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Herbal therapies: vitex agnus castus HERBAL THERAPIES: VITEX AGNUS CASTUS
One of the most important herbs used by herbal therapists for the treatment of hormone problems in women is Vitex agnus castus (also called Chaste Berry or Monk's Pepper). It is derived from the ripe berries of a Mediterranean shrub but the chemical constituents said to be responsible for its actions in balancing the menstrual cycle have not been defined. Treatment is long-term over many months using doses of about 2 to 3 ml of a 1:5 tincture a day (this means that 5 ml of the final preparation is equivalent to one gram of the dried herb from which the preparation was made). It is common practice in England, and also recommended by German manufacturers, to take Vitex in a single dose each morning before breakfast throughout the cycle. Prolonged use of high doses is not advisable, but a course of six months treatment without a break is said to be necessary for full and lasting improvement. Headache is an occasional side-effect.
The first major clinical studies on Vitex, published in the 1950s, claimed significant improvements in over 60% of women treated for heavy or frequent bleeding. The average duration of bleeding was said to decrease from eight to five days. An English herbalist, Janet Hicks, claims that heavy and prolonged bleeding is best tackled by combining Vitex with muscle relaxants. When women experience symptoms of PMS such as irritability, and menopausal symptoms like hot flushes, she suggests they take Vitex. Then, as the PMS disappears, another herb, Chamaelirium luteum (Holonias), is recommended. Mrs Hicks considers Vitex unsuitable for post-menopausal women and women of any age using hormones such as the Pill, hormone therapy or danazol.
A host of other herbal and nutritional therapies are also in widespread use. The seeds of the horsechestnut are said to be helpful for painful periods; ginseng, motherwort, lime blossom, Cimicifuga racemosay vitamin E and evening primrose oil tablets are all capable of affecting hot flushes; and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), evening primrose oil and Anemone Pulsatilla can apparently alleviate PMS in some women. At least part of the benefit of these treatments lies in a placebo effect, that is, an effect that is just the same when a harmless substance like a sugar pill is substituted for the substance being tested. This effect is not well-understood but it is well-documented with both orthodox and alternative medicines. It is said to occur in a third or more patients when most treatments are tested.6 It may be that people seek help from health practitioners when their symptoms are at their worst and, when they start to feel better, they put it down to the treatment — although they may have felt better in the same time regardless of whether or not they received treatment. Another possible explanation is that the brain releases chemicals that, for example, suppress pain as a conditioned reflex to receiving a pharmaceutical or alternative medication.
An important nutritional supplement for many women with heavy or prolonged bleeding is iron tablets, which can help to relieve anaemia and associated fatigue. A study of 380 women in the US State of Maine, whose fibroids, abnormal bleeding and chronic pelvic pain were managed without surgery, found that about 6% of those with abnormal bleeding or fibroids had anaemia. A comparison study also conducted in Maine found that 19% of women having hysterectomies for fibroids were anaemic. A measurement of blood haemoglobin (the pigmented substance that gives red blood cells their colour and also carries oxygen through the body) will show whether anaemia is a problem. The iron most easily absorbed by the human body is found in lean meat (especially liver and kidneys), seafoods (especially oysters) and poultry. Less-easily absorbed iron is present in cereals, legumes, vegetables (especially green leafy varieties) and eggs.
The commonly held view that vitamin B6 will cure symptoms of PMS has resulted in many women taking high doses of it (several hundred milligrams a day). Dosages above 25 mg a day are inadvisable as they can lead to damage of the nerve endings in the fingers and toes, as well as dependence. Rather than taking high doses of B,, it is worth considering boosting your intake of foods rich in this vitamin such as bananas, lentils, avocado, fish, eggs, turkey, chicken, tuna, salmon, walnuts and lean meat.
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