Vitex: Addresses some common symptoms of menopause

Vitex grows in Mediterranean countries and central Asia. The dried fruit, which has a pepper-like aroma and flavor, is used in herbal medicine preparations. Vitex has long been used for irregularities of the menstrual cycle including premenstrual and menopausal complaints.

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Vitex is made of substances including flavonoids, iridoid glycosides, and terpenoids. All of these constituents, found in the vitex fruit, are believed to be necessary for this herb to have any medicinal effect. The reported benefits of chaste berry stem from its actions upon the pituitary gland and the production of a hormone called luteinizing hormone (LH) that helps regulate the menstrual cycle in women. Vitex also assists in the regulation of prolactin secretion in the body. The ability to decrease mildly elevated prolactin levels may benefit some infertile women as well as some women with breast tenderness associated with premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

Vitex does not contain hormones. Its benefits stem from its actions upon the pituitary gland specifically on the production of estrogen and progesterone. Vitex increases the production of the hormones that help regulate a woman’s cycle. Many people take 40 drops (in a glass of water) of the concentrated liquid herbal extract in the morning. Vitex is also available in powdered form in tablets and capsules, again to be taken in the morning.

Hippocrates, Dioscorides, and Theophrastus mention the use of vitex for a wide variety of conditions, including hemorrhage following childbirth and assisting with the “passing of afterbirth.” Decoctions of the fruit and plant were also used in sitz baths for diseases of the uterus. In addition, vitex was believed to suppress libido and inspire chastity, which explains one of its common names, chaste tree.

The extract of all the Vitex fruit constituents affects the activity of the pituitary gland. It helps increase progesterone production, which can be beneficial for women’s health in many cases, as it gives the opportunity to regulate menstrual cycles, reduce the symptoms of menopause and PMS (irritability, breast tenderness, mood switches, menstrual cramps), and even fight women infertility, caused by hormone imbalance. (Vitex has acquired the name “women’s herb” not in vain!) Furthermore, such problem as acne, both in men and women, can be solved or, at least, partially solved with the help of the same plant. Vitex is available in liquid drops, capsules, and tablets.

It also appears that the benefits of vitex are not limited to alleviating PMS symptoms. Vitex is believed to help reduce some of the undesirable symptoms of menopause such as hot flashes, and clinical studies indicate that vitex can optimize a woman’s fertility by regulating ovulation to boost the chances of conceiving a baby. The herb is associated with decreased fertility in men. Vitex can also help the body regain a natural balance of hormones after using birth control pills. According to a report in the March 2005 issue of Parasitological Research, a vitex-based spray is effective for warding off ticks, mosquitoes, and fleas as well. Several studies also indicate vitex can help control acne in the teenage years.

One of the nature’s creations, which help overcome female infertility, is Vitex. Vitex plant has the ability to regulate human hormonal levels. The extract from the fruit, containing flavonoids, iridoid glycosides, and terpenoids, affects the activity of the pituitary gland, forcing it to produce more luteinizing hormone, which results in the increased production of progesterone. Larger doses of it are necessary to achieve normal and regular ovulation, which, as a result, helps become pregnant. Irregular ovulatory function can be restored by Vitex, since it can prolong the luteal phases.

Vitex also keeps prolactin levels in check, decreasing them if they are mildly elevated. (Prolactin is necessary for milk production during the breastfeeding, but it inhibits ovulation.)