A Taste of Chasteberry - A brief history of the berry with medicinal benefits

Chasteberry is a flowering plant that is native to the Mediterranean. It has also been cultivated in many subtropical areas around the world. It is an aromatic shrub that sprouts reddish black berries that have been used for more than 2,000 years as a treatment for many gynecologic conditions in ancient Greece, Egypt, and Rome. During the middle ages, it was believed that chasteberry would decrease sexual desire, and monks would chew it as a way to diminish the sexual urge and keep them from chasing women. In fact, the name “chasteberry” is thought to come from a idea that the plant somehow promoted chastity. But it was treating female problems moreso than problems with females for which the berry is most often celebrated.
 
There must be something to the berry’s alleged healing abilities, because Chasteberry is still used for menstrual problems today. Conditions such as PMS, menstrual cycle irregularities, abnormal uterine bleeding, menopausal symptoms, and even skin disorders like acne are treated by the small fruit that has since been classified as a medicinal herb.
 
The berries of the chaste tree contain active compounds called flavonoids which are known to be actively antioxidant (antioxidants can prevent cell damage). The dried ripe chasteberry is used to prepare liquid extracts or solid extracts that are often put into capsules and tablets and ingested by swallowing.
 
Chasteberry has a progesterogenic effect that acts on the pituitary gland to better regulate the menstrual cycle and balance the ovaries production of progesterone and estrogen. It also influences a woman’s sex drive by reducing the concentration of prolactin within her bloodstream. High prolactin levels are among the major causes of menstrual and PMS problems such as amenorrhea (the absence of a menstrual period). Chasteberry can help women recover from low libido by normalizing the menstrual cycle and relieving PMS. It helps expel the placenta after childbirth, increases milk production in nursing mothers, and contains anti-fungal and antibacterial properties
 
In the popular formula, PMS: Pretty Miserable Syndrome – No More! Chasteberry is a key ingredient. It is combined with Wild Yam, Dong Quai and other herbs to effectively work with the hypothalamus-pituitary-ovary axis to regulate the balance of estrogen and progesterone in the body, thereby allowing the berry to maintain its centuries-old reputation as a friend to the female physiology.