From the very first day that FLO was founded we knew one thing for certain. We wanted our solve for PMS to be natural--no creepy chemicals or sketchy ingredients allowed. So, imagine how excited we were when we learned about chasteberry. The potent, tiny berry is the fruit of Vitex agnus-castus, a flowering plant native to the Mediterranean, and has been used for over 2,000 years as an herbal medicine.
While it’s known by several different names (monk’s pepper, “the women’s herb”, vitex) the best we came across, by far, was the “herb for female complaints”. The name says it all. Sister stealing your clothes? Chasteberry. Boy drama? Chasteberry. PMS? Chasteberry. Ok, so the first two were a joke...but when it comes to treating symptoms of PMS, chasteberry means serious business.
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Take for instance this study published in the Journal of Women’s Health & Gender-Based Medicine, during which 1,634 patients suffering from PMS were treated with chasteberry extract. After three menstrual cycles, 93% of the women reported a decrease in symptoms including depression, anxiety, cravings, and mastodynia/mastalgia. Masto-what? Allow us to explain.
Mastodynia and mastalgia are both fancy words for breast pain. Ever notice how your boobs tend to swell up and get *insanely* sore just before your period hits? That’s mastodynia. Chasteberry reduces that pain by suppressing the hormones that cause it.
As if easing the breast pain that comes with PMS wasn’t enough (which, if you’ve ever experienced mastodynia you can attest that it would indeed, be MORE than enough) preliminary research also suggests that chasteberry extract may help clear premenstrual acne, all thanks to its ability to balance hormones.
Further studies have found that chasteberry extract is superior to a placebo in terms of its efficacy in reducing the irritability, anger, and moodiness that come with PMS; over half of the patients in this study reported that their symptoms were reduced by 50% or more. The best part is that the aforementioned studies found no serious adverse side effects. Translation: high payoff in terms of relieving PMS symptoms, with low risk for side effects.
Turns out, the “herb for female complaints” lives up to its name, and so it was a no-brainer for us that it deserved a spot in our main ingredient lineup. Reaping the PMS symptom-reducing benefits of chasteberry is as easy as getting down with your FLO gummies, twice daily. As for the clothes-stealing siblings, the guy problems, and various other “female complaints”? We’ll leave you with this: love thy sister. And...dump him.
Want to get to know the other two main ingredients in FLO? Meet Dong Quai and Vitamin B6.
