Research

Chasteberry for Menopause: Evidence, Interactions and Cautions

By Andreea · Last reviewed September 2026 · 2 min read

Chasteberry is an ingredient used in menopause supplements marketed to women. Below is what it has actually been studied for, how strong that evidence is, the drug interactions and cautions on record, and the primary source our grade rests on — all drawn from the HerWellReport ingredient dataset.

HerWellReport Evidence Grademoderate for premenstrual syndrome; very limited for hot flushes; none for stress incontinence

Studied forpremenstrual syndrome and cyclical breast pain; hot flushes

Used inMenopause supplements

Helps stress leaks?No

Helps hot flushes?Unclear

Also sold as: Vitex agnus-castus; chaste tree; agnus castus; monk's pepper

What the evidence says about Chasteberry

The European Medicines Agency accepted a well-established use indication of premenstrual syndrome for one specific dry extract at 20 mg a day, but examined menopausal symptoms separately and did not accept them, concluding that efficacy cannot be substantiated. The largest and most rigorous menopause trial cited by the Menopause Society (n=100) tested a mixed supplement rather than Vitex alone and found no difference from placebo in daily hot flush frequency or intensity after 16 weeks, so Vitex on its own has barely been tested for hot flushes. The Menopause Society's 2023 nonhormone therapy position statement names chasteberry on its not-recommended list (Level II).

The grade "moderate for premenstrual syndrome; very limited for hot flushes; none for stress incontinence" means: moderate — Randomised trials exist for this use but they are few, small, short or mixed. very limited — Mostly animal, laboratory or anecdotal evidence, with at most a single weak human study. none — No human trial evidence we could find for this use. Grades are explained in full on our methodology page.

Read the primary source this grade rests on (opens in a new tab).

Chasteberry drug interactions

dopamine agonists such as bromocriptine and cabergoline
dopamine antagonists including antipsychotics and metoclopramide
oral contraceptives
oestrogens and anti-oestrogens
drugs metabolised by CYP2C19 or CYP3A4

Who should be careful with Chasteberry

Avoid in pregnancy and while breastfeeding — reproductive studies suggest extracts of the fruit may influence lactation
discuss with your doctor if you have a hormone-sensitive cancer, as chasteberry has phytoestrogenic properties
reported effects include nausea, headache, gastrointestinal upset, menstrual disturbance, acne and rash

Products we have researched that contain Chasteberry

MenoRescue — marketed for hot flushes, night sweats and broken sleep. 180-day money-back guarantee.

We have read the label and the research behind every ingredient. We have not tested the product and we publish no ratings. Full ingredient breakdown

Read our MenoRescue review →

Affiliate disclosure: if you buy through a link on our review pages we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It does not change what we say about an ingredient.