Chaste Berry extract
Latin name: Vitex Agnus Castus
Used Part of this plant: Seeds
Spec.: 510-1.20-1,0.5%,1%,2%Agnusides,0.5%,5%vitexin......etc
Reasonable Uses:
Irregular menstruation, PMS, painful periods, lack of menstruation, excessively frequent periods, excessive menstrual bleeding, hormone related skin conditions including acne, breast tenderness, excessive uterine cramping, menopausal symptoms(hot flashes, mood swings, forgetfulness, lack of libido), constipation or diarrhea associated with menstruation.
History and Traditional Uses:
Ancient Athenian women used chasteberry to quell excessive sexual passion and sacrificed it to the goddess Ceres as a symbol of chastity. The medieval herbalist Gerard called chasteberry the perfect herb for celibates having a hard time sticking to their commitments.
Modern herbalists find that when hormone levels are out of balance, too high much or too low, chasteberry brings on a more balanced state of affairs.
Scientific Back Up
Chasteberry has been studied extensively and it appears to do what the ancients said it did, balance out hormone imbalances. Specifically, it influences the pituitary gland to stem secretion of the hormone prolactin. When prolactin is reduced, an irregular menstrual cycle usually normalizes.
Chasteberry is recommended for very heavy bleeding, spotting, severe hot flashes, and dizziness that often occur as you approach menopause. Researchers believe pituitary regulation is at the root of its effect in menopause.
Herbalists use it to….
Stop skin acting up monthly
One of the gifts of having ovaries is fluctuating hormones that cause constant changes in the skin. Research shows that the small, grayish fruits of the chaste tree improve hormonally caused problems such as hormone related acne. Herbalists will tell you it helps women whose eczema or psoriasis worsens at the same time every month. This includes woman of all ages. Chasteberry is a specific remedy for women nearing menopause who find the acne they experienced in their teens returning.
End cyclical constipation/loose stools
Ever notice that you get loose stools or constipation around the time of menstruation? Hormone fluctuations can affect the bowels. Chasteberry works especially well at clearing up digestive upsets caused by fluctuating hormones. If your Irritable Bowel Syndrome flares up in a cyclical manner, think about chasteberry.
Pummel PMS
Hormones fluctuate in the span of a month and within a women’s reproductive life. The hormonal ups and downs are more pronounced in some woman than in others. This means the symptoms of hormone fluctuation, breast tenderness, water retention, and mood swings also very greatly. For those that suffer extreme hormonal ups and downs, Chasteberry will come to the rescue. It seems to mellow out the fluctuations and in time feelings become less erratic.
Moderate manic menopause moma’s
As a woman enters the perimenopausal period, hormone balances can go high and low in an unpredictable manner. Hyperactivity can be followed by severe sluggishness. Chasteberry helps the body develop more of an even keel, even in the menopause!
Unhinge a chastity belt
Chasteberry can help those whose hormones run high and also those who run a low. Lack of sex drive can suggest low hormone levels. In women who seem to have lost their taste for sex, chasteberry can help bring hormones up to a sensible level.