Chaste Tree Extract in Women’s Health: A Critical Review

Abstract

The history of botanical medicine is universal, having been used by all cultures and all peoples across the span of time. Fossil rec ords date the human use of medicinal plants to at least the Middle Paleolithic Age some 60,000 years ago, demonstrating the resourceful nature of our ancestors, who used their ingenuity to discover and effectively use plant medicines. Over the centuries, botanical medicine gave birth to the modern sciences of botany, pharmacy, perfumery, and chemistry. With all of the advancements in modern medicine and science, it would be easy to dismiss herbal medicine as quaint: a discipline spoken of only in the past tense. However, in many parts of the world, including modern China, India, and many countries in South America and Africa, it remains a primary source of medicine. And in the West, botanical medicine is a growing part of a movement known as “complementary and alternative medicine (CAM),” which loosely translates as a collection of practices and approaches that fall principally outside those taught in conventional medical training centers. Women are the largest consumers of health care, and this extends to their utilization of CAM. The 2002 National Health Interview Survey, which included more than 17,000 women, found that women utilized CAM more than men; 69% reported using CAM within the previous 12 months. Higher levels of CAM use were associated with increased education, higher income, and a lower health status. In general, women between 50 and 59 years of age composed the subgroup with the highest rates of use (1). Researchers have attempted to uncover the reasons why women turn to CAM in general and to botanical medicine in partic u lar. A recent study in the United Kingdom found that the desire to have personal control over their health was the strongest motive for women to use herbal medicine. Secondarily was their dissatisfaction with conventional treatment and its disregard for a holistic approach, as well as concerns about the side effects of medications (2). As a health practitioner for more than 25 years, this author has gained signifi cant knowledge in the use of botanical medicines in women’s health. There are signifi cant challenges facing the clinician when attempting to recommend botanical medicines, particularly when it comes to the research and the marketplace. This chapter is not intended to be an