05-01-2016, 11:50 PM
MUST READ: if you take vitex
July 30 2008 at 3:05 PM Linz (no login)
I've just started taking vitex again, and feel awful - really down. So I did some research and found this:
http://www.henriettesherbal.com/blog/vitex-not-pms.html
in a nutshell it says:
vitex masks the symptoms of pms while making them worse, and makes you crash badly, because the real reason for hormone imbalances is your body not having enough minerals to produce progesterone etc.
It may initially improve symptoms, but once your body has used up the necessary vitamins, you feel much worse.
Of course, if you take your magnesium supplements etc, you should be ok and it should help.
waxingmoon
(Login waxingmoon)
SENIOR MEMBER
Re: MUST READ: if you take vitex
July 30 2008, 6:59 PM
Hi Linz,
Usually there is more than one thing at a time that causes a hormone imbalance. Vitamin deficiency could certainly be one of the things, but it is unlikely to be the only thing involved in an imbalance.
It is true that less than optimal nutrition can negatively influence health and NBE. But to imply that taking vitex would actually produce a vitamin/mineral deficiency is not exactly correct.
A person would not be 'worse off' from taking vitex - rather they would have temporarily solved a symptom and would be right back where they started if they did not resolve the underlying cause of progesterone imbalance.
waxingmoon
Moon
(Login -Moon-)
SENIOR MEMBER
Re: MUST READ: if you take vitex
July 30 2008, 7:43 PM
Well, what that site says is one person's opinion. On the other hand, it's a noted observation that vitex tempoarily worsens PMS symptoms in the first 1-2 months, but after 3-6 months its improves them. I did not research into the mechanism of this, but I remember some other memebers talked about ''opening up estrogen receptors'' which occurs sooner than the increase in progesterone production, hence the transitory estrogenic shock.
I do not buy very much into the vitamin/mineral theory, beacuse the body stores a reserve of these nutritients for a few months. Vitamin deficiencies don't develop so easily as most people imagine (much due to pharmaceutical advertising to sell vitmain supplements), basically only if you have a very deficient diet or an illness that causes you to lose nutritients.
Abigail
(Login Abigail3)
I guess it depends really on the individual
July 31 2008, 12:01 AM
Vitex really makes me feel a whole lot better. I usually take it during my luteal stage... since I tend to get real irritable/pmsy during that time. After taking vitex I feel more "normal" and balanced. My skin is more radiant and clear too. So I guess it really depends on the individual and where their hormones are at. If I were you I wouldn't take it, but for me I need it.
Abigail
(Login Abigail3)
Re: MUST READ: if you take vitex
July 31 2008, 12:03 AM
I also forgot to add that vitex makes them swell during that time too.
July 30 2008 at 3:05 PM Linz (no login)
I've just started taking vitex again, and feel awful - really down. So I did some research and found this:
http://www.henriettesherbal.com/blog/vitex-not-pms.html
in a nutshell it says:
vitex masks the symptoms of pms while making them worse, and makes you crash badly, because the real reason for hormone imbalances is your body not having enough minerals to produce progesterone etc.
It may initially improve symptoms, but once your body has used up the necessary vitamins, you feel much worse.
Of course, if you take your magnesium supplements etc, you should be ok and it should help.
waxingmoon
(Login waxingmoon)
SENIOR MEMBER
Re: MUST READ: if you take vitex
July 30 2008, 6:59 PM
Hi Linz,
Usually there is more than one thing at a time that causes a hormone imbalance. Vitamin deficiency could certainly be one of the things, but it is unlikely to be the only thing involved in an imbalance.
It is true that less than optimal nutrition can negatively influence health and NBE. But to imply that taking vitex would actually produce a vitamin/mineral deficiency is not exactly correct.
A person would not be 'worse off' from taking vitex - rather they would have temporarily solved a symptom and would be right back where they started if they did not resolve the underlying cause of progesterone imbalance.
waxingmoon
Moon
(Login -Moon-)
SENIOR MEMBER
Re: MUST READ: if you take vitex
July 30 2008, 7:43 PM
Well, what that site says is one person's opinion. On the other hand, it's a noted observation that vitex tempoarily worsens PMS symptoms in the first 1-2 months, but after 3-6 months its improves them. I did not research into the mechanism of this, but I remember some other memebers talked about ''opening up estrogen receptors'' which occurs sooner than the increase in progesterone production, hence the transitory estrogenic shock.
I do not buy very much into the vitamin/mineral theory, beacuse the body stores a reserve of these nutritients for a few months. Vitamin deficiencies don't develop so easily as most people imagine (much due to pharmaceutical advertising to sell vitmain supplements), basically only if you have a very deficient diet or an illness that causes you to lose nutritients.
Abigail
(Login Abigail3)
I guess it depends really on the individual
July 31 2008, 12:01 AM
Vitex really makes me feel a whole lot better. I usually take it during my luteal stage... since I tend to get real irritable/pmsy during that time. After taking vitex I feel more "normal" and balanced. My skin is more radiant and clear too. So I guess it really depends on the individual and where their hormones are at. If I were you I wouldn't take it, but for me I need it.
Abigail
(Login Abigail3)
Re: MUST READ: if you take vitex
July 31 2008, 12:03 AM
I also forgot to add that vitex makes them swell during that time too.