These symptoms may include fluid retention, bloating, breast tenderness, headache, irritability, aggression, tension, anxiety, depression, confusion, difficulty concentrating and forgetfulness. Because of its complex physical and emotional expression, and because of the many factors that may contribute to its cause, PMS is hard to understand and difficult to treat. PMS symptoms usually occur a week or two prior to menstruation and last anywhere from a few hours to 14 days. The intensity and range of symptoms differ from one woman to another. Often, PMS comes on suddenly, resulting in sharp mood changes.
Some women report dark moods, and an inability to control sudden overwhelming emotions.
The study of chaste berry and its effects on PMS, reported in the British Medical Journal , was conducted at the Institute for Health Care and Science, in Huttenberg, Germany. The evaluation included self-rating tests, physical examinations and interviews. At the completion of the study, the group that had taken the chaste berry extract had a positive response rating of 52 percent, as compared with the placebo group at 24 percent. These results clearly show that chaste berry helps to relieve symptoms of PMS for many women. This is not the first study to find positive results for treating PMS with chaste berry.