Relief for PMS
Mention the time of the month and most women will own up to PMS in one form or another. Read on for the herbal remedy that might help to bring relief.
As many as 90 per cent of women are said to suffer from pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS) every month and almost half of these say it’s severe enough to interfere with their daily life. Typical symptoms include headaches, feeling bloated, mood swings, as well as anxiety and restlessness.
So what’s the cause? No one knows for sure but it is thought to be linked to the changing levels of hormones in the body during a woman’s menstrual cycle. And sadly there is no definitive cure, but there are lifestyle changes as well as herbal remedies that can help to lessen the symptoms. One herb in particular stands out and it’s called agnus castus.
The benefits
Men don’t like agnus castus because it’s reputed to dampen down their sexual urges, which may explain why in the middle ages it was given to monks and is sometimes called chaste berry. But when it comes to women agnus castus has powerful hormone-regulating powers as has been borne out by two large surveys in Germany.
Studies were carried out on more than a thousand women suffering from PMS over a period of 23 weeks. In 90 per cent of cases, symptoms such as headaches, sore breasts, mood swings, anxiety and restlessness started to improve after three to four weeks of taking a course of agnus castus.
How does it work?
Agnus castus is thought to work by prompting the pituitary gland into sending a signal to the ovaries to balance the body’s natural oestrogen-progesterone ratio. This in turn helps to relieve some of the familiar symptoms of PMS such as irritability, depression, breast pain and bloating, which are thought to be triggered by an imbalance of these hormones.
How to take it
You need to take agnus castus for at least three months for optimum benefits, but symptoms may start to improve after as little as 10 days. You should avoid it if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or on the contraceptive pill.
Did you know?
Agnus castus was traditionally used to suppress libido and its other common name ‘monk's pepper’ derives from its use as a spicy condiment in medieval monasteries to help monks stick to their celibacy vows!
Try these:
- Keep a symptom diary over a few months and see if there is any pattern. You can then schedule things for specific times according to the level of your symptoms.
- Watch your weight – the more overweight the more likely you are to suffer symptoms.
- Stress can be a factor so find ways to relax. Taking up yoga or meditation may help.
- Regular exercise can help to lift your mood.
- Ginger tea made by grating some fresh ginger root into a cup of just boiled water can help to ease menstrual cramps. Sweeten with natural honey if required and sip at regular intervals.
- Gamma-linolenic acid found in evening primrose oil can help to keep hormones in balance.
To find out more about PMS get in touch with The National Association for Premenstrual Syndrome or click www.pms.org.uk
Agnus castus can be found in PremHerb - A traditional herbal medicinal product used to help relieve symptoms associated with premenstrual syndrome based on traditional use only.
Herbal Helpers
- Agnus castus
- Ginger root
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