Vitex agnus-castus: Find Your Menstruation Mecca

Vitex agnus-castus or Chaste tree grow a small berry that looks kind of like a peppercorn! Although not used for sprinkling on pasta this little powerhouse still packs a punch when it comes to menstruation and everything to do with it! 
 
Botanical family: Labiatae
Parts used medicinally: dried, ripened or fresh ripe fruits i.e. berries
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Major constituents: there are 23 known phytoconstituents within the Chaste tree extractions. The compounds include ten flavonoids, five terpenoids, three neolignans and four phenolic compounds, one glyceride (Chen, 2012).
- Terpenoids; sometimes called isoprenoids are large organic chemical derived from terpenes
- Neolignans; derived from the oxidative coupling of two C6-C3 units
- Phenolic compounds; contain at least one phenol unit which (provide the antioxidant and antimicrobial action).

Actions: This herb has been shown to decrease prolactin release, Oestrogen receptor binding and to Increase progesterone levels (thus lowering prolactin and luteinizing hormone).  Extracts of the herb has shown to have the affinity for opioid receptors which assist in regulating menstrual cycles. 

Therapeutic Indications 
The recommendation of Chaste tree could be relevant to a hypothetical client presenting with amenorrhoea (absent of menstruation) and/or irregular menstrual cycles and fertility disorders. Women can sometimes experience cycles that are a bit out of wack due to a number of reasons including travel, stress, weight loss or gain, different forms of contraception and diet changes which can prompt hormonal imbalances.  Prior to jumping on the chaste tree wagon it is super important to contact your own healthcare professional before considering herbal treatment to find out what may be going on!! Basically, this herb can be used for a lot of hormonal issues, especially in young women who experience periods that just aren’t happening!!!
 
Prescription & treatment choice 
The aim of treating such a client with Chaste tree is to improve everything to do with their menstrual cycle to create one that is around 28 days long with five day bleeds consisting of two heavier days and then a lighter three days following. A client can take a simple of the herb (i.e. a plain fluid extract) every morning upon rising in a bit of water and down it like a shot!! How exciting for you Monday morning before a ten-hour shift!!! After a few months and around three cycles you should be feeling so on top of your period that it will arrive every month exactly when it should.To increase feelings of euphoria during that time of the month B6 and magnesium support offers another cushion of comfort to improve PMS symptoms as well as sleep!! Hurray, gone will be the days of irregular, short or lengthy periods and horrid PMS symptoms such as breast tenderness, irritability, low moods, headaches and constipation. This is thought to be because of the herbs superpowers through its influence on opiate receptors consequently increasing dopamine movement. An increase in dopaminergic activity has shown to lower levels of the hormone prolactin and thus the existence of hyperprolactinemia, which is responsible for suppressing ovulation and leads to amenorrhoea and potentially polycystic ovaries. The ability of Chaste tree to further influence follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) has a direct effect on testosterone levels throughout your cycle. Thus, this herb is amazing at settling all important hormones that can be fluctuating too dramatically through a woman’s cycle if it isn’t regulated.