Chaste berry (Tincture)

Use for ovarian cysts, menopause, breast lumps, infertility

Dosage and Directions

 10 to 20 drops in water 3 times daily.

Do you suffer from premenstrual syndrome (PMS), irregular periods, infertility or menopause? Vitex, also known as chasteberry, may help.

But vitex is not only for women with hormonal issues that need fixing. It’s recently been shown to exhibit antitumor activities in different human cancer cell lines, and that’s not all.

Health benefits

1. Helps relieve PMS symptoms

Vitex is one of the most popular herbal remedies for PMS symptoms, including cramps. The symptoms of PMS can greatly be reduced or even eliminated by making an effort to get your hormones in proper balance.

Vitex is one of the top herbal recommendations when it comes to natural PMS relief.

In fact, one study published in the Journal of Women’s Health & Gender-Based Medicine found that after being treated with vitex for three menstrual cycles, 93 percent of patients reported a decrease in the number of PMS symptoms or a complete end of PMS complaints. In addition to reducing unwanted premenstrual symptoms, it also has been shown to help treat some menopausal symptoms as well as hormonally induced acne.

For a woman, inappropriately increased production of prolactin may be a factor in cyclic breast tenderness and other PMS symptoms. Vitex is believed to work well at reducing PMS symptoms because it suppresses the release of prolactin from the pituitary gland.

Numerous studies have suggested that chasteberry may help reduce symptoms of PMS, including breast tenderness, headache and irritable mood. In one review conducted by the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and the University in Australia, five out of six studies found vitex extracts to be superior to a placebo for treating PMS.

2. Can reduce uterine fibroids

Uterine fibroids are non-cancerous tumors found within the uterine walls, often resulting in a change in the size or shape of the uterus as well as several unpleasant symptoms.

A key way to prevent and reduce uterine fibroids is to maintain a proper balance of hormones. Chasteberry can help balance the ratio of estrogen to progesterone.

3. May improve female fertility

Vitex has been shown to improve fertility, particularly for women with luteal phase defect (shortened second half of the menstrual cycle). These women have trouble because their ovaries don’t release enough progesterone.

4. Can help clear up acne

Hormone imbalances and fluctuations can be at the root of acne, especially if you’re a woman. If you experience monthly outbreaks of acne, especially along your jawline and chin, vitex might be a perfect acne natural remedy.

It can balance your hormones, which can reduce acne formation in women. Preliminary research has suggested that it might help clear premenstrual acne, as well, possibly by regulating hormonal influences.

5. Helps treat endometriosis

Endometriosis is an often painful disorder in which tissue that normally lines the inside of your uterus grows outside your uterus. It most commonly involves your ovaries, bowels or the tissue lining your pelvis.

No one is sure of the exact cause of endometriosis, but some contributing factors include hormonal imbalances and genetics.

You can’t do anything about the genetics factor, but the hormonal imbalance can possibly be overcome with the use of vitex. To naturally treat endometriosis, chasteberry is usually taken long term (12 to 18 months) for maximum effectiveness.

6. May help treat PCOS symptoms like amenorrhea

Amenorrhea is a medical condition in which a woman of reproductive age has her menstrual cycle stop suddenly. If you’re not pregnant and your period is irregular or has stopped, it’s a solid indication that something isn’t right.

Amenorrhea can be caused by a number of factors. One possibility is having too much prolactin in your body, which can cause hypoestrogenism or estrogen deficiency.

Vitex supplementation can help to modulate prolactin and get a healthy balance of estrogen and progesterone back on track.

It’s also been shown to help with other symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), with evidence that vitex can be as effective as some prescription medications in relieving PCOS symptoms.

7. Relieves menopause symptoms

Menopause is the permanent end of menstruation and fertility, defined as occurring 12 months after your last menstrual period. Vitex is often combined with other herbs, such as red clover, black cohosh or dong quai, for maximum benefits, and it’s one of the most recommended menopause supplements.

One 2007 study published in Gynecological Endocrinology found that an herbal supplement containing chasteberry provided safe and effective relief of hot flashes and sleep disturbances in pre- and postmenopausal women. Another 2015 study found that a supplement containing vitex as a key ingredient was able to reduce moderate to severe menopause symptoms.

These effects on menopause symptoms have been verified over and over in many studies.

8. Helps treat enlarged prostate

Benign prostatic hyperplasia is an age-associated prostate gland enlargement that can cause urination difficulty. A 2005 study conducted by the Institute of Pharmaceutical Biology at the University of Basel in Switzerland showed that extracts of Vitex agnus-castus fruits can be useful for the prevention and treatment not only of an enlarged prostate, but also prostate cancer.

Data showed that vitex contains components that inhibit proliferation and kill prostate cancer cells.

9. May be beneficial for those with hyperprolactinemia

A randomized, controlled trial found that women with luteal phase defects due to hyperprolactinemia who took 20 milligrams of vitex daily for three months experienced reductions in serum prolactin, prolonged luteal menstrual phases and normalized serum luteal phase progesterone levels.

In addition, a review of available evidence published in Frontiers in Endocrinology determined that vitex could help manage hyperprolactinaemia in certain patients. The study authors did relay that larger randomized, controlled trials are needed to fully corroborate this benefit.

10. Repels bugs

Research has demonstrated that vitex negundo essential oil has significant repellent effects against mosquitoes, particularly Anopheles gambiae. The oil’s strong hydrophobic and H-bond interactions, as well as its ability to block olfactory receptors, result in vector disorientation for mosquitoes.

Additionally, vitex seed extract has been found to be highly effective in repelling ticks, fleas and biting flies, in addition to mosquitoes. It’s also been shown to be effective for getting rid of lice.

Further potential benefits

Chasteberry also shows promise in limited studies to provide the following potential benefits:

• Lowers inflammation: Several lab studies have revealed that chasteberry has promising anti-inflammatory compounds. Still, human trials are needed to verify its effectiveness in lowering inflammation in humans.
• Helps treat headaches: In a clinical observation of women with PMS who also experienced migraines, 42% of patients experienced a reduction higher than 50% in the frequency of monthly migraine attacks after taking 40 mg/day of vitex for three months.
• Could aid in repairing bones: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial found that women with long bone fractures who took vitex extract plus magnesium for eight weeks showed significantly enhanced osteocalcin levels, which may promote fracture healing.
• Possesses antifungal and antibacterial effects: A study on clinical isolates of Candida albicans showed that both alcoholic and aqueous extracts of vitex demonstrated antifungal activity. Meanwhile, chasteberry essential oils have been found in test-tube studies to combat Staphylococcus and other bacteria.