Monk’s pepper fruits are taken in crushed form mainly to relieve women’s ailments before and during menstruation. Most often, this type of discomfort is based on a shift in the female hormonal balance, such as increased estrogen levels.
Monk’s pepper for menstrual cramps.
Typical female complaints include menstrual cramps and menstrual irregularities such as a lengthening of the menstrual cycle (oligomenorrhea), a shortening of the menstrual cycle (polymenorrhea), or the absence of menstruation (amenorrhea).
Use in “female disorders”
Also treatable with monk’s pepper is the so-called premenstrual syndrome, which is associated with anxiety, restlessness, headaches, nervousness, depression and lassitude immediately before menstruation.
Monk’s pepper is also effective in treating hypothyroidism, feelings of tension and swelling in the breasts (mastodynia), and menopausal symptoms (menopausal symptoms). Here the drug can have beneficial effects on hormonal balance, especially in the period immediately before menopause (premenopause).
Monk’s pepper for breastfeeding women.
Furthermore, monk pepper fruits have a supportive effect during weaning or insufficient milk production (hypgalactia) after childbirth. For this, however, the effect of Agni casti fructus is not proven.
Monk’s pepper in folk medicine and homeopathy.
In folk medicine, the drug was formerly used as an anaphrodisiac – for example, in the Middle Ages, the nuns and monks in the monastery should be facilitated by taking the observance of the vow of chastity. The fruits were also used as a pepper substitute. This also earned the plant the name “chaste mud” or “monk’s pepper”.
In homeopathy, monk’s pepper is taken to treat depression, impotence and scanty milk production.
Ingredients of monk’s pepper
Monk’s pepper fruits contain small amounts of essential oils (0.3-1.2%) of variable composition, as well as iridoid glycosides, flavones and flavonoids, the bitter substance castin, and fatty oils.
Monk’s pepper: what indication?
Monk’s pepper may have herbal medicine application in the following cases:
- Female disorders
- Menstrual cramps
- Menopausal symptoms
- Disruption of menstruation
- Premenstrual syndrome
- Breast pain
