Chasteberry: Benefits and Side Effects

As the name suggests, chasteberry (Latin name Vitex agnus-castus) is an herb that was once believed to suppress libido. According to medieval legend, monks chewed on the leaves of chasteberry trees in order to help them maintain their vow of celibacy.

While it is now clear that the herb does not affect sex drive, extracts from the fruit of the chasteberry tree may have some therapeutic effects on conditions related to the female reproductive system. Chasteberry trees, actually small shrubs found in tropical climates, produce flowers and berries that can be dried and used medicinally.

Chasteberry is used to ease symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) as well as to regulate menstruation. Though it contains no hormones, it appears that chasteberry can affect hormonal activity by stimulating the pituitary gland to decrease production of prolactin, a hormone involved in milk production. The reduction in prolactin can help to alleviate breast tenderness and other discomforts associated with PMS.

Chasteberry also appears to affect levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) and progesterone, other reproductive hormones that may contribute to symptoms related to the menstrual cycle. Chasteberry appears to be useful in reducing the irritability, bloating and depression that many women experience right before their menstrual periods begin. For that reason, it is finding its way into the formulations of some "just for women" fat burners -- see the SlimQuick review for details.

It can also minimize the pain and discomfort of fibrocystic breasts in women with this condition. Chasteberry may regulate ovulation and help women who are struggling with infertility to become pregnant by correcting a condition known as luteal phase defect. In addition, women who suffer from symptoms like hot flashes, sweating, vaginal dryness or depression due to hormonal imbalances associated with menopause may benefit from chasteberry. Symptoms of endometriosis and acne related to the menstrual cycle may respond to chasteberry as well.

In addition to its wide range of uses to treat symptoms related to the reproductive system, chasteberry is also an antioxidant. As such, it is capable of stabilizing unpaired oxygen molecules. These molecules, the result of chemical reactions that take place in the body on a daily basis, are capable of causing damage throughout the body unless they are stabilized. Chasteberry may also be able to lower cholesterol levels in the blood as well as treat migraine headaches.

Chasteberry is available in tablets, capsules, tinctures and liquid form. The dried herb can also be used as a tea. Powdered extracts should be standardized for the active ingredient agnuside, which should be present in amounts of at least 0.5%.

The usual dosage for PMS and related symptoms is 400 to 500 mg daily in single or divided doses. Capsules and tablets are absorbed best when taken with meals. An equivalent dosage is approximately 40 drops of tincture. Since the alcohol content of tinctures can cause stomach irritation, it can be dissolved in water to minimize this effect.

Some symptoms of PMS respond quickly to chasteberry, while it may take three months for the full benefits of the herb to be noticed. When chasteberry is used to regulate menstruation or induce ovulation, it may take up to six months for the herb to work. Since it can affect hormones, women who use oral contraceptives or hormone replacement therapy and pregnant or lactating women should not take chasteberry.

Chasteberry may interfere with the action of the drug bromocriptine, which is sometimes prescribed to reduce prolactin levels, so the two substances should not be used together. Chasteberry is not meant to be used indefinitely. Four to six months for PMS and up to a year for infertility is the usual recommendation.

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