Used in the prevention of migraines, feverfew also boasts a number of other remarkable properties well worth rediscovering.
Native to Europe but widespread in America and Australia as well, feverfew (tanacetum parthenium) grows wild in uncultivated and stony places, on ruins and among rubble, but is often cultivated for ornamental purposes. It flowers in summer and closely resembles chamomile, though its scent is pungent and rather unpleasant.
A plant consecrated by Pliny to the goddess Minerva, feverfew was used in antiquity to treat all manner of women's complaints. It was recommended to stimulate uterine contractions and assist childbirth or the expulsion of the placenta.
In modern herbal medicine it is used to prevent migraine and headache attacks, but its beneficial effect in cases of premenstrual syndrome and menstrual pain has gradually been rediscovered.
Its active principle is parthenolide, an analgesic that exerts a relaxing action on the smooth muscle of blood vessels. It also inhibits the release of serotonin, a trigger factor for migraines.
Recent studies have demonstrated feverfew's ability to reduce migraine and headache attacks by two thirds, particularly in terms of their severity — for example when attacks are associated with nausea and vomiting.
Naturally, since it is effective as a preventive, it must be taken regularly for a period of between three and six months, in order to make a proper assessment of symptom regression, the timescale of which may vary from person to person.
Used as a febrifuge, it is also recognised as having good anti-inflammatory properties.
It is thanks to its antispasmodic effect, however, that it is recommended for premenstrual syndrome and menstrual pain. A valuable aid for women, taken at least seven days beforehand on a strictly regular basis, it can reduce the intensity of the pain, make it more bearable or even eliminate it altogether.
In more demanding cases it is recommended in combination with other substances such as magnesium and glycerine-macerated raspberry, itself a uterine antispasmodic and rebalancing agent for the female endocrine system.
In recent years feverfew has aroused considerable interest in immunological, rheumatological and oncological research: parthenolide appears to offer significant results for these important conditions, the mechanisms of which are still being extensively studied by researchers.
It is recommended that feverfew not be taken during pregnancy, and that it never be combined with anticoagulants or antiplatelet agents, whether pharmaceutical or herbal. For its administration, always consult qualified personnel who will be able to provide the best guidance on the period of use and dosage.