Chasteberry Herb Info

Chasteberry herb (vitex agnus-castus), from which chasteberry extract is made, has been recommended by herbalists and naturopathic doctors since the time of famed Greek doctor Hippocrates. It is endemic to the Mediterranean area, namely Greece, Israel, Lebanon, and Italy.

In medieval times, it was believed to suppress the sex drive of men and women. What it is used for is to treat female reproductive disorders and menstrual problems. In Europe, like gingko biloba, St. John's Wort, and other herbs, it's the de facto recommended standard for PMS symptom relief.

Chasteberry Extract - What Are Its Benefits?

What is vitex chasteberry extract used for? It is mainly an herb for the female reproductive system. Like Dong Quai and Black Cohosh, this female specific herbal intervention. It helps reduce PMS symptoms by helping to normalize the progesterone to estrogen ratio and gives relief from the discomforts of menstrual-related issues. It also stimulates the pituitary gland to produce more of the luteinizing hormone.

Vitex chasteberry also helps to lower the levels of the pituitary hormone prolactin, which is involved with breast-milk production. It also helps with menopausal difficulties.

When chasteberry extract is combined with female specific herbs like Dong Quai, Wild Yam, and Black Cohosh, it works wonderfully well to help stabilize hormone levels in menopausal women that cause menopausal problems like hot flashes, sweating, depression, etc.

It can also help control menstrual-related acne by stabilizing hormone levels as well. Lastly, it is believed that vitex chasteberry herb can help prevent miscarriage within the first three months of pregnancy. It is not, however, recommended for women in their second or third trimester.

Chasteberry Herb Precautions, Guidelines, & Side Effects

Quality Chasteberry Herb

There are a couple of things to be aware of when choosing chasteberry herb, unless you are a trained herbalist, you should buy it at an outlet. Select a powdered extract that is standardized to 0.5% agnuside, which is the active ingredient in it. For PMS, menstruation-caused acne and other menstrual-related problems, take about 400 to 500 mg of a standardized extract daily. What is a standardized extract?

Standardized extracts are expensive for manufacturers to do. Standardized extracts preserve the active ingredients, in this case agnuside, which is where the therapeutic benefits reside. Also, ideally, look for standardized chasteberry extract that is made at GMP compliant facilities. This ensures the highest quality available and validates that there are no contaminants. Supplement fraud with multivitamins and herbal concoctions is rampant.

Look for female specific herbs in combination like Wild Yam, Dong Quai, and especially Black Cohosh for optimum benefits. I also advise taking Chasteberry herb well before you expect to need it (if possible of course) for it does take six months before results occur. I hope this web page has been useful to you.

Yours in health, hope, and harmony,
Nutritional-Supplement-Bible.com