What Is Chaste Berry?

Chaste berries are native to the Mediterranean. The berries are grey colored and have a slightly peppery flavour. Due to their taste, chaste berries are sometimes used as a seasoning for food..

The berries of the chaste plant are a powerful herbal remedy that has been used since ancient Greek and Roman times. The Greek physician Dioscorides recommended chaste berries to help the wives of soldiers remain chaste while their husbands were in battle. Monks in the middle ages used chaste for similar purposes.

An common alternative name for chaste berry is vitex or vitex berry.

How to Use Chaste Berry (Common Uses)

Taken internally as a tea, decoction, powder, capsules, or extract. 

Medicinal Uses and Benefits of Chaste Berry

Chaste berries are most commonly used in the treatment of menstrual disorders, including PMS, infertility, PCOS, and acne. They are well known for their ability to beneficially regulate the luteal phase of the female cycle. Chaste berries may be most beneficial in helping with female health conditions where estrogen levels are elevated and/or progesterone levels are deficient. Many herbalists recommend chaste for women who experience irregular menstrual cycles after stopping birth control pills. Chaste may also be beneficial for helping to shrink uterine fibroids and cysts when taken over an extended period of time.

Chaste berries are often used in combination with other herbs, especially those such as black cohosh, licorice, and motherwort.

Chaste berries may produce a mild sedative effect.

When taken internally, chaste berries may interact with dopamine. Some of the compounds in chaste berries may bind to dopamine receptors and inhibit the release of prolactin. Chaste may be beneficial for those seeking relief from withdrawal symptoms and cravings from opiate use, although limited research is available on this topic.

Historically, chaste berries have been used as a digestive aid, as well as to help increase milk production of nursing mothers.

Active Constituents in Chaste Berry

Bicyclic diterpenes, iridoid glycosides, flavonoids, monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes.

Notable Facts About Chaste Berry

Chaste berry has historically been sacred to Hera, the Greek goddess of female protection.