Feverfew is an attractive member of the chrysanthemum family and was native to parts of southern Europe. Today it is spread all over Europe, the UK and North America. It has masses of white and yellow flowers which resemble daisies, however it is the leaves that are used in herbal medicine.
Medicinal Properties of Feverfew
Feverfew contains mainly a compound called parthenolide, which has anti-inflammatory and blood thinning properties as well as being able to reduce serotonin production in the brain. It is also anti-spasmodic and anti-rheumatic.
Feverfew Herbal Remedies
Our herbalists recommend Feverfew for the following disorders:
Encephalitis
Headaches
Meningitis
Migraine
Scarlet Fever
Tension and Chronic Headaches
Other Feverfew Information
Feverfew has been used for migraine for over 300 years in Britain, but herbalists also use it for fevers, arthritis and painful menstruation. It is available as fresh plant, tea, tablets, capsules and tinctures.
Side Effects of Feverfew
Feverfew is not recommended during pregnancy or when breast feeding.
It is also not recommend for children under 12.
Two or three fresh leaves every day are often recommended as a preventative to migraine. The fresh leaves if eaten on their own can cause unpleasant mouth ulcers, it is suggested that they are put in a sandwich to reduce this risk, safer still use the tablets or tincture.
As a precaution, consult a doctor if you are already using blood thinning medication before using Feverfew.
When this article was written there were no other well-known negative drug interactions with the herb Feverfew.
Leave a reply to Herb Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium)