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The Unchaste Berry
Plus: how to spot the onset of insulin resistance
The 10almonds Team
April 08, 2024
Today’s almonds have been activated by:
❝Nothing ever goes away until it has taught us what we need to know❞
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Today’s 30-Second Summary
If you don’t have time to read the whole email today, here are some key takeaways:
The interestingly-(but inaptly)-named chasteberry has enjoyed centuries of traditional use for reducing sexual desire, and increasing milk production. According to the science, it does neither of those things and may even slightly do the opposite.
Today’s main feature looks at the real science of that, and also its actual beneficial effects, for relieving PMS and reducing menopause symptoms.
Have you tried everything for sleep and still find yourself getting to sleep later than you’d like, and/or sleeping less soundly than you’d like?
Today’s sponsor Cornbread Hemp is offering 30% of their gummies that combine organic CBD with lavender, valerian, and chamomile, for a synergistic soporific effect that’ll have you peacefully snoozing in no time, guaranteed (literally, they offer a guarantee).
Read on to learn more about these things, or click here to visit our archive
🤫 A WORD TO THE WISE
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👀 WATCH AND LEARN
How To Spot Insulin Resistance, No Labs Required (5:05)
Dr. Annette Bosworth explains the early warning signs specific to insulin resistance:
Want to watch it, but not right now? Bookmark it for later 🔖
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💊 MAIN FEATURE
A Chasteberry, By Any Other Name…
Vitex agnus castus, literally “chaste lamb vine”, hence its modern common English name “chasteberry”, gets its name from its traditional use as an anaphrodisiac for monks (indeed, it’s also called “monk’s pepper”), which traditional use is not in the slightest backed up by modern science.
Nor is its second most popular traditional use (the increase in production of milk) well-supported by science either:
❝Its traditional use as a galactagogue (i.e., a substance that enhances breast milk production) is not well supported in the literature and should be discouraged. There are no clinical data to support the use of chasteberry for reducing sexual desire, which has been a traditional application❞
Both of those supposed effects of the chasteberry go against the fact that it has a prolactin-lowering effect:
❝It appears that [chasteberry] may represent a potentially useful and safe phytotherapic option for the management of selected patients with mild hyperprolactinaemia who wish to be treated with phytotherapy.❞
Prolactin, by the way, is the hormone that (as the name suggests) stimulates milk production, and also reduces sexual desire (and motivation in general)
In most women, it spikes during breastfeeding
In most men, it spikes after orgasm
In both, it can promote anhedonic depression, as it antagonizes dopamine
In other words, the actual pharmacological effect of chasteberry, when it comes to prolactin, is the opposite of what we would expect from its traditional use.
Ok, so it’s an unchaste berry after all…. Does it have any other claims to examine?
Yes! It genuinely does help relieve PMS, for those who have it, and reduce menopause symptoms, for those who have those, for example:
❝Dry extract of agnus castus fruit is an effective and well tolerated treatment for the relief of symptoms of the premenstrual syndrome.❞
❝That [Vitex agnus castus] trial indicated strong symptomatic relief of common menopausal symptoms❞
Is it safe?
Generally speaking, yes. It has been described as “well-tolerated” in the studies we mentioned above, which means it has a good safety profile.
However, it may interfere with some antipsychotic medications, certain kinds of hormone replacement therapy, or hormonal birth control.
As ever, speak with your doctor/pharmacist if unsure!
Where can I get some?
We don’t sell it, but here for your convenience is an example product on Amazon 😎
Enjoy!
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📖 ONE-MINUTE BOOK REVIEW
The Fiber Fueled Cookbook: Inspiring Plant-Based Recipes to Turbocharge Your Health – by Dr. Will Bulsiewicz
We’ve previously reviewed Dr. Bulsiewicz’s book “Fiber Fuelled” (which is great), but this one is more than just a cookbook with the previous book in mind. Indeed, this is even a great stand-alone book by itself, since it explains the core principles well enough already, and then adds to it.
It's also about a lot more than just "please eat more fiber", though. It looks at FODMAPs, purine, histamine intolerance, celiac disease, altered gallbladder function, acid reflux, and more.
He offers a five-part strategy:
Genesis (what is the etiology of your problem)
Restrict (cut things out to address that first)
Observe (keep a food/symptom diary)
Work things back in (re-add potential triggers one by one, see how it goes)
Train your gut (your microbiome does not exist in a vacuum, and communication is two-way)
Holistic healing (beyond the gut itself, looking at other relevant factors and aiming for synergistic support)
As for the recipes themselves, there are more than a hundred of them and they are good, so no more “how can I possibly cook [favorite dish] without [removed ingredient]?”
Bottom line: if you’d like better gut health, this book is a top-tier option for fixing existing complaints, and enjoying plain-sailing henceforth.
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Wishing you the very most well-informed start to the week,
The 10almonds Team
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