What Are The Benefits Of Chasteberry Tea? The Top 8 Benefits You Should Know Today!
Monica Auslander Moreno is the lead dietitian for a group dietitian practice (Essence Nutrition) in Miami. She has 7 years of experience, and her practice provides both in-office and virtual consultations and works with individuals, groups, offices, schools, and restaurants.
Read full bio of Monica Auslander Moreno
Ravi Teja Tadimalla is a senior editor and a published author. He has been in the digital media field for over eight years. He graduated from SRM University, Chennai, and has a Professional Certificate in Food, Nutrition & Research from Wageningen University.
Read full bio of Ravi Teja Tadimalla
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Do you suffer from PMS? Ever felt your world falling apart due to menstrual cramps? Well, ladies, if you are looking for a solution, you are on the right page.
Although a regular menstrual cycle is the mark of feminine health, it doesn’t have to be painful. This is where chasteberry tea comes into the picture. Historically used for calming sexual desire and treating other menstrual issues, chasteberry has a lot to offer. And we will see all of that in this post.
Table Of Contents
- How Was Chasteberry Tea Used Historically?
- What Are The Benefits Of Chasteberry Tea?
- How To Prepare Chasteberry Tea At Home
- What Is The Regular Dosage Of Chasteberry?
- What Are The Side Effects Of Chasteberry Tea?
How Was Chasteberry Tea Used Historically?
Native to central Asia and southern parts of Europe, people from the ancient times believed that the tea could offer chastity – and hence the name. It was even prescribed to the wives of Greek soldiers to control their sexual desires when their husbands went out to battle.
Even monks from the Middle Ages used the fruit to suppress their sexual desire. And this is one reason chasteberry is also called ‘monk’s pepper.’
All of this, for a reason – the benefits of chasteberry.
What Are The Benefits Of Chasteberry Tea?
1. Chasteberry Tea Offers PMS Relief
Research shows that herbal supplements containing chasteberry can improve PMS symptoms (1). And how it works is interesting. The release of prolactin is the reason for PMS symptoms (including breast tenderness). And chasteberry is known to suppress the release of prolactin from the pituitary gland.
What makes chasteberry unique is that it can also be used to treat amenorrhea, which is the absence of menstruation.
2. Treats Ovarian Cysts
Chasteberry has been used for several hundred years to restore hormonal balance, and this can help treat ovarian cysts. Ovarian cysts, most often, are caused by excessive estrogen in the system. Chasteberry tea can help balance the hormone and improve the condition (2).
3. Can Treat Uterine Fibroids
Uterine fibroids are non-cancerous tumors that coagulate and grow around uterine walls. They are made of muscle cells and tissues. Just like ovarian cysts, even uterine fibroids could be a result of excess estrogen in the body. Since chasteberry tea helps reduce excess estrogen, it can help treat uterine fibroids and relieve its symptoms.
4. Eases Symptoms Of Endometriosis
This is another painful issue of the uterus, where the tissue inside your uterus tends to grow out of it. Though we don’t exactly know the cause, experts believe genetics, and more importantly, hormonal imbalances could be at play.
Chasteberry tea can help treat hormonal imbalance. Some studies show that the tea can be taken long-term to battle the ill effects of endometriosis, and even other issues associated with menstruation (3).
5. Can Help Fight Cancer
Chasteberry has been used in China for a long time to supplement cancer treatments (4). It has also shown to inhibit the formation of tumors in human cancer cell lines.
Another Swiss study shows how chasteberry extract can inhibit cell growth and induce cell death in the case of prostate cancer (5). Chasteberry contains certain components that help achieve this.
6. Boosts Fertility
This is especially true in women with luteal phase defect, where the second half of the menstrual cycle is shortened. Because of this, their ovaries don’t release enough of progesterone, leading to a possible cause of infertility.
Studies show that such women, when treated with chasteberry extracts, had reduced luteal phases and increased chances of fertility (6). More interestingly, chasteberry can also increase the production of dopamine, and this can suppress the secretion of prolactin (which can otherwise contribute to infertility).
7. Can Improve Prostate Health
Chasteberry is known to treat an enlarged prostate, a condition also called benign prostatic hyperplasia. An enlarged prostate gland can elevate the risk of prostate cancer, and as we already saw, chasteberry also has the potential to prevent it.
8. Can Treat Acne
We know what causes some women’s acne – hormonal imbalances. And since chasteberry has the potential to correct hormonal imbalance, it can aid acne treatment. It achieves this, yes, by decreasing prolactin (7).
Those were the benefits. They sure can make a woman’s life far easier, can’t they? And yes, this takes us to the next step. How can you prepare chasteberry tea?
How To Prepare Chasteberry Tea At Home
For this, you need to find whole chasteberries at your local market. The procedure is simple!
- Add 4 cups of water to a saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Using a pestle and mortar, crush a tablespoon of the berries and add them to a tea infuser or a teapot.
- Now, pour the hot water over the crushed berries.
- Allow to steep for about 10 minutes.
- Your tea is ready!
That’s quite easy, isn’t it? But how much of chasteberry can you have in a day?
What Is The Regular Dosage Of Chasteberry?
Chasteberry is available in different forms – as liquid extracts or capsules or tablets. However you take it, here are the respective dosages – ensure you consult your obstetrician or gynecologist in this regard.
- For relieving PMS symptoms, 400 mg a day, before breakfast
- For treating uterine fibroids, 400 mg, twice daily
- For treating acne, 160 mg per day
- For relieving menopause symptoms, 160 to 240 mg per day
- For treating infertility, 160 to 240 mg per day
- For treating endometriosis, 400 mg, twice daily
These dosages will help treat your issues. But there is something else we must know. The tea is not devoid of some not-so-good effects.
What Are The Side Effects Of Chasteberry Tea?
- Issues During Pregnancy And Breastfeeding
Since chasteberry can interfere with hormones, you must not consume it if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
- Breast Cancer
For the same reason (interfering with hormones), chasteberry can make breast cancer worse. Hence, avoid its use.
- Other Side Effects
Consuming chasteberry tea in excess can also cause headache, rashes, stomach pain, weight gain, and dizziness. It may also interact with fertility treatments, treatments for menopause, birth control pills, medications for Parkinson’s, and Reglan (a common anti-nausea drug) and should only be used under careful physician supervision.
Conclusion
Can we say you have finally discovered something that can stop your monthly periods from being such nightmares? Well, yes! When chasteberry tea has a host of other benefits as well, why not just start using it right away?
And tell us how this post has helped you. Just leave a comment in the box below.
References
1. “Herbal remedies for PMS”. WebMD.
2. “Herbal medicine for the management of…”. US National Library of Medicine.
3. “Botanicals and their bioactive chemicals…”. US National Library of Medicine.
4. “The genus vitex…”. US National Library of Medicine.
5. “A vitex agnus-castus extract…”. US National Library of Medicine.
6. “Vitex agnus castus extract in the…”. US National Library of Medicine.
7. “Hormonal treatment of acne vulgaris”. US National Library of Medicine.
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Read full bio of Monica Auslander Moreno
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