All about Feverfew

Feverfew (Tantacetum parthenium) has been around for thousands of years and is traditionally used for the treatment of fevers, migraine headaches, rheumatoid arthritis, stomach aches, toothaches, insect bites, infertility and menstruation and labor problems during childbirth. 

Feverfew has been one of the mainstays of herbal medicine.  It was used by the great healers of the Greeks and Romans for curing many different maladies. It is still used by many different cultures throughout Europe and North and South America.

As it grows, it resembles a cross between a little daisy and chamomile. All the parts above ground (stems, petals, stalks etc.) can be made s into pills, capsules, powders and tinctures.

First of all it works really well in reducing fevers, which is what the name implies. In many cases, feverfew also does a great job in relieving anxiety and stress. We don't know exactly why but, it is believed it has the ability to help control stress hormones. So, anything we can do to help with stress and anxiety fever is beneficial in maintaining proper balance.

Many studies show that it helps with migraines as well. And, although you will find people who will say it doesn't work, there was an evaluation done with the Post Graduate School of Medicine and Health Sciences in the UK and they looked at a several studies and found when taken regularly, it helped in the prevention of migraines. It didn't appear to work well when taken in the middle of a migraine episode, but when taken beforehand, it seemed to reduce their occurrence.

Feverfew generally has been found to be pretty safe with very few side effects.  One thing it does do is, it aids in reducing inflammation and it helps with prostaglandins in the body. This helps to alleviate a lot of the inflammation going on within the body and has been found to reduce joint pain, arthritis even gout. All which are different types of inflammatory conditions.  Feverfew helps to reduce the pain by reducing this inflammation. So, if you have one of these conditions, like arthritis myelin, try feverfew.

Feverfew has also been used regularly to combat such ailments as a “standard” headache as well as minor body aches and pains. There was a study in, 2009 by the Department of Orthopedics in Osaka Japan, and they found Feverfew was helpful in reducing severe pain from arthritis in general.  So, that too is something to consider.

In addition, Feverfew has been used to aid in reducing menstrual discomfort, lower abdominal cramping inflammation. This also seems to have a calming effect and reduce the moodiness and mood swings that often occur during the menstrual cycle. It can also help to reduce the anxiety as well.  Something to think about if one suffers with PMS.

Another condition it also helps with is heart health. Feverfew can help to prevent atherosclerosis otherwise called plaque buildup within the arteries. It is also a great way to prevent clotting. If you know you are prone to heart attacks, this might be something you want to consider because it prevents the platelets from sticking together and causing cardiovascular events. That is really important because, heart attacks are still one of the major causes of death throughout the world.

Feverfew is also listed in the Journal of Medicine as a medicinal food as it was found that it has many anti-cancer abilities. They followed three different lines of breast cancer in laboratory studies and it was shown to stop the growth of these cells. So that is something considered to be quite encouraging as well.

Feverfew comes in several different forms from pills to capsules and even tinctures.  Since everyone is a little bit different, you will have to experiment with several types to find the one that you best prefer. A normal dose is anywhere from 250 to 350 milligrams, four times per day. Feverfew is readily available in your local pharmacy, health food store or on line. It does a great job, in general, and is one of the more common herbal medicines.  

Once again, thanks for reading our blog on the benefits of Feverfew.

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