* Please Note: This information is based partly on Traditional Medicine which uses natural materials to support health. This information has not been evaluated or approved by the FDA. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These products are intended to support general well being and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure any condition or disease. If conditions persist, please seek advice from your medical doctor.
Other Names: Grande camomille (French); Mutterkraut (German); partenio (Italian); matricaria (Spanish).
Description: A perennial herb of about 0.5 m in height with erect stems bearing lobed, aromatic leaves and attractive flower heads. The heads are borne at the branch tips and have yellow tubular florets and white ray florets. In most books, feverfew will be found under it old name, Tanacetum parthenium. It has been suggested that the common name, feverfew, was derived from the feathery leaves of the plant ("featherfew") and not from fever.
Origin: Southeastern Europe and Asia Minor. It is commonly cultivated in many parts of the world and is often grown in herb gardens.
Parts Used: Whole plant or aboveground parts (Tanaceti parthenii herba; synon.: Matricariae herba).
Uses and Properties: The main uses of the herb are to treat migraine, fever, rheumatic and skin conditions, and gynaecological disorders.
Active Ingredients: Feverfew contains a large number of sesquiterpene lactones of the germacranolide, Chrysanthemum parthenium garden cultivar guaiannlide and eudesmanolide type, of which parthenolide is the main compound. The strong smell is due to volatile oil containing camphor, chrysanthenyl acetate, camphene, gennacrene D, p-cymene, terpinen-4-ol, borneol and other compounds.
Pharmacological Effects: Parthenolide and the other sesquiterpene lactones have a lactone moiety with a reactive exocyclic methylene group, that can form covalent bonds with thiol groups of ptoteins. Fewerfew extracts inhibit platelet aggregation and the formation of prostaglandins and leucotrienes; they are anti-inflammatory, spasmolytic, antimicrobial and cytotoxic. Clinical trials have shown a reduction in the number of migraine attacks in people using feverfew capsules (one per day) containing about 100 mg feverfew equivalent to about 0.5 mg of parthenolide. Animal experiments suggest that the herb may be useful to treat arthritis, but a clinical trial failed to show any significant benefits.
Status: Traditional medicine; Pharm.; ESCOP 2; WHO 2; clinical studies+.
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Directions
Hot tea brewing method: Bring freshly drawn cold water to a rolling boil. Place 1 tea bag for each cup into the teapot. Pour the boiling water into the teapot. Cover and let steep for 3-7 minutes according to taste (the longer the steeping time the stronger the tea).
Iced tea brewing method (to make 1 liter/quart): Place 6 tea bags into a teapot or heat resistant pitcher. Pour 1 1/4 cups of freshly boiled water over the tea. Steep for 5 minutes. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water. Pour the tea into your serving pitcher straining the bags. Add ice and top-up the pitcher with cold water. Garnish and sweeten to taste. [A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced tea is to double the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted with cold water].
Cautions
Possible side effects of prolonged high dosages of feverfew include mouth ulcers, abdominal pain, digestive upsets and skin rashes.
Additional Information
ZooScape is proud to be the exclusive distributor of TerraVita teas, herbs and supplements in the United States, Canada and around the world. Please direct all wholesale and bulk inquiries to Simona Heather at 905-494-1785.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Products are intended to support general well being and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure any condition or disease. If conditions persist, please seek advice from your medical doctor. The essence of the current American rule on Traditional Uses is, as stated by FTC, "Claims based on historical or traditional use should be substantiated by confirming scientific evidence, or should be presented in such a way that consumers understand that the sole basis for the claim is a history of use of the product for a particular purpose."
