Chaste Berry Helps Women Become Pregnant

When a couple is unable to conceive, it is important to determine whether it is the man or the woman who is infertile. In 60% of cases of infertility, it is the woman. Blockage of the fallopian tubes and other problems with the tubes is the most common cause of infertility in women. Once this cause has been ruled out, the next most common cause of infertility is ovulatory dysfunction (it is the underlying cause of approximately one-third of cases of female infertility).

Ovulatory dysfunction refers to two separate women's problems: amenorrhoea (absence of menstruation) and luteal phase defect (a shortening of the luteal phase). Luteal phase defect itself can cause amenorrhoea.

Chaste berry (Vitex agnus-castus) is a very useful herbal treatment for infertile women where the cause of infertility is ovulatory dysfunction. This herb is also useful for a wide range of women's complaints.

How Chaste Berry Increases Fertility

Both types of ovulatory dysfunction (amenorrhoea and luteal phase defect) involve insufficient production of the hormone progesterone and excess production of another hormone - prolactin.

Chaste berry normalises the production of both of these hormones.

Scientific Proof

Two clinical trials conducted in 1987 and 1988 have demonstrated chaste berry's effectiveness for treating infertility caused by ovulatory dysfunction.

The effect of chaste berry was studied on 45 infertile women aged between 23 and 39. These women were considered capable of reproduction but had pathologically low levels of progesterone at day twenty of their menstrual cycle. After three months of treatment, chaste berry was considered to be successful in 39 out of the 45 cases. This represents a success rate of 87%. Seven of the women became pregnant, 25 of the women had normal serum progesterone levels at day 20 and another 7 women tended to normal levels of progesterone. High prolactin levels were normalised. These results coincided with a lengthening of the luteal phase and a positive change in another biochemical indicator of fertility (LHRH test dynamic).

Earlier studies have demonstrated the ability of chaste berry to treat amenorrhoea (another type of ovulatory dysfunction that can cause infertility). This effect also stems from chaste berry's ability to lower prolactin and increase progesterone levels.

The Take-Home Message

• Infertile women who have had tubular problems ruled out as a cause of their infertility may benefit from chaste berry treatment.
• The effective dosage of chaste berry varies according to the potency of the product being used. Highly concentrated extracts require 2 - 4 mg per day. Less concentrated extracts require 20 - 40 mg per day. Liquid extracts often specify 40 drops per day.
• It is recommended that chaste berry be taken as a single dose each morning before breakfast as this protocol may improve hormonal regulation by the pituitary gland.
• It may be necessary to use chaste berry for at least three months before its effects on fertility begin to occur.