intervention of a well-known herb can be very effective. Here is an example of an increasing number of herbs where human trials show positive outcomes and laboratory studies indicate a mechanism of action. Vitex normalises the balance of the hormones released from the pituitary gland of the brain.
This, in turn, normalises the menstrual cycle through the regular physiological feed-back mechanisms of the body. You can find out about suitable products containing Vitex and learn more about the Traditional Herbal Registration (THR) scheme to ensure the quality of herbal products on the British Herbal Medicine Association website.
PMID = PubMed identifier
Ann Walker PhD FCPP MNIMH RNutr, Herbal Practitioner and Nutritionist,
Course Director, Discovering Herbal Medicine course
