Bulk Herbs: Chaste Tree / Vitex berry - whole

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Excerpts from Practical Herbalism

Vitex (Chaste tree) has been used for thousands of years for its beneficial affect on the female glandular system, and its restraining effect on male hormones. Modern research has confirmed at least one of these uses, and the berries are now widely used to restore balance and function to the female reproductive system, by stimulating the natural production of progesterone.

Some of the old herbals classify the berries as anaphrodisiac, accounting for the name Monk's pepper, and the tradition of using the kernels to lessen the urges of the flesh. Other sources list the Vitex fruit as aphrodisiac, implying the opposite tendency. The truth is that the Vitex, like many other herbs, exerts a normalizing influence on the body restoring that which is absent, and constraining excessive tendencies.

Vitex acts upon the pituitary gland, reducing the production of certain hormones and increasing the production of other, shifting the balance in favor of the gestagens, hormones that normally condition the body for pregnancy. It has found a wide following of users for imbalances of the female reproductive system, especially when they are related to excessive estrogen or xen-estrogen influence, and has been used with great effect in restoring absent menstruation, regulating heavy periods, restoring fertility when caused by hormonal imbalance, relieve PMS tension, and easing the changes of menopause.

A tincture of the berries has also been used externally for the relief of paralysis, pains in the limbs, and neuropathic muscular weakness.

Internal Indicated Usages:

Amenorrhea	Infertility
Menopausal discomfort	Menstrual cramps
Nursing (to initiate - short term use only)	PMS

External Indicated Usages

Nerve Deficiency

Special Considerations:

Large does of Vitex has been known to cause a nervous disorder known as formication, which manifests as a tingling sensation like insects crawling over the skin.

Notes:

Vitex berries can be used as a mild substitute for black pepper, and can even be ground in a pepper mill. Not only will the safrole in the pepper be avoided, but the libido may get an attitude adjustment.

Customer Reviews

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Laura
April 28, 2008 at 1:48 pm reply?

I bought this product for my horse who has Cushings symptoms. I grind it in a coffee grinder and mix it with her senior feed. Since starting her on this last Summer she started shedding out completely for the first time since I have had her in 4 years. This spring she has shed out sooner than my gelding. Overall her health has improved dramatically, she's happier, more energy overall feeling great. I will keep her on this permanently. thank you.

stayinthelight@cox.net
May 8, 2008 at 10:14 pm reply?

I just wanted to comment on this as I also put my mare on Chaste Tree and grind it the same way. I read about it on a rescue site and thought I'd look for myself and found MoreThanAlive! Just started about 2 or 3 months ago (Feb. 08) and I am having great results too. I also give it to my gelding and they are both way more happy/mellow and looking really good - healthy. I live in San Diego and they are both almost completely shed out and lookin' fine. I was so happy with this website that I decided to also put both horses on Rosemary, black walnut (for worms), Pau D'Arco, Stevia, Garlic, vinegar, cinnamon - and a few others occasionally. I am really thrilled with how these herbs have helped our family. This is a wonderful company and I feel really blessed to have come accross it in my search for answers about my insulin resistant and cushing horses.
Thank you Vlad and Joy and Beeyoutiful,I have become a customer for life.
Blessings to you,
Lisa Hauri

Barbara
June 22, 2009 at 10:32 am reply?

My old donkey has Cushings Syndrome and has been on Pergolide. How much do you feed your horse (what dosage)? I am considering changing her to this natural product. I would appreciate any info. Thanks

donna capell
January 17, 2011 at 10:27 am reply?

hi, i just read your email i have a 11 yo mini with cushings i am ordering the supplements suggested at the same rescue web site i hope i have good results like you did could i ask what you feed your horses hay type? pellets? would appreciate any suggestions thanx donna c

Lisa G
May 21, 2009 at 6:30 am reply?

how much of this do you give to your horse? I'm starting my horse on it and taking her off pergolide over time. I'm not sure how much to give her daily. thanks

Georgette Miller
May 28, 2009 at 7:36 pm reply?

I have a 26 yr old gelding with Cushings Disease and I have been giving him
1 mg of Pergolide daily for over a year but he still will not shed. I see a place called Starwest Botanicals where you can order chasteberry POWDER in a 1 lb container and I am wondering how much to feed. Can you help me?
Thanks,
Georgette Miller
Jackson, Ms

cindy
September 29, 2009 at 1:33 pm reply?

I have used it for the past 4 months for Hank, my Belgian gelding. The web article I had found on its use suggests 1Tablespoon of powder 2x a day. I guess that it tastes good, Hank eats it up! The article also suggests on 3 weeks & off one week.

Although Hank (age 23) does not have all of the symptoms of cushings, he has shown some signs of it with weight loss & less energy. The chaste tree berry has helped him overall. I will continue to use it.

Betsy
November 2, 2009 at 7:18 pm reply?

I got my info from a rescue site. They use the Chaste Tree berry Powder year round on all their Cushings horses, including geldings. They do not claim to be doctors nor do I. They swear by the results and I know Pergolide can have bad side effects. the amount they prescribe is 1 tsp. two x a day, a heaping one for larger horses. they feed it for 3 weeks on and o week off so they don't build immunity. My horse had Cushings and Lymes, she has only been on the powder about a month, and was also on Doxy for the Lymes, but she isn't cranky like she was which was unlike her...I feed the powder, don't want to grind and put it in her senior and she never slows down. spring will be interesting but i hear lots of good reports and natural is always better! blessings to you and you 26 yr. old baby, my paint is 26 also! Betsy

Barbara
June 22, 2009 at 11:06 am reply?

My donkey has been diagnosed with Cushings Disease. How much do you give your horse by body weight? She is on Pergolide with success however it is so expensive and I would like to try an alternate. I would appreciate any info. Thanks, Barb

Neil
March 7, 2010 at 7:48 pm reply?

I just bought some chasteberries and a coffee grinder and am wondering how much to sprinkle on my 500lb pony's senior feed. He has cushings and does well on pergoglide. I feel he will do as well if not better on a more natural product. My farrier recommended the berry. I think from another post 1 tsp daily would work. Any comments are more than welcome.

Connie
April 5, 2011 at 9:06 pm reply?

how much ground chaste tree berry do you give your horse, how many times a day.....My daughter has a 16 hand saddlebred mare who has lost alot of weight and she is starting on senior feed (she's 30 yrs old ) and with all the symptoms realize she must have cushings...she also rubs alot as if she itches all over, have you had any experience with your horse with those symptoms?....any comments are appreciated....thanks.

Kirstin
November 17, 2011 at 9:53 am reply?

I too used it on my GELDING for 8 years after he foundered really bad. My vet could hardley believe he did not develope cushings after his founder and being on Chaste tree berry powder. Keep up the great work and
Happy Trails!

Katherine White
September 10, 2008 at 1:04 pm reply?

We're using ground chaste tree berries for our pony as well (Miniature horse/Hackney pony cross). She tested negative for Cushings and insulin resistance, but still tends to have weight gain in areas typical of Cushings (over the shoulders, over and behind the eyes, etc.). We give her 1 tsp. of ground berries twice a day with her starch free feed, 3 weeks on and 1 week off. From what I understand the week off is important for mares. Much as it is a source of occasional distress, we ladies need that hormonal ebb and flow. Interestingly, when my daughter stopped grinding the berries and gave them whole, the pony's symptoms came right back and she gained considerable weight before I found out what was going on (about 2 weeks). This was with no change in the amount of food she took in.
Ground chaste tree berries (we use a coffee bean grinder) are an efficient, cost-effective treatment that I'd recommend for anyone with a "too easy keeper." I don't think you'll find fresher or less expensive berries than are available from More Than Alive.

Allen Stiles
October 28, 2008 at 12:40 pm reply?

My mare does not like the taste or smell of chaste tree berry.What do you mix yours with.I have been mixing with applesauce and using a sirenge.

Cheryl Infantino
November 25, 2008 at 12:52 pm reply?

You're doing exactly what I do. I also give my mare MSM for inflamation (she's 22 yrs old). She doesn't like the taste of that either. So I mix the chastetreeberry and MSM in a little dish with some applesause and water then put the mixture in a syringe. I can't think of any other way. If your mare gets tired of the applesauce, you can always try some watered down molasses. Horses really like that too.

KAREN PYLES
October 6, 2011 at 11:21 pm reply?

I give my horse MSM everyday mixed in 1 cup of Silk Very Vanilla Soy Milk then I mix that into his senior feed. Loves it. No problem at all. I discovered it when I was taking MSM and found when it was in Silk soy milk I could not taste it.
If it needs sweetening for your horses taste add Stevia.

S. Cobb
March 18, 2009 at 10:32 am reply?

We have read that Black Walnut is poisonous to horses. I was surprised to read a comment about someone feeding Black Walnut to their horses. For humans it is non-toxic, but for horses it is touted as deadly. Do you have any information/science about this topic?

Sharon
March 24, 2009 at 5:41 pm reply?

Black Walnut is poisioness to horses. I have no idea as to what extract from the black walnut a person might be able to feed their horses. When we moved to a new place that had a large black walnut tree, the first thing our vet told us was to be sure that the horses never got near enough to munch on it or the walnuts.

Evan
December 7, 2009 at 2:43 pm reply?

A tincture made from the shells of Black Walnut extract is extremely good against intestinal worms.
In order to be effective, the tincture must be made from the shell covering the actual nut while they are still green. The active ingredient is juglone.
I had no idea that Black Walnut it is poisonous to horses. The nuts are amazingly tasty to humans. The shells are very bitter. Perhaps they are not good in large quantities to humans either.

Tabatha
November 29, 2009 at 8:29 pm reply?

I bought this to try on a mare that I have that has painful heat cycles. Her first couple of days of heat are the worst; she will colic from the pain. The chaste tree berry has not stopped the pain, but so far it seems to be regulating her cycle. She has been on it now for a little over two months. I am giving her 1 TBSP twice a day. I have recently started her on Black Cohosh root to see if that will help with the pain.

Trudy Weichers
March 3, 2010 at 10:16 am reply?

I have used the Chaste Tree Berry from another company on our horse with signs of Cushings. We were amazed at what it did. Once she seemed better, we quit using it and put her out in back pasture. Big mistake. I almost put her down a couple months ago but vet gave us pergolide. she is somewhat better but not where she needs to be. I have just ordered some more of this from this company to try but I ordered the powder as don't have time to grind. I give one teaspoon in morning and one at night.

Michaela
January 2, 2011 at 7:14 pm reply?

Can someone please tell me if the liquid form works as I cant get hold of the whole form in the UK. Really need to settle my pony down, bucking and rearing in stable, generally going abit mad, seems to be getting wors, goes mad when others leave her, very fast to ride just wont walk, cant find a loaning home for her til she settles. Miki echoe_babe1@hotmail.com

Diana in Kansas
March 3, 2011 at 12:17 pm reply?

I have a 24yr old Curly/mustang mare about 1200lbs. I suspect she has cushings. I got the berries and ground them course but she spit them out or bumped her feed tub and knocked them to the bottom so she wouldn't eat them. I now make a mash with her pelleted feed and warm water and "fine-ground" berries. She eats it all. she started shedding in 3 days. I have ordered the other supplements that go with this and will start her on everything. The other supplements, from what I have read are magnesium, vit C, Vit E and MSM.

Maureen
August 28, 2011 at 5:46 pm reply?

My horse refuses to take the chasteberry. I've tried baking little muffins with apple sauce and hiding the chasteberry powder inside before I feed it but he just spits it out. Any idea! I board my horse so I cannot mix with anything other than his feed.

Ricky
September 18, 2011 at 10:15 am reply?

I had the same problem of finding a way to get my mare to take the chasteberry. If you are treating for cushings or IR you should NOT be allowing any sugar or simple carbs into the diet, what we did was soak 5-6 alfalfa cubes until they break apart really nice and almost make a mash, then we mix in the chasteberry powder. For our mare it works like a charm. Hope this helps :)

Kirstin
November 17, 2011 at 9:59 am reply?

If you are giving this to your horse, I asume he has foundered or has developed cushings. In either case, NO other 'snacks' should be given. Alfalfa free hay, soaked beet pulp and chaste tree berry is all he will ever need. Beet pulp is available at most feed stores and is a guaranteed analysis, soak 2 cups over night, put 1/3 tsp chaste tree berry powder in it in the morning and mix it up. If still no luck, put a tiny bit of Equine Senior in it too. I have a very picky eater and he gobles this up!

Karlena
September 20, 2011 at 10:11 am reply?

I have bought this product and have been giving it to my mare , but I am UNCLEAR as to the amount to give, she weighs about 850 and in the early stages of cushings, giving her about 2 Tbls a day , I see some of you are giving ONLY 2 tesp a day ...so I am confused as to how much a person should give daily, and some of you are on 3 weeks and off a week ? why do you do this ?
Thanks for any info .....

Unknown
October 15, 2011 at 6:23 am reply?

I'm glad this is working for geldings, mares, etc. However, can someone tell me if this has helped any women with menstral cramps?

Thanks~

elle
December 28, 2011 at 11:13 am reply?

I THOUGHT this was for humans!!!! I've been taking this chaste tree pills! so far no shedding or anything else above mentioned...maybe it works differently with horses and donkeys

edith
January 7, 2012 at 7:57 pm reply?

Can some one please answer the question as to how much they are feeding there horse of the Chaste Tree Berry ?

I am presently giving 2 TBLS but my mare has really long hair and we are having a mild winter , wonder if I need to increase it or can you give too much of it ?

any one with answers please Post them ...Thanks..

Jenny
January 25, 2012 at 12:00 am reply?

Dose for horses... I used a rounded scooper for mine, about 2 tablespoons worth over her sweet feed 2x a day. My mare was 17hh and about 1500 pounds (so skinny we could not keep weight on her in her old age) I gave mine to an old mare (32!) for two years at the vets last ditch effort to keep her going. Her hooves improved and her coat improved and she was able to put weight on.

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