Vitex or vitex agnus castus is a herb that is highly beneficial to the health of all the women. The thing is that vitax plant can affect the hormones in many positive ways. That is why if you are interested in the way to balance your hormones - this article is a must for you. We will discuss all the benefits of this plant as well as possible side effects not to mention myths in this article today.
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To begin with, we need to figure out what is vitex in the first place? It is a plant widely used in medicine staring with the ancient times up to this day. Its fruits are named a monk’s pepper or chaseberry due to the effect they have on manhood. The thing is that those fruits were used during Middle Ages to decrease man’s libido.
However, there is more to this plant than just that. The truth is that it can help you deal with PMS, menopause, infertility and many more issues. All the benefits of vitex herb will be described in the next chapter.
Vitex Health Benefits
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It is time to describe vitex benefits, so read on to learn more about the advantages of this useful plant.
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Vitex for menstrual cycle. The thing is that this herb can balance the hormones when it comes to a menstrual cycle.
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Vitex and luteal phase. The fact is that short luteal phase can lead to infertility. In case, you wonder what that phase is, it is a period between ovulation and menstruation. Vitex can help you lengthen the phase since it encourages the ovulation.
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Corpus Luteum. Progesterone is one of the most essential women hormones and the consumption of vitex can increase its production.
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Endometriosis. In case you do not know, endometriosis is a type of disorder, which provokes painful menstruation and eventually can lead to infertility. The vitex herb is often used by gynecologists to cure endometriosis and prevent its dire outcome.
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Preventing miscarriage. The thing is that miscarriage is an awful notion to experience both physically and mentally for a mother-to-be. The fact is that vitex is that one herb that is known to prevent miscarriages.
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Premenstrual stress. If you suffer from PMS – vitex can come in helpful here too. The thing is that all the PMS symptoms may be relieved if you take vitex supplements regularly.
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Amenorrhea. Amenorrhea is the condition when the monthly period does not happen due to the hormonal imbalance. The fact is that vitex can help you increase the progesterone level so that such a thing never happens to you.
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Irregular periods. Many women suffer from irregular periods greatly and are in search of a remedy to help them deal with the issue. Vitex is precisely the cure you need in case you are the one suffering from irregular menstruation.
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Uterine cyst. The uterine cysts grow within the inner part of your uterus and vitex is the cure to get rid of them.
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Oestrogen. The menstrual cycle is known to be unpredictable after you stop taking birth control pills. In order to help it become regular, all you need to do is to include vitex into your life.
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Lactation. In case you wonder how to stimulate the milk production right after you become a mother – vitex supplements may come in more than handy.
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Skincare. You can use vitex for acne as well. The fact is that this herb can help you get smoother and healthier skin in almost no time.
Common Myths
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Even though vitex is highly beneficial due to the number of its benefits, there are also some myths to distinguish.
BreastfeedingIt has been mentioned before that breastfeeding women should take up vitex however, there is no real proof to the fact.
Pain reductionThe fact is that even though it has been proved that vitex can numb the pain in rats, there have not been any human studies conducted.
Endometriosis treatmentEven though it has been mentioned that vitex comes in irreplaceable when it comes to endometriosis - there haven’t been real studies conducted to support the consumption.
Baldness preventionIt is believed that vitex is beneficial to balding men although there is no real study to support the point.
Acne treatmentIt has been mentioned before that vitex can help in acne treatments however, the studies supporting the pint are decades old and there haven’t been any new ones carried out.
Potential Side Effects
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As well as everything in this world, there are also some vitex side effects. The truth is that there is a safe amount of the herb to consume daily as long as you do not exceed it – you can feel relatively safe. However, it is said that among side effects of vitex there are nausea, heavy period flow, acne, rash, and upset stomach. What is more, it is said that it is better if pregnant or breastfeeding women should better avoid vitex consumption.
If you decide to begin with vitex consumption you need to keep it in mind that it may interact with certain medication, including birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy. To sum everything up it is safe to say that even though the side effects of vitex are pretty much relevant it is best if you consult your doctor before taking it.
How To Use Vitex For Maximum Effect
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To tell you the truth there is no one-for-all dose of vitex. The thing is that depending on the condition you can be prescribed a different dose. For instance, if you were to treat a premenstrual dysphoric disorder of 20-40 mg would be enough to take daily. While other conditions require either smaller or bigger dosage. What is more, there is a list of factors to take into consideration when you decide to take up vitex. They include your age, medical conditions, and the specific formulation (extract) used. This means that you need to talk to your doctor first to figure out which dosage is suitable for your condition.
Recommendations For Selection And Purchase
In case you decide to get yourself some vitex it should be mentioned that in most cases it comes in capsule form. It can be found in any health food store either online or offline. However, you need to keep it in mind that there may be different names to the same herb – chasteberry, chaste tree, monk’s pepper, and lilac chaste tree.
Before you rush to add vitex to your cart, it is essential that you look for Supplement Facts first. Such a label will provide you with all the necessary information so that you will be sure of how to take it as well as you will learn the amount of added ingredients if any.
It is highly important that the product you buy is sealed and approved. If any of these organizations: U.S. Pharmacopeia, ConsumerLab.com, and NSF International approved the product it is safe to consume.
Vitex is a widely-known herb with a bunch of benefits to it. If you wish to learn all of them as well as possible side effects and a lot of other information – you have come to the right place! Also, you can read what are the benefits of longan fruit.
