Ryan Galiotto

Chaste tree berry (also known as Vitex and by the trade name Femaprin) was at one time called Monk’s pepper because of its supposed ability to decrease sexual drives. However, others have taken it to enhance sexual drives. How could it do both at the same time?

Though it grows to a height of twenty-two feet, chaste tree is just a large shrub native to the Mediterranean and southern Europe. Naturally it grows on moist riverbanks, but it can be grown in ornamental gardens in America as well. Look for its blue-violet flowers to blossom in midsummer. Chaste tree berries are only used to treat female problems today.

That it could bring about opposite responses is not limited to sex drives. Chaste berry has been used to inhibit excessive milk in nursing mothers and to encourage lactation. It magnifies post menopausal problems and solves them. It both hinders conception and helps overcome infertility.

How can this be explained? Chaste tree berry is what is called an adaptogen. This means it works to normalize hormone imbalance through its affect on the adrenal glands, in this case the pituitary. In other words, it restricts hormonal excesses and encourages deficiencies. Other examples of herb that are adaptogens would include ginseng, ginkgo, garlic, echinacea, goldenseal, and taheebo.

In order to balance the body hormones, chaste tree berry decreases the production of some hormones and increases the production of others. Some claim its success in treating infertility because it tends to shift the balance in favor of the gestagens which are hormones that condition the body for pregnancy.

Because it encourages production of progesterone, the herb is especially effective in balancing the female reproductive system. This has helped restore menstruation, regulate heavy periods, and restore fertility which is caused by hormonal imbalance. It has also relieved PMS tension and eased the changes of menopause. Some believe it is helpful for premenstrual breast tenderness, a condition linked to excess prolactin.

Other uses include relief of paralysis, pains in the limbs, and neuropathic muscular weakness, all treated with chaste berry tincture. Chaste berries are even used to treat acne in men and women. The berries can be ground in a pepper mill and used as a mild substitute for black pepper. The spicy aroma of the leaves and flowers are used for flavoring.

Take 20 to 40 mg of the herb as a normal daily dose; 20 drops of tincture one or two times a day is normal. One cup of the tea, or one capsule may also be used. Some take it shortly before bedtime and find it improves their sleep. Don’t be impatient. Chaste tree berry is slow acting; it may take two or three months to evaluate its effectiveness.

Warnings will vary but some say pregnant women and nursing mothers should not take chaste tree berry. Also women with hormone-sensitive cancers (e.g. breast, uterus, pituitary, etc.) should avoid it. Chaste tree berry should not be taken with exogenous hormones such as oral contraceptives or menopausal hormone replacement therapies. Some experience an itchy allergic rash, mild nausea, or headaches from taking it. A few women have complained that the length of their cycle changed.