Chasteberry
Native to the Mediterranean, Chasteberries are known for their aromatic shrubs peppered with reddish-black berries. The plant has been the focal point of stories and folklore, particularly in Homer’s Iliad, when Chasteberries were used to ward off evil spirits and for monks who chewed on the berries and shrubs to diminish sexual urges. Because of its anti-sexual urges, Chasteberry is regarded as the symbolic plant of chastity.
Thanks to its progesterogenic effects, Chasteberry acts on the pituitary gland to regulate the menstrual cycle and balance progesterone and estrogen levels. Chasteberry can also influence a woman’s sex drive by reducing the prolactin concentration and normalizing the menstrual cycle while relieving P.M.S symptoms. The plant reduces high prolactin levels, which serve as one of the major causes for menstrual and postmenstrual syndrome problems, including amenorrhea (absence of menstrual period).
Additional benefits of Chasteberry include:
- Expelling the placenta after childbirth
- Increasing milk production in nursing mothers
- Managing antifungal and antibacterial properties
- Reducing male menopause (andropause) symptoms by providing buffers to hormonal changes.
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