Botanical

Vitex (Chasteberry)

Vitex agnus-castus

Evidence TierCWADA NOT PROHIBITED

tuneTypical Dose

Standardized extract once daily for about 3 menstrual cycles

watchEffect Window

Trial-based PMS effects are assessed over multiple cycles rather than days.

check_circleCompliance

WADA NOT PROHIBITED

Overview

Clinical Summary

Vitex has its clearest human evidence for PMS symptom relief, with weaker secondary support for cyclic mastalgia and much less support for broad fertility or hormone-balancing claims.

Vitex is one of the better-supported menstrual-cycle botanicals, but the evidence needs to stay focused. The strongest human data are still for PMS symptom relief across multiple cycles with standardized preparations. More recent active-comparator work keeps the directionality favorable, but it does not materially expand vitex into a broad fertility, prolactin-correction, or generic hormone-balancing supplement.

Vitex is often framed through dopaminergic effects and downstream prolactin-related menstrual symptom modulation. The human evidence is strongest for PMS symptom relief rather than for generalized endocrine optimization.

Outcomes

What This Is Expected To Influence

Primary Outcomes

  • Improvement in PMS symptoms

Secondary Outcomes

  • Possible benefit in cyclic mastalgia
  • Weak support for broad fertility or hormone-balancing claims

Safety

Contraindications and Interactions

Contraindications

  • Pregnancy
  • Hormone-sensitive condition

Side effects

  • Mild GI upset
  • Headache

Interactions

  • Dopamine-active medications
  • Hormone-directed therapies

Avoid if

  • You are using it as a fertility or pregnancy-support supplement without specific clinical guidance
  • You are expecting it to fix non-PMS cycle disorders broadly

Evidence

Study-level References

vit-SRC-001Systematic review and meta-analysis
Sourceopen_in_new

Verkaik S, Kamperman AM, van Westrhenen R, Schulte PFJ. Vitex agnus-castus in premenstrual syndrome: A meta-analysis of double-blind randomised controlled trials. Eur J Integr Med. 2019;30:101031. doi:10.1016/j.eujim.2019.101031. PMID:31780016.

Population: Women with premenstrual syndrome enrolled in double-blind randomized controlled trials of Vitex agnus-castus.

Dose protocol: Standardized extract protocols, often equivalent to 20 to 40 mg daily

Key findings: Meta-analytic superiority over placebo for PMS symptom relief.

Notes: Best modern overview.

Paper content

This is the best modern meta-analytic anchor for vitex in PMS. It supports a meaningful benefit signal, but the trial base is still fairly small and focused on standardized extracts. That supports a real PMS record, but not broad hormone-balancing claims.

vit-SRC-002Randomized controlled trial
Sourceopen_in_new

Schellenberg R. Treatment for the premenstrual syndrome with agnus castus fruit extract: prospective, randomised, placebo controlled study. BMJ. 2001;322(7279):134-137. doi:10.1136/bmj.322.7279.134. PMID:11159568.

Population: Women with premenstrual syndrome.

Dose protocol: 20 mg daily Ze 440 extract for 3 cycles

Key findings: Improved responder rate and multiple PMS symptoms versus placebo.

Notes: Best classic direct RCT.

Paper content

This is the classic vitex PMS RCT and still one of the better direct trials. It showed meaningful symptom improvement over placebo across multiple PMS domains over 3 cycles. The result is useful, but it still applies to a specific standardized extract rather than all generic vitex products.

vit-SRC-003Systematic review and meta-analysis
Sourceopen_in_new

Abdollahi S, Hajiheidari M, et al. Vitex Agnus-Castus for the treatment of cyclic mastalgia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Phytother Res. 2019;33(12):3050-3060. doi:10.1002/ptr.6501. PMID:31464546.

Population: Women with cyclic mastalgia from randomized and nonrandomized studies of Vitex agnus-castus.

Dose protocol: Various Vitex protocols across mastalgia studies

Key findings: Pooled signal favoring vitex for cyclic mastalgia.

Notes: Secondary use case only.

Paper content

This review suggests vitex may help cyclic mastalgia, but the evidence quality is mixed and many included studies were not high-quality randomized trials. It supports mastalgia as a secondary use case, not a primary anchor.

vit-SRC-004Triple-blind, three-arm randomized clinical trial
Sourceopen_in_new

Comparison of the Effects of Vitagnus, Soy, and Vitagnus-soy Capsules on Premenstrual Syndrome in University Students. A Randomized Clinical Trial. Int J Community Based Nurs Midwifery. 2025. doi:10.30476/ijcbnm.2024.102930.2543. PMID:39906250.

Population: University students with moderate to severe PMS.

Dose protocol: One capsule daily for two menstrual cycles in an active-comparator 3-arm trial

Key findings: PMS symptoms improved in all groups, with the vitex-soy combination outperforming vitex alone.

Notes: Useful modern relevance check, but not a placebo-controlled efficacy expansion.

Paper content

This triple-blind 3-arm trial enrolled 108 students with moderate to severe PMS and treated them for two menstrual cycles. Symptom scores improved significantly in the vitex-alone, soy-alone, and combination groups, with the combination outperforming either single product for several domains. The study supports ongoing PMS relevance for vitex, but because it used active comparators rather than placebo, it does not materially strengthen placebo-adjusted efficacy beyond the earlier PMS trials.

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