* 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.
Description
Name
Tanacetum parthenium (L) Shulz Bip., Chrysanthemum parthenium L. Bernh, and Matricaria parthenium L.(Compositae), Pyrethrum parthenium L Sm. Common English names include flirtwort, feverwort, and feather foil. The French call it Grande cainomille, while the Germans refer to the same plant as Mutterekraut.
Source
Medicines are made from the dried upper portions of the plant, collected just when it flowers. Feverfew is native to Europe where it grows wild along roadsides and around abandoned buildings. It can also be cultivated. Depending on where the feverfew is grown, leaves contain an average of .18 to .35 percent of a substance called parthenolide, thought to be the main active ingredient. Feverfew also contains a good deal of camphor, which is the source of its powerful scent.
History
The name comes from the Latin word febrifugia, meaning a plant that has the ability to drive out fevers. Ancient herbalists believed that feverfew was created by Venus in order to aid womankind. Ever since, feverfew has been used by women to initiate menstruation and to help expel the placenta after childbirth. During the last decade, new uses for feverfew have emerged.
Traditional Claims
In addition to its use in obstetrics and gynecology, feverfew was also used to treat arthritis and headaches.
Commission E Recommendation
Feverfew is not mentioned in Commission F.
Proven Effects
Parthenolide is the active agent in feverfew. In Canada, where medications containing feverfew are prescribed to prevent migraine, the government requires products to be standardized to contain at least .2 percent parthenolide. Parthenolide is a sesquiterpene lactone (related to other similar lactones found in ginger and chamomile). In the laboratory it prevents platelets from releasing serotonin, a potent compound that, among other things, can cause spasm of blood vessels.
Many of the older prescription drugs used to treat migraine worked by altering serotonin metabolism, and it is speculated that parthenolide acts in the same way. It is becoming increasingly obvious, however, that feverfew leaves contain other active ingredients. One of these is melatonin. Melatonin can be found in many plants (including St. John's Wort), sometimes in fairly high concentrations. For all anyone knows, it may be the melatonin, or some as yet unidentified component, that provides the beneficial effects.
Dosage
Feverfew is normally prescribed in tablets or capsules, in a daily dose of 50-200 mg of dried herb per day.
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Directions
Take 1 capsule, 3 times daily, with meals.
Cautions
Concerns
Major adverse effects have not been reported, but stomach upset and stomatitis have been reported, especially in long-term users. Fresh leaf is best eaten with some bread, as a sandwich, to protect the lining of the mouth. But in general, feverfew is so non-toxic that in two placebo control drug trials, patients taking the placebo reported more side effects than patients taking feverfew. The main concern with buying commercial products is that the parthenolide content of dried leaf deteriorates with storage. Product that has been on the shelf for any length of time may contain far less of the active ingredient than what is stated on the label.
Warnings
None.
Drug Testing
There are no reports that parthenolide, or any of the other compounds contained in feverfew, interfere with standard workplace urine drug screening tests.
Additional Information
TerraVita is an exclusive line of premium-quality, natural source products that use only the finest, purest and most potent ingredients found around the world. TerraVita is hallmarked by the highest possible standards of purity, potency, stability and freshness. All of our products are prepared with the highest elements of quality control, from raw materials through the entire manufacturing process, up to and including the moment that the bottles or bags are sealed for freshness and shipped out to you. Our highest possible standards are certified by independent laboratories and backed by our personal guarantee.
TerraVita exists to meet and ensure your family's health and wellness without the harmful effects or chemicals and prescription medications. We strive to make all of our products affordable and reliable and are constantly searching the market to maintain our affordability and to look for new ways to serve you and the ones you love. TerraVita has become a trusted household name for many families and can bring you and yours the very best herbal supplements, blends, teas and spices that are on the market today.
TerraVita is packed in childproof, tamper-proof pharmaceutical-grade recyclable containers.
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."
