Chaste tree berry (Vitex agnus-castus), the Functional Herb for the Prevention and Treatment of on Hyperprolactinemia with No Side Effects

By Kyle J. Norton


Hyperprolinaemia is a condition characterized by overexpression of the level of prolactin in the blood produced by the lactotroph cells of the anterior pituitary gland.

Normally, the expression of hormone prolactin is to enhance breast development during pregnancy and to induce lactation.
In non-pregnant women, elevated levels of prolactin can disrupt the normal menstrual period in women, causing the complication of infertility, abnormal lactation, amenorrhea,  irregular periods, breast pain and painful sexual intercourse.

Most common caused of the onset of hyperlactatemia is the result of the growth of a tumor on the pituitary gland. Most cases of the pituitary gland are noninvasive, however, if the tumor is growing large enough, it can suppress the nearby nerve cells, causing headache and vision problems.

Some researchers suggested the syndrome can also be caused by long-term use of certain medication.
Dr. Daria La Torre, the lead author in the study "Pharmacological causes of hyperprolactinemia" said, "Several drugs may determine a significant increase in prolactin serum concentration that is frequently associated with symptoms. The so-called typical antipsychotics are frequently responsible for drug-related hyperprolactinemia"

And, "Risperidone is one of the atypical neuroleptics most likely to induce hyperprolactinemia, while other atypical drugs are infrequently and only transiently associated with increase of prolactin levels" and "Antidepressant drugs with serotoninergic activity, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI), monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAO-I) and some tricyclics, can cause hyperprolactinemia.".

Therefore, if you are taking the above medication, please make sure you discuss the problem with your doctor.

In fact, some women experience the syndrome of hyperprolactinemia with unknown causes.

Most common conventional treatment target the symptoms and reducing the size of the tumor. The unknown causes of hyperprolactinemia are treated with synthetic thyroid hormone.

Medication used for the treatment of hyperprolactinemia including Medical treatment of dopamine agonists (DA): bromocriptine, lisuride, quinagolide, and cabergoline. And in over 80% of cases, these drugs induce normal prolactinemia and ovulatory cycles.

If you are taking one of these medications for the treatment of hyperprolactinemia, please make you know all the side effects

Chaste tree berry is a species of Vitex agnus-castus, genus Vitex, belonging to the family Lamiaceae, native to the Mediterranean region,.

The plant has been used in herbal medicine for thousands of year as an anaphrodisiac herb and considered a Queen herb in treating menstrual problems and discomforts by taking it in a prolonged period of time.

There was a report that chaste tree berry stems and leaves used by women as bedding "to cool the heat of lust" during the time of the Thesmophoria.

With an aim to reaffirming the traditional use of Vitex agnus-castus L. (chaste tree; chaste berry for the treatment of a range of female reproductive conditions in Anglo-American and European practice, researchers at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology-University conducted an experiment to examine the effect of the herbal medicine in women with premenstrual syndrome, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and latent hyperprolactinaemia.

In the search based on the Cochrane risk of bias and Jadad scales on the database of medical literature identifies 13 Thirteen randomized, controlled trials and twelve are included in this review, of which eight investigated premenstrual syndrome, two premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and two latent hyperprolactinemia.

Application of the Vitex agnus-castus in latent hyperprolactinemia suggested that the herbal medicine is superior compared to placebo for reducing TRH-stimulated prolactin secretion, normalizing a shortened luteal phase, increasing mid-luteal progesterone and 17β-oestradiol levels.

And Vitex comparable to bromocriptine for reducing serum prolactin levels and ameliorating cyclic mastalgia. Adverse events with Vitex were mild and generally infrequent.

These results indicated, Vitex extracts in the treatment of premenstrual syndrome, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and latent hyperprolactinemia.

Furthermore, Dr, Milewicz A, in the finding natural medicine with no side effect in the treatment of hyperprolactinemia conducted a randomized double-blind study vs. placebo to evaluate the efficacy of a Vitex agnus castus preparation (Strotan capsules) vs. placebo. 

The clinical study involved 52 women with luteal phase defects due to latent hyperprolactinemia.

The participants were given a daily dose of one capsule (20 mg) Vitex agnus castus preparation and placebo.

In the assessment of the blood for hormonal analysis taken at days 5-8 and day 20 of the menstrual cycle before and after three months of therapy.

Women who were received the Vitex agnus castus preparation showed a reduction of prolactin release after 3 months.

The shortened luteal phases of these women were normalized and deficits in the luteal progesterone synthesis were eliminated.

These changes were significant and occurred only in the Vitex group.

Side effects were not seen during the experiment and two women treated with the Vitex agnus castus preparation got pregnant. 

Taken altogether, Chaste tree berry (Vitex agnus-castus)  may be considered functional herb for the prevention and an adjunct therapy combined with the primary medicine for the treatment of hyperprolactinemia

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Author Biography
Kyle J. Norton (Scholar, Master of Nutrition, All right reserved)
Health article writer and researcher; Over 10.000 articles and research papers have been written and published online, including worldwide health, ezine articles, article base, health blogs, self-growth, best before it's news, the karate GB daily, etc.,.
Named TOP 50 MEDICAL ESSAYS FOR ARTISTS & AUTHORS TO READ by Disilgold.com Named 50 of the best health Tweeters Canada - Huffington Post
Nominated for shorty award over last 4 years
Some articles have been used as references in medical research, such as international journal Pharma and Bioscience, ISSN 0975-6299.




Sources(1) Vitex agnus-castus extracts for female reproductive disorders: a systematic review of clinical trials by van Die MD1, Burger HG, Teede HJ, Bone KM.(PubMed)
(2) [Vitex agnus castus extract in the treatment of luteal phase defects due to latent hyperprolactinemia. Results of a randomized placebo-controlled double-blind study].[Article in German] by Milewicz A1, Gejdel E, Sworen H, Sienkiewicz K, Jedrzejak J, Teucher T, Schmitz H.(PubMed)
(3) Pharmacological causes of hyperprolactinemia by bDaria La Torre and Alberto Falorni. (PMC)