There haven't been any detailed studies of the safety of chasteberry. However, its widespread use in Germany has not led to any reports of significant adverse effects, 1 other than a single case of excessive ovarian stimulation possibly caused by chasteberry. 2 Because it lowers prolactin levels, chasteberry is not an appropriate treatment for pregnant or nursing women. Safety in young children or those with severe liver or kidney disease has not been established.
There are no known drug interactions associated with chasteberry. However, it is quite conceivable that the herb could interfere with hormones or medications that affect the pituitary gland.
If you are taking hormones or drugs that affect the pituitary, such as bromocriptine , it is possible that chasteberry might interfere with their action.
Recent studies have shown the regulatory effects on the pituitary gland.3 Additional studies have shown that Chasteberry restores a normal estrogen-to-progesterone balance.4
Chasteberry is frequently called by its Latin names: vitexor, alternatively, agnus-castus.A shrub in the verbena family, chasteberry is commonly found on riverbanks and nearby foothills in central Asia and around the Mediterranean Sea. After its violet flowers have bloomed, a dark brown, peppercorn-size fruit with a pleasant odor reminiscent of peppermint develops. This fruit is used medicinally.
As the name implies, for centuries chasteberry was thought to counter sexual desire. A drink prepared from the plant's seeds was used by the Romans to diminish libido, and in ancient Greece, young women celebrating the festival of Demeter wore chasteberry blossoms to show that they were remaining chaste in honor of the goddess. Monks in the Middle Ages used the fruit for similar purposes, yielding the common name "monk's pepper."
