Vitex , or chasteberry, is the fruit of the deciduous shrub Vitex agnus-castus. It is native to Mediterranean Europe and Central Asia (Daniele, Thompson, PIttler & Ernst, 2005) and naturalized to the warm climate of southeastern United States (Ernst, 2000).
The use of vitex dates back to ancient Greece and Rome (Blumenthal, 2003). Historically, it was believed that a beverage made with vitex promoted chastity by lowering libido (Ernst, 2000). The name agnus castus was derived from the Latin words ‘castitas’ and ‘agnus’, which mean “chastity lamb” (Daniele et al., 2005). Its other common name, monk’s pepper, refers to its use as a cooking spice by monks of the Middle Ages to suppress sexual desires (Daniele et al., 2005). The Greek historian Pliny notes that the scattering of this fruit on the bed of soldier’s wives was a sign of their faithfulness to their husbands at battle (Ernst, 2000).
Traditionally, phytotherapy practitioners use vitex as a treatment for gynecological problems including menstrual cycle irregularities, premenstrual syndrome, corpus luteum insufficiency, hyperprolactinemia, menopause, infertility and hormonally induced acne (Dugoua, Seely, Perri, Koren & Mills, 2008). It has also been used to treat hangovers, fevers, flatulence and constipation (Ernst, 2000). Nowadays, vitex is still widely used in Germany to treat problems of the female reproductive system (Ernst, 2000).
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