Vitex Agnus Castus

Indian Name:  Nirgandhi

Botanical Name:  Vitex Agnus-Castus

Other Names:  Agnus Castus, Vitex, Chaste tree, Sambhalu.

Introduction

Chaste Berry is the other name of Vitex agnus-castus and this herb has gained immense popularity and fame amongst the cadre of women who want to get pregnant and continue the cycle of life but they faced with certain kinds of biological and especially some kinds of hormonal issues which pose difficulties during their pregnancy.

As we generally know that the women who fall pregnant usually have regular menstrual cycles and process of ovulation which are two of the most important elements in the reproduction stage, not to deny that the general physiological health are also vital and crucial in the process. Yet there are other cadres of women too who have hormonal imbalances and due to this they have irregular menstrual cycle and the ovulation periods. In such cases Vitex can come in great use which helps in the correction of these kinds of issues.

There are several hormonal issues related to women but the most important one which is related to pregnancy is the production of insufficient amount of progesterone during the phase called as the luteal phase which refers to the time gap between the period and the ovulation phase which is normally around fourteen days. The abnormality is seen when the luteal phase is less than ten days and this is termed as the luteal phase defect. In such a case the egg even if it does get fertilized does not ample time to embed itself into the uterus and thus is expelled. The role of Vitex here is to balance the hormones and thereby it shifts the ratio of estrogen to progesterone. It does not mean that it is producing progesterone but it helps and assists the body in a way that enhances the ability of the body to produce more. Prolacting is also responsible for the luteal phase defect and Vitex helps in the reduction of prolactin levels too.

Women think that they will consume this herb during the first or the second half of their cycle and that this would be enough for Vitex to function properly so that the desired objective can be achieved, but this is not the case as Vitex requires three to six months to get acquainted with the body and start working efficiently and in the desired manner to attain effective results. Women should not thus get disheartened by just using it for a couple of days and then discontinuing it by claiming that it is not working for them rather they should first develop a patient attitude and then consume it for three to six months and give the herb the time to function properly. Vitex can be taken in various formats whichever is suitable or convenient to the lady whether be it in the capsule form, tea or tincture form but it is advisable that before undergoing the continuous consumption of Vitex one must speak to the naturopath and take his affirmation on it for the best results.