How to Take Evening Primrose With Vitex

Both evening primrose and vitex are plant-based supplements used to manage a variety of hormonal conditions in women. Evening primrose oil is the pressed oil from the seed of the flowering evening primrose plant and is used for breast pain associated with menopause as well as both menstrual symptoms and premenstrual syndrome, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Vitex refers to the berries of the chaste tree, Vitex agnus-castus, which have been found to be effective in treating fertility disorders, mastalgia and premenstrual syndrome, according to a study published in the journal "Wien Med Wochenschr" in 2002. By combining these two potent natural supplements you may be able to effect an even more significant reduction of symptoms for many common complaints.

Instructions

• 1

  Buy evening primrose capsules from a reputable health food store or online retailer. Make sure the evening primrose oil is pure and unadulterated. Buy a product that lists the Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA) content on the package, as that is thought to be one of the main active compounds that contributes to the effectiveness of evening primrose oil, according to the NIH. GLA content of evening primrose oil should be around 10 percent.

• 2

  Buy vitex capsules or tincture from a health food store or online retailer. Look for products that have been extracted to contain standardized amounts of active ingredients such as agnuside and rotundifuran, as they were found to posses the ability to regulate estrogen, in a study published in the "Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology" in September 2007. Most quality vitex supplements have standardized agnuside amounts of 0.5 percent or higher.

• 3

  Take the recommend dosage, as indicated on the package, of both vitex and evening primrose daily and try to take them with food as they will be digested and assimilated better. Do not exceed the recommended dosage without consulting a practicing health professional beforehand.