vitex agnus castus

Vitex agnus-castus
[Vitex]agnus castus, in Hebrew Siach Avraham.

This is an herb I have advised to hundreds of women [to take as a tincture, as drops] over the years, so I would like to tell to some more about what is known about this herb.
Agnus castus is primarily an herb for women!!
The biggest blessing is that it can increase the chance of getting pregnant and reduce the chance of miscarriages.
In quite a few cases I have seen after a few months of taking this herb women getting pregnant, often after a long period of "waiting". Once pregnant, it may be taken for the first 8 to 12 weeks in pregnancy which may help prevent miscarriage; thereafter it is in general wise to stop it.
It is often specially indicated if the progesterone levels are low [abnormal low progesterone levels three weeks after the onset of menstruation (serum progesterone below 10-12 ng/ml). which is considered abnormal when occurring in women between ages 20 to 40 years]
It can be very useful for all kind of menstruation disturbances. It may help to bring on and to regulate a menstruation, which is very irregular or absent [amenorrhea], it may settle irregular bleedings, It may be helpful to help regulate the ovulatory cycle, regulate menorrhagia (heavy menstruation) and it may be very useful also during the menopause.
It can stimulate the release of luteinizing hormone (LH) and inhibit the release of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)]
It is also used for premenstrual complaints [PMS], both for the physical and psychological manifestations.
Physical symptoms such as headaches, sore breasts [mastalgia, mastodynia] bloating and fatigue and psychological changes such as increased appetite, sweet cravings, nervousness, restlessness, anxiety, depression, mood swings and lack of concentration can all be all reduced.
[Don't use it "automatically" for premenstrual depression as this may sometimes get worse from agnus castus.]
It may be used to regain a natural balance after the use of the birth control pill.
It may help to regulate [high] prolactine levels [by which the chance to get pregnant is enhanced]
It can help in cases of endometriosis[look this up in wikipedia if you want to know more about this condition]
It may help stimulate breast feeding, but this may take only effect after a few weeks of use.
In some cases of acne it may be also very useful, especially if these get worse before the menstruation. It may the have to be used for many months.
Again: a woman's herb for many purposes, which may be tried in many cases, even not by an expert.
It has a clear progesterone effect, but at the same time can be considered to be an amphoteric herb, as so many herbs are.
This means that it will regulate what has to be regulated [like an automatic "pilot"]. It helps restore a normal estrogen-progesterone balance, simply normalizing what has to be normalized. One of the wonders of nature, this self regulatory mechanism!!
It helps to restore corpus luteum insufficiency, and a non optimal ovarian function.
The general dose: 40 drops in the morning in a glass of water before breakfast. [It is wise to start with 10 drops and slowly increase the dose, in a week or so]
Ask [in Israel] for: agnus castus M.T.[tarkiz em] form the company ketzar and buy a bottle of 100 cc to start with.
Or buy it from any herbalist in Israel who knows how to prepare the tincture himself.
The shrub is native to the Mediterranean region.
Agnus castus can be used for a long time on a daily base until one gets pregnant or until the complaints get better.
Of course, not getting pregnant can have many medical [and non medical] reasons.
A not proper functioning thyroid is a well known cause from the female side.

Now I will sum up some other uses of this herb which with I have no personal experience, but which are mentioned in various research articles.

Now I will sum up some other uses of this herb which with I have no personal experience, but which are mentioned in various research articles.
Agnus castus can be used as a spray to keep away certain ticks from animals and humans for at least 6 hours. Mosquitoes, biting flies and fleas are also repelled for about 6 hours.
Significant antibacterial activity against some very problematic bacteria: Escherichia coli, Klebsiella aerogenes, Proteus vulgaris, and Pseudomonas aerogenes
It has been further used in tradition for: cholera, liver disorders, .malaria rheumatism, skin diseases, ulcers, worms, diarrhea, hemorrhoids, prostate enlargement, fibroids of the uterus, bothersome candida infections, and epilepsy.
In the book of Prof Dan Palevitch z.l. and Prof. Zohara Yaniv [for which Nissim Krispel and others interviewed quite a few older Jews , Arabs, Bedouins, Druze and Cherkassians in Israel]
the following indications are mentioned as folk medicine:
drinking a tea of boiled leaves for headaches, crushing the seeds and using and using it locally for pain, tea from the boiled crushed seeds for stomach pains and also for strengthening the hair roots.
Siach Abraham: what is in the name?? Everything is in the name!!
According to the same book this would have been the shrub where the ram was caught by it horns when Abraham went to sacrifice Isaac.