Is Agnus castus really the remedy for you?
From irregular periods to those which are more painful or heavier than normal, to erratic mood swings or bloating; all of these monthly symptoms can understandably get us down.
Exploring self-help options can often be confusing, and you may wonder where on earth to start in terms of choosing the right remedy to help support you during your monthly cycle!
Although Agnus castus is often recommended to women of child-bearing age, it isn’t always the best remedy – and much of this is dependent on your individual symptoms. Here I run through some common scenarios and ways in which you might benefit from Agnus castus. And, if you don’t quite fit the bill, I offer up some useful alternatives instead!
1 – Agnus castus may help with painful periods
If painful periods are getting you down, Agnus castus may be helpful. Although relentless period cramps can, in some cases, indicate that you are low in the essential nutrient magnesium (upping your intake may be worth a try), if your periods are also coming thick and fast (heavier and more often than every 28 days), then a hormonal imbalance could be at the root of the cause.
Oestrogen dominance can often give rise to more painful periods and some of the other symptoms I’ll be going on to discuss later.
What’s the other side of the story?
If your periods are so light and painless that you barely notice they’re there, then you could be a little low in oestrogen instead. This isn’t necessarily anything to worry about and can be quite normal, especially in women with smaller frames, but if you experience any other symptoms such as low mood or bad skin, then supporting your oestrogen levels naturally could be the way to go.
If your periods are perfectly regular and are operating around a 28 day cycle, yet you feel you struggle with changes in your mood, painful cramps, headaches or cravings each month, then it’s likely that you could benefit from upping your dose of the essential mineral magnesium instead, rather than more directly influencing your hormones. I often recommend 200-400mg daily for best effects.
2 – Agnus castus can help with heavier periods too
Unfortunately, heavier periods often go hand in hand with more painful periods. The hormone oestrogen is responsible for thickening the lining of our womb throughout our cycle, and if this is in excess (relative to the hormone progesterone) we can end up with heavier periods at the end of the month.
This is often a common scenario in women with PMS, but also those who are carrying a little extra body weight or are in the approach to the menopause. If this is you, and heavier periods are getting you down, Agnus castus may be helpful alongside a good iron supplement to help protect you against anaemia and fatigue.
What’s the other side of the story?
If your periods are quite light and infrequent instead, then Agnus castus isn’t likely to be the best remedy for you. Lighter periods can crop up for a number of reasons. Firstly, if your periods are light, although regular, you could be a little low in oestrogen. This doesn’t necessarily pose a problem, unless you are experiencing other symptoms such as low mood or problem skin, in which case you might benefit from a course of soy isoflavones.
However, if your periods are light but irregular, something else could be at play such as PCOS or stress could be having an effect, so this would also be worth investigating further.
3 – It may also help with more frequent periods
If your periods are coming more often than you’d like (this often goes hand in hand with a heavier flow), and your time of the month is coming sooner than every 28 days, then Agnus castus could help to get things back under control.
Agnus castus works by helping to gently support your progesterone levels. By supporting the hormone progesterone, you can help to dampen the effects of unruly oestrogen and as a result, help to establish a more reasonable monthly cycle.
What’s the other side of the story?
If your periods are coming less frequently than every 28 days, i.e. you have a shorter cycle, then Agnus castus is less likely to be the one for you. If this is the case, rather than being oestrogen dominant it’s likely that progesterone is having its way instead. Now, this is fine, some women naturally have this balance, however, if you are experiencing symptoms such as low mood or skin outbreaks as a result of this, then some soya isoflavones could be helpful.
If your periods have been infrequent, but also irregular for more than three months, something else could be at play and you should visit your doctor to help determine what the underlying cause could be.
4 – Agnus castus can help with other symptoms we associate with PMS
Particularly if your periods are on the heavy or painful side and you also experience other ‘typical’ PMS symptoms including mood swings, irritability, tender breasts or bloating, then Agnus castus may be the one for you.
Agnus castus can be helpful in cases of oestrogen dominance which can often give rise to a number of unhelpful symptoms. By gently supporting progesterone levels instead, this herbal remedy can often help get things back in balance.
What’s the other side of the story?
If your periods are perfectly regular but you feel you struggle with changes in your mood, painful cramps, headaches or cravings are getting you down instead, then you may be a little low in essential nutrients such as magnesium, zinc or chromium which help to stabilise us during this time. You might want to opt for a good quality multivitamin instead to help support you during this time.
5 – The fertility quandary
Irregular periods could suggest that your hormones are a little out of kilter, which in turn could potentially affect your ability to ovulate and scupper your chances of falling pregnant. Although Agnus castus isn’t licensed for supporting fertility, in some cases it can help to support the balance of hormones necessary for making this happen.
What’s the other side of the story?
Infertility can happen for a number of reasons including conditions such as PCOS. When it comes to PCOS, for example, we know that diet and lifestyle factors can have a big bearing, so it might be worth trying to make some healthy food swaps to see how you get on. However, if you’ve been trying for a baby without success for over a year, we’d recommend you go to your doctor to have them investigate this further.
